Oye by Melissa Mogollon

Oye is a captivating debut novel from Melissa Mogollon. Told almost exclusively through phone calls with her sister Mari, Luciana, the youngest member of her lively Colombian American family, suddenly finds herself taking on the role of caregiver and confidante with her grandmother, Abue.

When the novel opens, it's the fall of 2017 and Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Florida. Luciana's family is evacuating north from Miami, reluctantly leaving behind Abue, who refuses to leave. Struggling to also be the unexpected voice of reason, Luciana has to figure out how to navigate her family's eccentricities, long-hidden secrets, and her own coming-of-age journey. As the threat of the hurricane fades, Abue faces a serious medical diagnosis, changing the family's trajectory in unforeseen ways.

Mogollon brings a strong voice in seventeen-year-old Luciana, and through her recounting of events and conversations to Mari, we get a startlingly complete picture of everyone in her life, most especially their mother, Elena, and grandmother, Emilia — whom they call Abue (short for abuela). There's style, yes — as it's all dialogue — but mostly this is absolutely overflowing with stellar characterization and gorgeous writing. This one is for the grandmothers in our lives. If you've had the benefit, as I have, of being close to one of your grandmothers, then it'll most definitely speak to you. Oye is a fantastic, heartfelt and hilarious wonderment of tenderness, joy, and love.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.