Reviewed by ibeforem on
Santa Olivia is a town without a country, caught in a no-man’s land between the U.S. and Mexico and ruled by the military. It’s the town no one knows about, in a world that has been decimated by war and the flu. All the townspeople have to live for is the hope that one day, one of them will be allowed to leave. This honor is supposed to be bestowed upon the man who can beat the army’s choice in a boxing match.
Loup is an outcast in a town of outcasts. She’s always been unusual, even as a baby, incapable of experiencing fear. It’s a trait passed on to her by her father, a mysterious man on the run who disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Her older brother Tom is her protector, until they become orphans and he isn’t able to give her the care she needs. She then ends up at the parish church, which doubles as the town’s orphanage.
What follows is the struggle for survival in a town where conditions are deteriorating. Between the never-ending boxing losses and suspicions that the war being fought doesn’t really exist, the townspeople are restless and the military is cracking down. The conditions are just right for a savior to appear.
Carey’s writing is beautiful and expressive and descriptive without being overdone. One thing that she writes about very well is relationships, whether they are familial, friendly, or romantic, and those relationships are the real star of this story. The heart she injects into this bleak landscape is what makes you keep reading. You care about everyone, from Loup and her friends, to Tom, to the unorthodox clergy caring for them all. You cry when they cry, and cheer when they cheer, and above all, you root for their escape. Because, like them, you have no idea what is truly happening outside of the town’s walls.
If it’s not evident, I will definitely be continuing this series. This is the first book I’ve read in a while that I had difficulty putting down.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 17 September, 2012: Finished reading
- 17 September, 2012: Reviewed