Book Review | Oye by Melissa Mogollon

Oye by Melissa Mogollon is one of the most uniquely formatted books I've read. It is written as a series of telephone calls between Luciana and her older sister, Mari, but the reader only hears Luciana's side of the conversation. This beautiful story features Luciana, a high school senior in Florida who has a special relationship with her grandmother, Abue.

The book begins as Luciana and her mother evacuate their town to avoid the impact of a hurricane. However, while they are out of town, her grandmother, typically a feisty, independent 75-year-old woman, stops answering phone calls and messages. When they finally get to her, a life-changing diagnosis thrusts them all onto a journey they did not expect. Luciana, though quirky, snarky, and sometimes immature, is close with her Abue and given great responsibilities to help take care of her through her treatment and recovery. Because her family is from Columbia, Luciana is also tasked with interpreting almost everything from the doctors to her mother and Abue.

When I first started this novel, I wasn't sure I could get onboard with the writing style. The one-sided phone conversation was really different, but after I got used to it, I found myself looking forward to reading more. Luciana's personality had me hooked and the banter between her and Abue was often both hilarious and heartwarming. I fell in love with all of the characters and their stories and commend the author for taking a risk with the format.

For me, the ending of the book fell a little flat, but overall this was a lovely, warm-hearted read that I would recommend. If you're looking for a book that is funny and cozy with some Latinx flare, then look no further than Melissa Mogollon's Oye.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.