Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC

This book is a solid 3.5 starts for me. I really wanted to love this, but the writing style I struggled to adjust to. It is written as if you are overhearing Luciana on the phone with her sister Mari. As a Latina, I loved the incorporation of language and culture. The story was interesting but the writing style kept me from becoming invested in the book and characters. It wasn't a bad ready, it just could have been better.

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC

This debut is a unique coming-of-age story written in the form of phone conversations with 18 year old Luciana and her older sister, Mari, who is at college. It has some laugh-out-loud moments in this unconventional and comical at times book. A Colombian American family fleeing Florida before a hurricane is to hit and the eccentric Abue (grandmother/Emilia) who refuses to leave. Things start to unravel and Luciana is panicked she will have to hold the family together, when she is the one that is usually ignored. We learn the background of the family history and as funny as this book is at times, it also deals with issues that life throws at us.

It was an entertaining, engaging, heartbreaking at times and just a different kind of read for me that I found very enjoyable. I look forward to seeing what else she writes in the future.

This book is so good! It’s written as if you are overhearing Luciana talking on the telephone with her sister Mari, but you can only hear Luciana’s side of the conversation. It took me a while to get used to this style of writing at first, but once I did, I was really sucked into this story. Since it’s entirely dialogue, it is a unique writing style and felt almost like reading a play. It is a medium paced, character driven story with excellent character development, especially of Abue, the main character’s grandmother. I absolutely loved Abue by the end of this book and you can feel the love between Luciana and Abue. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing how the main character could see the flaws of her family members and explore the roots of those characters traits, but being unable to see how they showed up in herself.

***spoilers ahead***




Two things that bothered me a bit about this book is that the main character frequently slut shames her sister, and I wish there had been more recognition at some point of the unfairness of these comments.

There is speculation at several points in the story about Abue’s cancer being the result of unresolved feelings from her childhood. I can completely understand that every family, even fictional ones, cope with and understand cancer differently. However as someone who’s had a parent die from cancer, these types of discussions that seem to insinuate that cancer and disease happen to people who can’t manage or process negative experiences bother me.

This is a great coming of age story, however, the format and style of the narration is confusing and makes it very difficult to get into the story. Overall I wanted to give it a higher rating but I couldn’t get attached to the characters because I was distracted by the writing style.

This was the most confusing book I have read in a while.

The narrator is our main character who leaves voicemails to her sister. The fact that they were voicemails was unclear from the beginning. After, instead of just telling us the story, the main character imitates the people in her life, but it is so hard to keep up and know who is talking. The usage of abbreviations and text language made it seem like a joke.

All in all, this was very badly written and I would not recommend it.

3.5 stars. I loved the story and the characters however the writing style was a little hard to get into at first. Most of the book is told from a one sided telephone conversation. At first I didn’t think I could finish it but I had to find out how Abdu’s story would end. I think I would really love to read a sequel to this as long as Luciana and Meri are both present and not on the phone.

I absolutely love this book. It is written as if Luciana is in conversation with her sister and we are only hearing her side. Her tales of her family, the drama surrounding her grandma's cancer ( horribly sad, telenovel delicious). This telling of the history of these vastly different, but strong Columbian women, is such a great look at the impact of family through generations.

Luciana's odyssey embarks on a gripping journey, triggered by the looming threat of Hurricane Irma and a mandatory evacuation order that forces her and her Colombian-born mother to embark on a long, tumultuous car ride. As they navigate the turbulent weather, Luciana keeps her elder sister Mari updated, weaving an unbreakable familial thread amidst the chaos of the storm.

The narrative takes a fascinating twist when the family returns, only to discover their beloved grandmother, Abue, ailing and in need of care. Abue is relocated into Luciana's bedroom, setting the stage for a series of uproarious and heartwarming developments.

What truly adds a unique touch to this story is the rollicking, one-sided phone conversation that skillfully illustrates the narrative. It's a gem of a storytelling technique that made me envision this tale as an engaging play, with its absolute hilarity and charming quality that's sure to captivate readers.

I couldn't help but be utterly charmed by this story, and I believe you will be too! It's a delightful blend of humor, family dynamics, and unexpected adventures. I encourage you to dive into this heartwarming narrative, which unfolds in a way that's as unpredictable as a hurricane, yet filled with love and laughter.

I enjoyed reading this book. The style of writing is different and really enjoyable. Kind of like your listening in to a conversation. The story was fun to read and you felt like you were there experiencing life with them in the moment.

It took me two chapters to understand the format of this book. Most of the text is Luciana speaking to her sister Mari on the phone, while italicized insertions are in-person conversations she had with other people prior to the call, except you have to deduce from context who is talking. I didn't think this quite made sense, and it made the book too hard to read, though I do give the author credit for creating a strong narrative voice for Luciana.

“Oye” is a fun and unique novel! It took me a few chapters to get used to the format but I ended up liking it. I really enjoyed the multigenerational story and the story being told from the youngest member of the families perspective. As the reader you can’t help but feel emotions and nostalgia of your own life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth Press for the advance copy.

"Oye" is a novel that is spirited and life-affirming. It celebrates the family dynamics of a Colombian American family, and is told completely through phone calls between two of the sisters. This unique framing allows for more of an eavesdropping vibe for the reader, which has an intimacy to that I appreciated. If you connect with the narrator and family, you will love this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Funny, unique, and touching. Each chapter is a phone call between Luciana, our FMC, and her sister. I’ve never read anything written in this style, so it took me until about 20% of the way through this story until I got used to it. Once I did, I was very intrigued by the family dynamics. A heartwarming read!

I was initially skeptical about the experimental formatting of this novel, as it is told by the protagonist, Luciana, through her phone calls with her sister. But we never hear Mari's side of the conversation. However, after the first couple of chapters (and finally getting over how whiny Luciana sounded in the beginning; she gets better, as the arc progresses), I realized it was a brilliant way to tell this story. Since all we get is Luciana's one-sided dialogue, interspersed with vignettes of conversations she had prior to relaying the family drama with her sister, Oye is 100% focused on these strong Latina women and their relationships with each other. And what strong characters they are! Each is very relatable in her own way. And of course the relationship between Luciana and Abue is beyond endearing, making the ending of this novel all the more bittersweet. This book is perfect for anyone who loves gossiping with friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Luciana is peak teenage girl and i love her for it! Her story is told via one-sided phone calls to her older sister, Mari, who is away at college. Luciana has to deal with her sexuality, her stressful family, and her grandmother becoming sick and moving in with them. This is a story of family dramatics and dynamics, teenage frustration, and figuring out how to BE when you have to take on a bigger role in your life/family.

The phone call storytelling style was confusing at first, but I got used to it quickly. However, I didn't really love it--it made it harder for me to be engrossed in the story because we were just hearing it as Luciana recounts events. I really enjoyed her wild abuela (slay abuela!) and getting to learn about her past at the same time as Luciana does. This book brings up a lot of issues, but doesn't truly tackle a lot of them, in my opinion. It was still a good coming-of-age read, though!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Oye" by Melissa Mogollon is a wildly inventive and heartwarming debut novel that blends humor, family drama, and coming-of-age themes into a captivating narrative.

Luciana is the youngest member of her large Colombian American family, often overshadowed by her older sister, Mari. When a hurricane threatens South Florida, Luciana must navigate the eccentricities of her family, particularly her spirited grandmother, Abue, who refuses to evacuate. Abue's eccentric behavior takes a more serious turn when she receives a life-altering medical diagnosis.

The story unfolds through a series of phone calls between Luciana and Mari, with Luciana serving as the mediator and caretaker in her family's chaotic and unpredictable world. As Abue moves into Luciana's bedroom, their relationship deepens, and Luciana is thrust into the role of translator, confidante, and keeper of family secrets.

Melissa Mogollon's storytelling is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and insight. The novel captures the essence of family dynamics with authenticity, portraying the quirks and idiosyncrasies of each family member with vivid detail. Abue's character is a standout, with her larger-than-life personality and stubborn determination to live life on her terms, even in the face of adversity.

"Oye" is a unique and captivating exploration of the complexities of family relationships, cultural identity, and the transition to adulthood. Luciana's journey from being the family's overlooked youngest member to becoming a pillar of support for her grandmother is both relatable and inspiring.

The format of phone conversations adds an intimate and engaging layer to the storytelling, making readers feel like they are right there with Luciana as she navigates the ups and downs of her senior year and her family's turbulent circumstances.

Overall, "Oye" is a beautifully written and entertaining novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt family dramas infused with humor and a strong sense of cultural identity. Melissa Mogollon's debut is a testament to the enduring bonds of family and the resilience of the human spirit.

Top level: WOW. This book completely took me by surprise and captivated me from the very first page. If you don’t read anything else in this review, just know this – OYE will make you feel every single emotion – joy, sorrow, glee, laughter, excitement, anger, pride, pain, anticipation, happiness, alarm, enthusiasm, delight, and at the center of it all…love. The love between a granddaughter and a grandmother. I have never rooted for two characters more in any book, TV show, or movie I have ever consumed.

Format and Plot: LOVED. After reading the first page, I immediately realized the book was told entirely from one side of a phone call. This book is described by the publisher as being told through a phone call, which was exciting to me, but I could not fully imagine what that would look like until I opened it. The main character, Luciana, is at home dealing with family crises and she calls her sister (Mari) who is away at college and sort of distant in order to update her on what is going on at home. As a reader, you only see what Luciana is saying. Based on what Luciana says in line after line of dialogue, the reader can infer what Mari is responding back and forth, and from there an entire world is born. It was very fun for me as a reader to kind of be an “active” participant in the entire experience. I have never read a book like this.

There are parts in the book that are in italics. To me, it symbolized something that occurred outside of the phone conversation, like a flashback to a previous encounter that Luciana had with a character or some previous conversation that occurred. Kind of like when you are talking to someone and telling them a story of something to happened to you, you might have a flashback to that event and surrounding circumstances in your head as you are telling the story. Basically, I interpreted the italics to be a way that Mogollon let us into Luciana’s head, the stuff Luciana thought but did not say out loud on the phone.

If you’re like me and love to overhear the gossip of the table next to you at dinner, or just love to sit down and get the tea, this book is for you. But this book is so much more than a girl just giving updates to her sister on the phone. Through these calls, we hear some of the most hilarious, bizarre, and sad stories that could occur in a family, all while following Abue’s medical diagnosis which is the central mover in the novel.

Characters:
From the beginning, I immediately felt a sort of sorrow for Luciana for having to be the one to handle so much and carry so much on her shoulders. Her voice is just so very captivating and everything coming out of her mouth is hilarious or scathing, rightfully so, that you immediately fall in love with her. I could see myself in her, I could see my friends in her, I could see how she could remind someone of their sibling, or of someone they love deeply. And there is no option but to root for her. Luciana would make a great character in a show.

Abue (the grandmother) is a spectacular force of nature. She is such a quotable icon. I actually never was able to meet my grandmothers but through this novel I still felt how incredible that connection between a granddaughter and grandmother could be. I spent the book pretending like Abue was my grandma I never got to meet. If you have/had a grandma you loved or that was just so absolutely iconic, I would bet that you will love OYE. I thought it was amazing how I could connect to the characters in the book, despite never having a relationship with a grandma like this or never having a sister. The feelings are just so universal.

The other characters in the book are just as important (the mom with twisted priorities, the absentee dad, the grandma’s estranged sister, Luciana’s ride or die best friend, etc.). Luciana’s relationships with them all shift and grow as Luciana becomes more empowered. It was beautiful to watch, and I felt like I had a front row seat.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I would suggest going into with an open mind because this book is not your traditional literary novel with back and forth dialogue or third person narration, etc. (and for me, this was a very good thing!). This book was truly one of a kind.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Oye" was quite the adventure! 3.5 stars for the unique and winding storytelling, although there were a few aspects that deterred me personally as a reader.

"Oye" is told primarily from the perspective of Luciana Dominguez, a Colombian-American teenager living in Florida in 2017 - as Hurricane Irma prepares an oncoming path of destruction for her home. It's told completely in conversations to her older sister Mari, who's left home for college, as she recounts the difficulties of dealing with their mother Elena, and trying to get their grandmother Abue (Emelia) to evacuate. It's through these (mostly one-sided) phone calls that we learn about what Luciana is going through, the diagnosis that's given to their grandmother, and the truth underlying the complicated family dynamics. Most of the conversations focus on the present - Emelia's illness and treatment, Luciana's plans for the future as she graduates high school - but we also get a chance to learn the truth behind their ancestors, as Luciana comes to learn what happened generations before to her great grandmother Fernanda - and how these events shaped the family for years to come.

It took me a fair bit of time to get used to the writing style and voice, as there's plenty of slang and abbreviations I'm not used to seeing in novels, but it certainly brought to life Luciana's character and personality. I struggled as well with the lack of quotations - when other individuals are speaking, their parts are italicized, but I found it difficult at times to know who was saying what, and even what period of time it took place, since all of this is recounted by Luciana. I also wish there was a little more insight into her sister Mari's perspective; only one section is told from her voice where she tries to explain her experience at college and how she gets compared to her younger sister. Personally, I found the storyline about their great grandmother far more interesting than the one in the present, and would have been far more invested in a novel that was focused on it!

There are some touching moments especially in the later half of the novel as Luciana comes to terms with her own identity and her grandmother's final wishes, but I struggled with the overall cohesiveness and focus of the novel. Nonetheless an enjoyable read overall, filled with humor, wit, and emotion.

“But if Abue ever had a funeral, I think that it would look like a Pitbull music video. Yeah. Being shot at an all-white party during Miami Yacht Week”

3.5 Rounded up⭐️

If I am being honest, I COULD not get into this book. I picked up 3-4 different times but could not get past the writing style. Finally by chapter 6 I had then gotten past writing style and fallen in love. Best way to describe writing style is I felt like I was sitting a few yards away from the MC at the beach as she is on the phone catching a close friend/sibling up on family affairs. Due to me being self-admittedly nosy as hell, as soon as the story starts to pick up I found myself not wanting to put down.

As a 30 year old myself and having just gone through something very similar as the MC I found myself connecting deeply in regards to the big feelings that come with the idea of our grandparents wanting to pass away in a way they feel is best. Also alot of mentions to current day trends when it comes to fashion, love, politics, etc. Very very relatable.

Lost 1.5 ⭐️ because of how hard it was to get into. I really struggled to keep characters straight, understand the scene being set and find my curiosity being sparked.

This book was a delightful read. I did find it kind of confusing to follow at first, but once I got into it, I found myself enjoying it a lot more. I will recommend this book to my patrons for sure.