I loved their debut, every book since I have not. I didn't really understand Andras at all and I was also super icked in the audio because while written mamí is fine, on audio, I keot hearing a high school boy talking about his mommy and I found all the characters very immature

R.M. Romero does such an incredible job blending magical realism with a realistic world. This is my second of her works and I now know I will read anything she writes. I adored this story so much and could not stop reading it last night. Novels written in verse always draw me in and I am so glad I found Romero's A Warning About Swans last year, which lead me to picking up this beauty.

As soon as I saw this being comped as part Hadestown and the myth of "Orpheus and Eurydice”, I knew I had to read it. Many of my favorite myths deal with the Underworld. Romero takes the myth and breathes new life into it with Andres, Renee, and Liora. It follows Andres and Renee as they travel into the Underworld to try and save their girlfriend, Liora from Death.

A beautiful poly romance which touched my heart from the first chapter. Andres comes alive in Romero's very first stanza. He is depicted vividly on every page, his voice as distinct as his story. The story begins with him making a bargain with Death to take his anger away in exchange for something he will love in the future. When one of his girlfriends, Liora goes into a coma, he believes Death is taking who he loves.

Andres is one of the Orpheuses of this story, who not only has to go on a physical journey, but also an emotional one. One of his girlfriends, Renee also takes on the role of Orpheus. She is the one who first suggests saving Liora and uses her magic to help get them into the Underworld. Liora is our Eurydice who gets a much more active role in the plot. I loved the journey all three had to go on.

Along with the characters, the world is just as striking. The Underworld depicted in this story reminded me a bit of Coco but it is very much its own entity. I thought the idea of not only having ghosts of people, but also places, was intriguing. It's one of the most interesting takes I have found of the Underworld. Also, we meet many famous faces and get multiple references to mythology throughout the course of the story. The love of music was a beautiful part of this story.

"Ground control to Major Tom"

I highly recommend Death's Country. Romero is an incredible storyteller, whose writing is a masterpiece. I adored this young adult story about healing and love. A modern-day take on "Orpheus and Eurydice" that is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Andres Santos is offered a second chance at life as he kneels at Death's feet and begs that Death take away his anger--at his parents, at the world, at himself--so that he can be better in his new life. Death agrees to his terms, but with the knowledge that she will one day take from him something that he loves, and Andres jumps at the chance to separate himself from his darker side. His family relocates soon after from São Paulo to Miami, Florida for a new start all around, and his parents give him a new guitar to help him channel his feelings into music. And even as his parents' fighting picks up again soon after the move, he plays and plays on his guitar, agonizing over what her name will be.

It isn't until he meets two girls named Renee and Liora--mermaid girls and daughters of Yemaya, he calls them in his thoughts--and plays his first song for them that he finally learns his guitar's name and is pulled into a friendship with the mermaid girls that quickly blossoms into something more, something soft and tender and full of real, true love.

But the news of an accident that has left Liora in the hospital dangling between life and death drags Renee and Andres on a journey that neither of them expects to come back from unscathed. A journey into the heart of Death's Country to find and rescue the soul of the girl they love, much like Orpheus's mythically doomed quest to save Eurydice. And Andres can't help but wonder and fear--is Liora the 'thing he loves' that Death swore once to take back from him? Is their quest as doomed as Orpheus's was from the start? And will his anger catch back up to him when he returns to Death's Country. You'll learn this and so much more in the pages of Death's Country.

Full of stunningly crafted prose and incredibly accurate, heart breaking metaphors and references, Death's Country is a love letter to mythology, to our collected history both tragic and wondrous, to music, and to the way that we view Death from one culture to the next. The beautifully represented poly relationship at the core of Death's Country is full of so much support and tender affection between all three of the lovers as they find solace in one another from their myriad struggles away from the safe haven of their collective, and the amount of love and respect that R.M. Romero pays to multiple diverse cultures as well as to her trio of diverse queer main characters was such an honor to get to read.

This was my third R.M. Romero book now this year, and I didn't think I could love anything more than The Ghosts of Rose Hill. But honestly? Death's Country takes some of my all time favorite topics and blends them together with the incredible poetry I've come to know and love from Romero and ends up being what I'm not afraid to call a perfect story. Honestly, If I didn't already know that R.M. Romero was an auto buy author for me, I definitely would have after this one.

I only have one more thing to say other that please read this book, and that is: Ground control to Major Tom. <3

I absolutely loved this book! So creative and impactful at the same time! Fluid writing in a unique format pulled me right in along with the ease of falling in love with the characters and their throuple dynamic! It was so refreshing seeing the LGBTQ+ and polyamorous representation in such a new, creative light. When Andres dies, and makes a deal with death to come back anew he stumbles upon two women who are involved with each other. Over time they become a single unit, existing in blissful love until one of them ends up in a coma. Renee and Andres travel to the underworld in hopes of bringing their girlfriend Liora back from. On their journey they learn things about themselves and about Liora while also being exposed to the mirrored alternative world of the other side.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I adored this Orpheus/Eurydice retelling! I love this story in all its forms, and this was no exception. In no way did the characters' labels (queer, poly, Latinx) feel added just for the sake of representation because all of these labels were essential to the story, which was wonderful. The verse was also beautiful, particularly the imagery of the City. It is cliche to say, but I felt as if I were there!

I have added some of R. M. Romero's other works to my TBR list because I loved this one so much. I am looking forward to exploring more of Romero's body of work! If it's anything like Death's Country, I have a lot to look forward to.

Publication Date: 7 May 2024

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I'm a big fan of R.M. Romero's work, and I love polyamorous stories, so I have been so excited to read this one! Although I'm not familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, based on what I've looked into, this is a very on par retelling. Of course, with a very modern twist set primarily in Miami, Florida. This is also a novel-in-verse which I always love in terms of reading stories. I do think in comparison to other books, this one was not quite as lyrical, but it does have different tone than the others that I think will suit different readers.

There is also a lot of other issues woven into the story, that will touch a young adult audience beyond a person traveling to the underworld to retrieve their lost love. Andres struggles with his life at home, as his parents have a tumultuous relationship that puts him directly in the middle of their issues. He grows up very angry, which leads him on this journey with Death as it almost gets him killed. There are also aspects for Liora and Renee that are revealed, as they have individual problems that I think a lot of teenagers and young adults will understand on some level. For the sake of not spoiling, I will just suggest everyone checks trigger warnings.

That being said, upon reflection, I do think this would have been a better read if we could have got Renee and Liora's POVs as well. Since they have issues at home that drive a lot of the plot and subplot, I think it would have made it feel more important and brought it to the center stage. Especially with Renee in particular and what she is able to do. I think the story could have really used that edge, especially since I, as a fan, am always eager for more.

I also felt the story was a bit unbalanced in terms of the relationship. I'm not entirely sold that Andres loves both girls equally, although it is said he loves them both. Starting with the moment he sees them, his description of Liora was far grander in comparison to that of Renee. Then when he has issues at home, he seeks out Liora, trusting her with stuff he has yet to reveal to Renee. Maybe I'm just extra nit-picky when it comes to poly romances, but I need everything to feel equal or become equal. I do appreciate that it gets touched on a little, with Renee's personal backstory, and Andres letting her know how he really sees her. But I wish there were more moments like that, where he looked at Renee as something precious as they do with Liora. Again, I do think multiple POVs could have served this element better. But I do not think the story totally suffers without it.

That being said, this is a really interesting story, with a poly relationship that is otherwise sweet and full of young love. There is also no refrain from darker elements, and diving into the underworld was very vivid. I loved the added interaction with Virgil, and the importance the author brings to what Virgil has endured in his life. Especially with it being so relevant to recent history. I also really appreciate the author mentioning that the Everglades are Seminole land. That kind of recognition is not often brought into stories by non-Native authors so it was a beautiful and pleasant surprise!

I will definitely be recommending this story to everyone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Death's country is a Queer, Poly retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Although I sometimes had some trouble with the formatting, I loved this book. It was easy to read, the story was amazing and I loved the characters. In the beginning I had some trouble with it being written in verse (mostly because I didn't expect it) but I ended up loving it, and it fit the story and the characters amazingly. I did sometimes feel like it put a bit of a limit on some parts of the story (some parts I would've loved to be more detailed) and I would have like to get to know the girls a bit better, but in the end it was an easy-to-read, nice story about two teens retrieving their girlfriend from the underworld.

This is easily one of my top reads of the year. It was haunting, beautiful, and achingly tender. This grabbed me from the first page and I devoured it in one sitting. The writing is so incredibly lovely! The book is written in verse but accessible for people who may not be familiar with that style of writing. The love between the characters was so sweet and their journey was so magical. The whole concept is so unique and wonderful and I’m so happy that there are YA books like this in existence!! R.M. Romero is an auto buy author for me and this book proves it.

R.M. Romero has become an auto-request/auto-buy author for me and I’m so lucky to be approved for her books because her novels in verse are always full of vibes and feels. Death’s Country, as a polyamorous Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, did not lack in atmosphere or emotions. Liora, Renee, and Andres find each other and fall in love, but they each have their own secrets that could damn them in the underworld. Watching the three of them grow in love with each other, but also in acceptance of themselves, was so beautiful and natural. Part of me wished this book wasn’t YA because there were themes that could apply to all ages, but the other part of me saw why this book had to be YA, for 16 is an age when so many teens are figuring out exactly who they want to be and begin to express themselves and defend their expression.

While this book has a smaller storyline, it did not lack in plot, so much of the action took place within these characters and I enjoyed that introspection. I especially enjoyed the theme of accepting one’s own darkness, that is truly a favorite trope of mine, as well as the theme of finding acceptance of every aspect of oneself from those we love. While I still think The Ghosts of Rose Hill is my favorite R.M. Romero book thus far, I still put Death’s Country in the five star category. I think queer and poly representation is so important, and Orpheus and Eurydice retellings always get me!

I feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends such boundaries: they’re novels in verse, poetry made into a novel. Poetry doesn’t know age groups. It only knows beauty.

While it’s not my favorite of Romero’s books (The Ghosts of Rose Hill is still my fave), I was still enraptured by the writing, swept away by the story, and was crying onto my pillow by the end.

Polyamory is still a titillating topic for fiction in adult books, let alone a book about 16 year-olds. On a personal level, I would love to see polyamory more normalized and treated as compassionately and as well as Romero did in this book, because every heart has the capacity for infinite love; however, that doesn’t mean that every person is capable of it. Capacity and capability are two different things, and no one is poorer for being capable of loving more than one person or not being capable of loving people at all (on a romantic level). Love is love, and no one has the right to tell you who you can or should love. I’ve met polyamorous teenagers because I’m polyamorous myself and raised my kids in a polyamorous household. My older kid is polyamorous.

There was so much in this book I loved: The musical references to David Bowie (beloved but deceased bisexual icon), at least three significant references to Sylvia Plath, a haunting homage to Gianni Versace, and the unique spin on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth (which I almost forgot about at some points in favor of the more original points in the story).

The feel of this story is very much soaked in duality: light and shadow, but look deeper. It’s bright neons and glaring sunlight against deepest shadows and darkest nights. It’s a gorgeous and important vibe that Romero executes well and is important to the story. As with all Romero novels, I recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/LGBTQ Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/Mythological Fiction/Poetry/Polyamorous Romance/YA Fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This is a gorgeous novel in verse! It is a loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with some Dante's Inferno vibes thrown in for fun. The story follows a polyamorous trio of teens--Andres, Renee, and Liona. Their love story is cute, and seemingly helps Andres heal from the bargain he made with Death prior to meeting them. Of course, tragedy strikes and Andres and Renee wind up on a journey through the underworld to try and find Liona's spirit before it's too late to reunite it with her body following a car accident. I really enjoyed the way the story addressed loss and healing, and I think this novel will be perfect for teen readers who are interested in a complex and modern story that includes plenty of nods to some classics.

So to start I'll have to admit I requested this ARC a bit ago and didn't remember much about my reasoning anymore. When I then opened the book and saw it was in verse I had a small moment of confusion as I really had no idea it would be. But I think this book has convinced me I really love novels in verse. I love how the story flowed and used it's format in a way that felt incredibly emotional. I felt so very moved by the feelings of the main character and felt I was really in the middle of it all. It illustrated the story so well that I could picture everything in my head, surrounded by this wonderful story. This being in verse was exactly what the book needed and made it amazing.

The character relations within this book were so amazing too. Their romance was at the center of this story, but it wasn't a romance book. The romance and characters get established fast but it felt fitting in the way it was written, and then the story moves on to the bigger plot of Liora in coma. In the underworld their love was so clear for me as reader. Renee really takes care of Andres, and Andres also of Renee in his own way. But both are always focused on Liora making it feel that all three are always in the picture of the story.

Those first few chapters really felt fast paced but nowhere it felt rushed. Then when we get to the point of going to the underworld the tone of the book changes and magic is everywhere. It feels there is a very distinct division of "before the underworld" and "in the underworld." Both parts have their charm. Before the underworld there is love and joy rooted in reality, while in the underworld anything can happen and the world is full of magic. Before the poetry felt full of Andres pain but also his joy in Renee and Liora. While in the underworld the poetry really shined in the way it could write the magical things happening. Both were done amazing and made me really fall in love with this book.

Concluding I think this book is absolutely amazing and would recommend it to anyone who likes queer books in verse.

3.5/5 ⭐️

"Death's Country" is a modern retelling of the classic Orpheus and Eurydice mythology with a polyamorous love triad set in Miami. It's written in verses, much like Romero's other works, and reads more like a story rather than poetry. I enjoyed this but didn't like it as much as her other book I've read, "The Ghosts of Rose Hill." I think there was just a bit too much going on plot wise. The relationship between Andres, Renee, and Liora moved too quickly and didn't feel fully developed. Romero does do a nice job of tackling some darker themes that are important, especially for YA readers (check the TW's). The ideas in this are interesting and meaningful, but the execution just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, R.M. Romero and Peachtree Teen for my early access to this.

This was quite enjoyable... it's a sort of YA Orpheus and Eurydice meets Dante's Inferno meets Latine mythology, with some world events sprinkled in for good measure. I really loved that we get a YA triad at the center of this love story, and that while someone else (no spoilers) views their relationship as being purely physical, they're so emotionally invested in each other. There's also one particular character in the underworld who, while relatively minor, is one of my favorite characters in the book, and who is the focus of some of the most moving passages about loss and memory.

I somehow missed the memo that this was a novel in verse (oops). That's not actually a problem, as I do enjoy novels written in this style, although in this case I felt like something was lacking in terms of richness of prose, and sometimes in terms of transitions between scenes. I had to go back and reread one part because I thought I'd missed something, but no, it was just very abrupt. The style does make the whole story seem a bit more dreamlike, but some of element of emotional depth was missing for me. Depending on the reader, however, this may not be an issue.

If you like Amber McBride's work, I think Death's Country is in roughly the same literary neighborhood as We Are All So Good At Smiling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this as an ARC.

I really do like a verse novel. This one was no exception. It was very interesting and I really liked the whole death's world thing. But I was a little confused at times and I had trouble really connecting with any of the characters, everything flowed a little too fast and I didn't form any true connections with them. It kept me from truly caring about the whole thing. Like I cared but in a more surface level way. I can't explain. Overall, I did enjoy it though. It was an interesting, original and very fast read. I will definitely look into more books by R.M. Romero.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of "Death's Country". I loved that one! The cover was the first things that drew me to that book and the story was also really enjoyable. I loved the characters and their relationships. I'm exctited for another book by this author.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH AN ARC OF THIS STORY
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I don't often read novels in verse and I didn't even realize this was a novel in verse (I think I skipped over that line in the synopsis) but this was one of the better ones I read! For some verse novels I feel like it's hard for authors to world build so I can never really picture what's going on around the characters but for this novel I could see The City so well. The descriptions of The City and it's people (although short) were very impactful so I could clearly picture in my minds eye the underworld that Renee and Andres were walking through.

Vasily/Virgil was a great addition to the story too. I didn't anticipate him having as big of a role as he did but I'm glad he ended up having his own happy ending!

I REALLY loved as well how Renee and Liora didn't get upset with Andres when they found out The Prince was Andres shadow. They loved and supported him and didn't make him feel bad for his past (they did the same for Liora so it's only fair). I appreciated as well how Andres sacrifice ended up being his guitar and NOT Liora like he was worried it would be. I'm imagining a really good future for the three of them because they all seemed really mature.

I will literally read any retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice that I find. It is one of my most favorite Greek myths.

And this queer, polyamorous retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in modern day Miami was absolutely breathtaking.

Good god, but I loved this. This is a novella told in verse, written beautifully, and examining who our parents try to make us be, who we pretend to be, and who we are. There is a sweet romance, which could have been developed a bit more. I mostly would have liked more development of the two girls, as they felt the most ill defined in the story. Perhaps something on purpose though, reflecting Eurydice’s own status as a shade in the original myth.

I definitely want to read this again as an audiobook. I’ll be ordering both a physical copy and an audiobook copy as soon as I’m done reviewing.

I was a little thrown by the lack of dialogue related punctuation, but I did eventually get used to that.

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for this ARC.

Death's Country
R.M Romero
400 Pages, ARC
YA Magical Realism, Poetry, Queer

PUB DATE: MAY 07, 2024. I received this book from Netgalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"Death's Country" by R. M Romero s a modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, written in verse. It follows a polyamorous trio—Andrés, Renée, and Liora—as they journey from the summer streets of Florida to the ghostly cities of the Underworld. Romero’s poetry is melodic and captivating, weaving feelings of love, identity, and loss around a cast of Latinx characters. I enjoyed the vibrant dreamscape, the diverse representation, and the world-building influenced by Latinx folklore and pop culture. I was fully entranced by the protagonist, Andrés’s inner dialogue as the story developed; his feelings a building song, and his world the stage. I loved the subtle political and social commentary intertwined into the storyline. I definitely recommend this book to people who love modern myth retellings, poetry, and romance stories exploring self identity and polyamory! It’s a beautiful and effortless read!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ( I wish other characters got more developed as the story progressed)

this had some beautiful moments and Romero's gorgeous writing style but for a story inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice I was really missing the romance and tragedy element of it all?

I think part of the problem for me was that the book covers a large amount of time and we both get to see Andres fall in love with Renee and Liora, have Liora's accident, and their journey through the underworld. It's a lot for a novel-in-verse of 4oo pages. I don't think the book does their relationship justice which in term made my investment in their retrival mission low and ultimately a forgettable experience.

There are also more themes that fell by the wayside as Romero is spending their time to build the underworld and gear up for the finale, like the exploration of toxic and positive masculinity. I adored their debut and liked their historical one but this one felt rushed and unlike the others, I barely have any quotes underlined.