This book is fantastically gorgeous beyond belief. And not just the cover (although obviously the cover).

This story that touches on a curse, a family, girls loving girls, and a threat against their home will touch your heart.

"The world outside these gardens held two kinds of death, the vengeance of La Pradera, and the knives of a world that did not want them."

McLemore weaves a fantastical story about five girls persecuted for the flowers that spring from their fingertips and a boy who does not remember his past. The themes of love - both familial love and the love a woman can have for a man or woman - run deeply throughout the story, meaning it will tug firmly on your heart strings. 

The storyline is medium-paced, but you won't feel as though the story drags out. The whimsical (but certainly not too much!) writing style and the gorgeously woven setting will keep you enthralled every single page.

"Even in its first faint traces, love could alter a landscape. It wrote unimagined stories and made the most beautiful, forbidding places."

Estrella, the main character, is strong-willed, loyal almost to a fault, gentle and rich. She tumbles with the loyalty she has for the land that has granted her and her family sanction, but also with the prison it has resulted in. Her character development was just really well done, as she better understands both love and the story behind her situation.

The other girls are also closely-bound to their family ties and each present a gentleness and a richness in their own way. I honestly can not fault any of these characters.

Fel as well follows an arc of discovering himself, his past, his family, and where he stands in his new world. His character development in particular is wonderfully done.

While this is a YA with plenty of romance, not a single bit of it feels tropey or forced.

"As though their daughters loving men and women meant they wanted all of them in the world. There was no way to tell their mothers the truth and make them believe it, that hearts that loved boys and girls were no more reckless or easily won than any other heart. They loved who they loved. They broke how they broke."

Wild Beauty is a story about girls who love both boys and girls. This absolutely turned my bisexual heart into a big warm fuzzy mess. I felt so incredibly validated in my sexuality while reading this book.

I personally cannot speak for the accuracy of Latino representation in this story, however the themes of family and generational ties, Latin America folklore, privilege and discrimination feels rich and raw.

McLemore is also an #OwnVoice writer for both queer and Latino fiction.

Even more than that, this story touches on a tale of child immigrants and how naivety grown from privilege can cause irreparable damage.

Make sure to check out some other #OwnVoice reviews of this book, like Destiny @Howling Libraries and Sonia @Latinx in Kid Lit.

Overall this book is just too gorgeous for words - from it's cover to the story woven inside. Absolutely check it out if you love a book with serious atmosphere and fantastic queer representation!



Review featured on bec&bones | More reviews | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin' | There is no friend as loyal as a book. (E. Hemingway)