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folkofthebook's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Magic isn’t fuck around.
Magic is find out.
a queer polyamorous retelling of orpheus and eurydice with some other mythology thrown in set to the backdrop of miami.
unfortunately i'm not very familiar w the source material, so i think it was less impactful for me that way. however, i still enjoyed reading it. the lush, tropical settings and imaginative verse made this a vivid read; i think it could actually be a really cool as a stage adaptation because of the dance, music, and photography elements.
it deals w some heavier topics for teens but i think appropriately so for a YA book. overall i preferred my other read from this author (the ghosts of rose hill) but i'm excited to read more from them.
My name is Andres Santos, and I believe I have more love than darkness to give.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Car accident, Eating disorder, War, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Self harm
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Child abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Blood
Minor: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Misogyny, Car accident, Homophobia, Colonisation, War, Religious bigotry, Murder, Genocide, Child death, and Abandonment
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH AN ARC OF THIS STORY
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
I don't often read novels in verse and I didn't even realize this was a novel in verse (I think I skipped over that line in the synopsis) but this was one of the better ones I read! For some verse novels I feel like it's hard for authors to world build so I can never really picture what's going on around the characters but for this novel I could see The City so well. The descriptions of The City and it's people (although short) were very impactful so I could clearly picture in my minds eye the underworld that Renee and Andres were walking through.
Vasily/Virgil was a great addition to the story too. I didn't anticipate him having as big of a role as he did but I'm glad he ended up having his own happy ending!
I REALLY loved as well how Renee and Liora didn't get upset with Andres when they found out The Prince was Andres shadow. They loved and supported him and didn't make him feel bad for his past (they did the same for Liora so it's only fair). I appreciated as well how Andres sacrifice ended up being his guitar and NOT Liora like he was worried it would be. I'm imagining a really good future for the three of them because they all seemed really mature.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
I don't often read novels in verse and I didn't even realize this was a novel in verse (I think I skipped over that line in the synopsis) but this was one of the better ones I read! For some verse novels I feel like it's hard for authors to world build so I can never really picture what's going on around the characters but for this novel I could see The City so well. The descriptions of The City and it's people (although short) were very impactful so I could clearly picture in my minds eye the underworld that Renee and Andres were walking through.
Vasily/Virgil was a great addition to the story too. I didn't anticipate him having as big of a role as he did but I'm glad he ended up having his own happy ending!
I REALLY loved as well how Renee and Liora didn't get upset with Andres when they found out The Prince was Andres shadow. They loved and supported him and didn't make him feel bad for his past (they did the same for Liora so it's only fair). I appreciated as well how Andres sacrifice ended up being his guitar and NOT Liora like he was worried it would be. I'm imagining a really good future for the three of them because they all seemed really mature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Self harm, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Eating disorder
cathwolfiereads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
(Thank you to R.M Romero, Holiday House, Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC)
“Death’s country” is a beautiful book written in verse about Andres and his girlfriend Renee trying to find and guide their other girlfriend Liora back to the living world again by entering death’s country.
It is very beautifully and poetically written and u really liked how the author had written the characters and their stories. However, I did feel like some parts of the story was very fast paced and/or confusing to read because of the poetic writing. But that could also be my own interpretation of the story.
And I also really liked that there were polyamorous representation in the book and also how it took up a few mental health issues and just overall showed that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and how we have to embrace our flaws and past in order to move forward.
But I feel like some parts of the book left out a whole lot, sure there were a good plot line but it also felt like it was a tiny bit all over the place. And sometimes the characters felt a little bland in some chapters and then in others they seemed to bloom.
I did however feel like I connected somewhat with the characters but I also felt like they were more acquaintances to me as a reader than they were someone we have been getting to know throughout the book and at one point the book and the characters felt a little boring to me because they felt like they were just strangers to the reader.
But I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry, LGBTQIA+ representation and anything written in verse because then you have a spot on book for that. And maybe this book wasn’t really for me but might be someone else’s favourite book. So I highly recommend reading it and see!
“Death’s country” is a beautiful book written in verse about Andres and his girlfriend Renee trying to find and guide their other girlfriend Liora back to the living world again by entering death’s country.
It is very beautifully and poetically written and u really liked how the author had written the characters and their stories. However, I did feel like some parts of the story was very fast paced and/or confusing to read because of the poetic writing. But that could also be my own interpretation of the story.
And I also really liked that there were polyamorous representation in the book and also how it took up a few mental health issues and just overall showed that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and how we have to embrace our flaws and past in order to move forward.
But I feel like some parts of the book left out a whole lot, sure there were a good plot line but it also felt like it was a tiny bit all over the place. And sometimes the characters felt a little bland in some chapters and then in others they seemed to bloom.
I did however feel like I connected somewhat with the characters but I also felt like they were more acquaintances to me as a reader than they were someone we have been getting to know throughout the book and at one point the book and the characters felt a little boring to me because they felt like they were just strangers to the reader.
But I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry, LGBTQIA+ representation and anything written in verse because then you have a spot on book for that. And maybe this book wasn’t really for me but might be someone else’s favourite book. So I highly recommend reading it and see!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse
Minor: Car accident, Death, Self harm, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
chainingbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to the Peachtree Teen for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
“We’re more / than these monsters / and the shadows they paint us with. / We don’t need to be afraid of what they show us. / But they should be afraid of what we can show them.”
“Death’s Country” is a stunning queer reimagining of the classic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice that beautifully blends Latine heritage with the already well known Greek tales and mythology.
Written as a novel in verse we follow Andres Santos as he finds himself having to learn what it means to truly grow, love, and be loved. The story begins with his explosive past in São Paulo and how he has found himself in Miami, relying on music to help escape his toxic home life. Living in Miami he finds himself infatuated with Renee and Liora, who are already a couple, but welcome Andres as their third. When Liora is involved in a car accident leaving her in a coma, Renee proposes that her and Andres go fetch her soul from the City of the dead. Andres, worried about what he may find waiting for him there, reluctantly agrees and he learns more about himself there than he ever has in the land of the living.
My favorite parts of this book were the characters and the way that Romero was able to handle such heavy themes with care. Through only short vignettes or quick interactions between characters I found myself able to quickly grasp who each person was or what they represented in the City of the dead. Along with getting to know these characters, we got to know their pasts and, although many of their stories were quite heavy, they were told in very respectful ways.
The pacing of the story seemed to follow the feelings of the main character, Andres, slow and intentional in moments of joy but rushing to the finish line in uncomfortable situations. In some ways this helped me get a sense of what being inside of his head was like, however I do think it made for the beginning of this story to feel rushed. Especially since the time spent in the City of the dead was given so much world-building and in-depth moments. If the beginning was given as much detail I think it would have really helped the reader feel more invested in the triad’s relationship and make the stakes feel even higher.
While it took me a bit of time to find the rhythm within Romero’s style of verse, I found I really enjoyed their linguistic choices and their beautifully laid out metaphors. There were so many passages I found myself highlighting, as the raw emotion or dreamy imagery just exuded off of the page. The most disjointing thing to me was how on the nose some references were. Although a wonderful love letter to classic epic poems, it did feel off that characters would almost self-insert themselves, stating exactly who they were representative of during the journey. Along with that, there were some formatting choices in the ARC edition that I found myself constantly stumbling through to catch the rhythm again. The biggest issues I ran into were the choices of bold text that I could not discern if they were meant to be read with emphasis or a new section of the story and that the chapter headers were not separated out onto new pages.
Overall I would recommend this to someone who either loves novels in verse or someone who loves the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. The themes and messages this novel focused on were handled very well, there were some really strong quotes that will sit with me for some time, and the journey of Andres growing to learn what it means to love and be loved is such an important message for YA readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Eating disorder and Self harm
atlastheninth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received a free ARC of this book and here's my honest review.
First things first: This is written in verse and that is super fucking cool. I adore the prose: It's beautiful and flows easily.
The book is a rather quick read and given that, I found it impressive how much plot there is and how well we get to know the characters. It also deals with a lot of heavy topics and it handles them well enough but I think it might have been better with one or two less.
And even though the story is predictable, that didn't take away too much from my reading experience.
"Love doesn't need to be divided
between two people.
There's enough of it
to go around."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Death, War, and Eating disorder
magpie_reads's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink for the arc.
The most important thing to mention about Death's Country is that it's written in free verse. The style is very flowery and dramatic and full of metaphors and similes and nearly homeric epithets. This style isn't for everyone but it worked for me because it makes me feel like I'm reading an ancient Greek epic poem.
This is not just unusual and refreshing. The novel is about katabais, a descent into the underworld. Andres drowned and struck a deal with Death before moving to Miami, where he falls in love with Renee and Liora. When Liora falls into a coma, Andres and Renee have to save their girlfriend. The story draws heavily on not only Orpheus and Eurydice but also the Divine Comedy and the Odyssey.
The verse style makes it a very quick read (I read it in one sitting) and you definitely have to accept it as a verse novel with all the limitation that brings. The characters feel complex but of course you can't expect the same complexity as a prose novel.
I think the mythological comparisons were sometimes a little too much (Orpheus plus Odysseus plus Dante plus Persephone plus occasional comparisons like Peter Pan or the Wizard of Oz) but I quite enjoyed the world building surrounding the actual City. Some of the writing was also incredibly beautiful and stuck with me while some of it felt like geared towards a slightly younger audience, which isn't bad, it's just making me think about how I'm growing out of certain things.
The most important thing to mention about Death's Country is that it's written in free verse. The style is very flowery and dramatic and full of metaphors and similes and nearly homeric epithets. This style isn't for everyone but it worked for me because it makes me feel like I'm reading an ancient Greek epic poem.
This is not just unusual and refreshing. The novel is about katabais, a descent into the underworld. Andres drowned and struck a deal with Death before moving to Miami, where he falls in love with Renee and Liora. When Liora falls into a coma, Andres and Renee have to save their girlfriend. The story draws heavily on not only Orpheus and Eurydice but also the Divine Comedy and the Odyssey.
The verse style makes it a very quick read (I read it in one sitting) and you definitely have to accept it as a verse novel with all the limitation that brings. The characters feel complex but of course you can't expect the same complexity as a prose novel.
I think the mythological comparisons were sometimes a little too much (Orpheus plus Odysseus plus Dante plus Persephone plus occasional comparisons like Peter Pan or the Wizard of Oz) but I quite enjoyed the world building surrounding the actual City. Some of the writing was also incredibly beautiful and stuck with me while some of it felt like geared towards a slightly younger audience, which isn't bad, it's just making me think about how I'm growing out of certain things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Self harm and Eating disorder
thebookvali's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
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