All the Crooked Saints in What's the Name of That Book???

Nov 19, 2017 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, new-favorites, youngadult, magical-realism

Simply stunning work of magical realism by an author who is probably one of the best in the YA field today. It's quite a departure from her other books, yet the writing is even more lyrical and the moments of strange humor are still there.

Bonus: So. Many. Owls. ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 Kate rated it really liked it

Shelves: age-ya, 2017, diverse-reads

Miracles really happen at the Bicho Raro, a ranch in Colorado, where in 1955, the Soria family hosts a swarm of pilgrims seeking such miracles. When a radio DJ named Tony travels there, along with a hitchhiker named Pete, they set into motion a series of events that lead to changes for everyone at the ranch.

I'm not sure how else to describe this story, which had so many unique characters and interwoven plotlines. One might say that Beatriz and Pete are the main characters, but they aren't, not r ...more

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Aug 12, 2017 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, bea

Here is a thing that draws everyone to Bicho Raro: The promise of a miracle.

Here is a thing everyone fears after their first miracle: What they'll need to do to complete their second miracle.

The strange magic of miracles has been a part of the Soria family for generations--long before the family left Mexico for the desert of Bicho Raro, Colorado.

Now, in 1962, three cousins are at a turning point where magic and action intersect.

Joaquin wants many things. He wants his family to understand him, he Here is a thing that draws everyone to Bicho Raro: The promise of a miracle.

Here is a thing everyone fears after their first miracle: What they'll need to do to complete their second miracle.

The strange magic of miracles has been a part of the Soria family for generations--long before the family left Mexico for the desert of Bicho Raro, Colorado.

Now, in 1962, three cousins are at a turning point where magic and action intersect.

Joaquin wants many things. He wants his family to understand him, he wants to spend time with his cousins, most of all he wants someone to hear him DJing as Diablo Diablo on the pirate radio station he is running with Beatriz from inside a box truck.

Daniel is the current Saint of Bicho Raro. He performs the miracles and he sets the pilgrims on their paths to help themselves. Despite his saintliness he is incapable of performing the miracle he needs for himself.

Her family calls Beatriz the girl without feelings, objectively she can't argue the point. But when unexpected misfortune befalls Bicho Raro, Beatriz will have to reconcile her feelings (or lack thereof) with the logical fact of what she has to do next.

Everyone wants a miracle but when miracles go horribly wrong the residents of Bicho Raro might have to settle for forgiveness instead in All the Crooked Saints (2017) by Maggie Stiefvater.

Set in 1962 when radio waves could be stolen and miracles weren't quite so shocking, Stiefvater's latest standalone novel is a story of miracles and magic but also family and forgiveness. An omniscient third person narrator tells the story as Beatriz, Joaquin, and Daniel are drawn into the center of the Soria family's tumultuous relationship to the miracles and pilgrims who shape so much of the Soria identity.

Pilgrims come to Bicho Raro hoping a miracle can change their life, or maybe their fate. The Soria family changed years ago on a lonely night when a miracle went horribly wrong. The Soria cousins--Beatriz, Joaquin, and Daniel--might be the ones to help right the wrongs of that night. But only if they're willing to risk changing Bicho Raro and themselves forever.

All the Crooked Saints is an evocative and marvelously told story. Wry humor, unique fantasy elements, friendship, and the fierce power of hope come together here to create an unforgettable story. Not to be missed. Will hold special appeal for readers who enjoy character driven fantasy.

Possible Pairings: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi, The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore, Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher at BookExpo 2017* ...more

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Oct 08, 2017 Jennie rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fya-review

Despite the controversy surrounding this book, and its slow start, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. I can't tell you whether Maggie Stiefvater represented Latinx culture appropriately, or if she should have, but I can say that she is a master storyteller. Her writing is unparalleled.

Full review to come to FYA soon. ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: old-reads, mt-bookpile-2016-2020

With so much attention today on diverse voices and different experiences, this could be a great addition to a collection; having said that, there will probably be some uproar over cultural appropriation and writing outside your experience. Neither of which should matter, as the culture being appropriated is essentially made-up/heavily fictionalized and the experience is magical realism within that culture so... just read, ok?

The writing is, as is all of Steifvater's work, both lush and precise. ...more

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Nov 06, 2018 Wealhtheow rated it it was ok

Shelves: pocmaincharacters, fantasy, ya

A family has the power to create miracles that free people from their inner darkness. After generations of this, a whole little town of pilgrims has formed around the family, while the family members increasingly isolate themselves. A trio of teenaged cousins experiment with how much they can help the pilgrims without falling prey to their family curse.

This was the first Stiefvater book I've read that I didn't like. In fact, it bored and annoyed me. The real problem for me was the style in which ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 emily marked it as abandoned

Shelves: fantasy-urban-fantasy, family-drama

I HAAAAAAAAATE that I'm abandoning this, but... I need to learn to accept when a book just doesn't hook me, and as shocked as I am that there's a Stiefvater book in existence that falls into that category, I think I just have to call it. This makes the third time I've tried this book, twice in print and this time in audio, and it's just not for me. I have never enjoyed magical realism, and the pseudo-fairy-tale quality of the storytelling (the repetition of 'Here is a thing Character X wants; he ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 Carol rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult

A YA book should not take me over a week to finish. I was alternating between being bored to tears and delighted by some of her writing. But not nearly enough delight.

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