Join a book club that is reading Oye: A Novel!
Oye: A Novel
A coming-of-age comedy. A telenovela-worthy drama. A moving family saga. All in a phone call you won't want to hang up on. "A portrait of love, heartache, and hilarity that transcends its medium."--Elle (The Best Literary Fiction Books of 2024, So Far) "Brilliant . . . Melissa Mogollon did not come to play."--Kiley Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Such a Fun Age LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE "Yes, hi, Mari. It's me. I'm over my tantrum now and calling you back . . . But first--you have to promise that you won't tell Mom or Abue any of this. Okay? They'll set the house on fire if they find out . . ." Structured as a series of one-sided phone calls from our spunky, sarcastic narrator, Luciana, to her older sister, Mari, this wildly inventive debut "jump-starts your heart in the same way it piques your ear" (Xochitl Gonzalez). As the baby of her large Colombian American family, Luciana is usually relegated to the sidelines. But now she finds herself as the only voice of reason in the face of an unexpected crisis: A hurricane is heading straight for Miami, and her eccentric grandmother, Abue, is refusing to evacuate. Abue is so one-of-a-kind she's basically in her own universe, and while she often drives Luciana nuts, they're the only ones who truly understand each other. So when Abue, normally glamorous and full of life, receives a shocking medical diagnosis during the storm, Luciana's world is upended. When Abue moves into Luciana's bedroom, their complicated bond intensifies. Luciana would rather be skating or sneaking out to meet girls, but Abue's wild demands and unpredictable antics are a welcome distraction for Luciana from her misguided mother, absent sister, and uncertain future. Forced to step into the role of caretaker, translator, and keeper of the devastating family secrets that Abue begins to share, Luciana suddenly finds herself center stage, facing down adulthood--and rising to the occasion. As Luciana chronicles the events of her disrupted senior year of high school over the phone to Mari, Oye unfolds like the most fascinating and entertaining conversation you've ever eavesdropped on: a rollicking, heartfelt, and utterly unique novel that celebrates the beauty revealed and resilience required when rewriting your own story.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
3.75 stars - A Hurricane Irma evacuation turned spontaneous family road trip is just the start of what's shaping up to be a stressful senior year for Luciana. Her older sister is off in DC living her best college life, her mom is constantly harping on her about one thing or another, and her love life is nonexistent aside from a hopeless crush on the hot bartender she can't make herself actually talk to. But when her Abue receives a possibly devastating medical diagnosis, all that gets pushed to the back-burner. Now Luciana's life is no longer filled with skate parks and visits to the local bar's Ladies' Night courtesy of her fake ID, instead she's dealing with her Abue's crazy demands, playing translator at all their hospital visits, and being blindsided by family secrets far too often. Suddenly thrust into the center of all her familial drama, with no older sister to lean on, Luciana has no choice but to step up.
Told entirely via dialogue from one-sided phone calls, Oye is truly one of the most interestingly written novels I've read. At first a bit jarring, I soon came enjoy the style and the way it helped to convey the chaos of Luciana's life and really highlighted her emotions. We still get insight into the lives and thoughts of her family members, but all through the lens of a younger sister who is missing her sister, frustrated with her mother, and scared for her grandmother. Funny, relatable, and moving, this was a beautiful and unique read.
Told entirely via dialogue from one-sided phone calls, Oye is truly one of the most interestingly written novels I've read. At first a bit jarring, I soon came enjoy the style and the way it helped to convey the chaos of Luciana's life and really highlighted her emotions. We still get insight into the lives and thoughts of her family members, but all through the lens of a younger sister who is missing her sister, frustrated with her mother, and scared for her grandmother. Funny, relatable, and moving, this was a beautiful and unique read.
Luciana is still a teenager, the youngest of a Colombian American family, when life dumps a hurricane, a family tragedy, and a telenovela-worthy family secret in her lap. She is the closest to the matriarch, Abue, who is the most colorful and entertaining character in the book and the sun around which the family orbits. The structure is challenging but is in good hands with Mogollon, as it unfolds through Luciana’s telephone calls to her sister Mari. Luciana’s wit and and ability to navigate crises juxtaposed with her teenage freak-outs at having to navigate them makes this story hum. Great read.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.