How to Date a Flying Mexican

This was my first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more! The characters stay with you long after you finish the book. Such a great story and fast read. Highly recommend!!!

TW: mentions of rape, domestic abuse, incest (though none of it is graphic or detailed)

This is an enchanting collection of short stories and modern fables. I immediately felt immersed in the world that Olivas created, and despite the unique nature of each story they do seem to fit within the same fantastic universe. There were definitely some stories that appealed to me more than others, but regardless of my personal tastes I felt that each story was still strong and well-written,

I will say that there were a few instances of dialogue that felt stilted, or unusual phrases repeated that brought me out of my reading flow, however, I don't feel that these were large enough issues to detract from the entirety of the collection.

I truly enjoyed these stories and I would wholeheartedly recommend them to family and friends. I come from a Mexican-American household, which made it easy for me to relate to many of these characters and to feel at home in the world that Olivas built. However, I feel that this is a world that anyone could easily become immersed in, regardless of their cultural background.

I loved this collection of fables and stories! Daniel Olivas has an easy writing style that pulls you in and brings worlds to life around you. The stories in this collection are magical, cautionary, reflective, and strident in turn. Olivas creates lush worlds using a spare writing style, which I find particularly compelling.

The stories were well curated. They work together to describe Chicano and Mexican experience and culture, the mythology and complexity of religion, and the particular stress of the politics of the last six years. At times this collection felt like a novel. And I loved that.

This is a collection of short stories, and like all of these, there are hits and misses. There was definitely a lull in the middle, with many of the best stories at the beginning and end of the collection. The lull isnt because the stories are bad, but they are less stories and more vignettes. The still life of writing as it were.

But there were many where I made my partner read specific stories because they were so good. This happened a lot more than most any short story collection Ive read in the past year or so.

If you need plots and completion, this collection is not for you. If you are a Trumpster, you may not appreciate some of the stories, but need them more than anyone. Overall, a strong book that Id recommend to a pretty wide group.

Thank you to Daniel Olivas, University of Nevada Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy

I came for the title and stayed for the stories. So many great stories, mostly set in Mexico or Southern California. Magical realism and folklore, with short to long stories, I loved it. It made me think of my own abuela, who died over 20 years ago, a healer and beautiful soul.
It is hard to summarize with so many stories, but my favorites are probably the longer stories: The Fabricator, After the Revolution, La Queenie. The collection ends strong with the last two stories Los Otros Coyotes (about immigration and family separation) and The Chicano in You, where Javier Zambrano is able to occupy the body of animals and humans.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This was my first collection of short stories and I was enchanted by them! They were such a beautiful insight into Mexican culture and folklore, and there were definitely several that I think I'll find myself returning to. Overall, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, and I'm looking forward to reading more by the author!

I got an advance digital galley copy from NetGalley. Loved the collection of stories in this book. The collection of stories was not only a collection of good short stories but you can also see the different kinds of stories, some of them leaving you to guess the ending your self.

Overall, I really liked this collection and i would strongly recommend reading the book.

How to Date a Flying Mexican is a collection of short stories that is filled with Mexican culture, myths and folklores. Some of these stories are very entertaining and engaging while some are sad and frustrating. There were some that ended abruptly leaving you to guess the ending. A few of the stories touch on politics which I were my favourite. The stories are all quite different and there is definitely a story for everyone.

Like all short stories, there are bound to be hits and misses and I find that the stories in the middle are a little boring. I find the stories in the beginning and end are the best ones. I don’t have any particular favourites simply because there were so many stories to choose from but I definitely enjoyed reading this overall.

Thank you Netgalley and University of Nevada Press for the arc.

Such a fun dive into Mexican culture and experience. This is my first book from this author and he definitely got my attention. I’m looking forward to reading more book from him.

I received this as ARC in exchange for a review. Thank you University of Nevada Press for the opportunity to read How to Date a Flying Mexican.

This is a collection of previously published short stories by Daniel A. Olivas. I was not familiar with the author or his works but the description of the short stories, especially his heritage as a Mexican American, caught my interest. I was not disappointed! Each story is haunting, mysterious, supernatural and thought provoking.

Without any spoilers: Who killed the goat? What did the girl say? What happened to the boy? Read this book and reach out to me so that we can discuss.

I enjoyed reading these stories! The writing was solid and the various plots were intriguing. I look forward to the author’s next book!

Quite a whimsy and magical collection of stories filled with Mexican culture and references. these stories and vignettes were captivating and compelling.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was an interesting read, not sure what I was expecting from this book but happy with the time spent reading it all the same. I definitely cannot wait for the day where more books like this are available, especially by BIPOC authors!

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to read more from this author. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did so that was a lovely surprise.