Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit.
One night, Xo’s wish is granted―in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.
Ok, this might be less of a coherent review and more just extreme flailing, because Mark Oshiro’s EACH OF US A DESERT is honestly one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Like, I am deeply emotionally compromised by the book.
Fuck.
This is the story of Xochitl, the cuentista of her village, Empalme. Xochitl listens to people’s stories…their confessions, really. She takes their story into her, and then performs a ritual and gives the story back to Solís, the sun god. Once she has purged the story, Xochitl no longer remembers it. This power was granted to Xochitl when she was just eight, and as a teenager, she begins to feel burdened by the responsibility.
Leaving everything she’s ever known behind, she sets out on a dangerous quest…kind of a journey towards self-discovery. The desert is a brutal & unforgiving landscape, but Xochitl won’t have to make the journey alone. She’s joined by Emilia, a relative newcomer to Empalme, and someone Xochitl has reason to distrust.
Oof. There’s just…a lot going on in this book. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the writing, because the style of prose is quite unique. This is a weird, haunting, and relentlessly beautiful story. A story about trying to find your place in the world, and perhaps rejecting the path that had been set in front of you.
Oshiro brings in elements from so many genres…certainly it’s post-apocalyptic, as we get bits and pieces about a major climate change event that alters the landscape of this world forever. And there are for sure elements of horror, both human and otherwise. And somehow on top of all this, it’s this incredibly slow burn queer romance that fucking leveled me. I just can’t express how special this book is.
A fucking treasure, and one of my favorite reads of the year so far!
Grimdark Dad 