A review by ejpass
Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro

4.0

4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like:
fantasy, story-telling, journeys, unique narration styles, LGBTQ characters, enemies-to-lovers

This book tells the story of la cuentista, Xochitl, who relieves others of their burdens by taking their stories and returning them to the earth (technically, Solis, but whatever). It's such a fascinating concept, particularly with the post-apocalyptic fantasy setting Oshiro wrote it in. For the most part, it lives up to that promise.

In terms of something I wasn't too fond of, I feel like the bit with Solado was 1) rushed and 2) not foreshadowed nearly enough. It was a pretty big reveal and obviously there was some foreshadowing going on there, but I still feel like it kind of came out of left field and barely lasted 10 pages. It's an interesting way to tell a story, with the climax being quick enough that the story really revolves around the to-and-from the climactic moment/location, but I would've liked something more in Solado. That being said, there was one foreshadowed moment that was a bit too obvious, but I'll let readers decide for themselves how they feel about that, since I was rolling my eyes at Xochitl not figuring it out until she did and, frankly, I actually think it worked despite the obviousness of it.

Also, Julio is set up to be the main villain with his supuestos and he is just really...not. Having read the entire book I understand why things happened the way they did, but while I was reading I got to a certain part and was kind of like 'well what happens now?'. I was only about 30% of the way through at that point and a certain sequence of events left me wondering what was left to tell. So, if you're reading this before reading the book, I'd advise to perhaps be aware this story is very much a self vs self/internal conflict sort of a book rather than one that focuses on self vs other/external conflict.

I also wish we got to know/see more about the world Xochitl and Emilia are in, but I also get that, for the story to work, we really can't. Something that makes this book so fascinating is that it is largely about the journey and realizations that the characters, mostly Xochitl, have and what they decide to do about it. It's a story about the stories and truths and lies we tell ourselves and each other and how they can become so tangled and ingrained that we stop questioning them. It's a fantastically tangled web and I love it. While it is a bit rocky at first, once you get into it it's easy to get caught up in Xochitl and the stories people tell her and the various myths people have about la cuentista and Solis.

The narrative structure is rather unique as well. It's told from 2nd POV, with Xochitl narrating as she tells the story to Solis. It's not particularly a format you see all that much and, of the one other story I remember being really genuinely 2nd POV, it is easy to do very very badly (I cannot for the life of me remember the book it was, but W O W it turned me off of 2nd POV narration). Oshiro does it well, though, and it's a unique method of storytelling that doesn't get overwhelming and, considering the theme and plot of the book, it works well for Each of Us a Desert. The story is also circular, in a way, which I liked but won't say too much about to avoid spoilers.

Onto the characters: Xochitl is an interesting character, naturally. In the beginning of the story, she's stuck in a relatively dead-end town where she's pretty much solely talked to by people who want her to relieve their burdens by taking their stories. Xochitl, on the other hand, does not feel burden-free from taking these stories and sees it, rather, as a burden that was thrust upon her but which she must perform to save her people. Things always get complex when you mix resentment with responsibility for other lives. Add in Julio and that was a spark just waiting to burst. Xochitl wants so much to be seen and wants to be able to choose her own path and, though the start to her journey doesn't begin that well, she is able to go on that journey and grow a lot as a character.

Emilia is really the other character we get to see the most of, and while it's harder to judge how much she changes over the course of the book, she certainly seems different at the end than she did at the beginning of the journey. Poor Emilia has been through a lot in a different way than Xochitl has been, but she, too, just wants to be free and feel seen. From a girl who feels helpless to stop her father from hurting aldeas and her she transforms into someone who can survive and lead people through the desert toward hope and peace, however and wherever they find that.

Overall, I feel like Each of Us a Desert is a good book and I enjoyed it. The narrative structure was unique without being overwhelming and fit very well with the themes and plots of the story. I liked the characters and, though it was hard to get a feel for the world at first, I did enjoy the bits we got to learn about it throughout the book. I do prefer books with a little more action to them typically, even if it's relatively minor, and felt the climax was too sudden and quick, but I don't think those things detract too much from the story since the characters, plot, and events were interesting and enjoyable.