Customer Reviews

Santa Olivia

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

_Santa Olivia_ is a coming-of-age story; it's a story about being a misfit; it's a story about an underdog up against towering odds; it's a love story; and it's a hero(ine)'s journey story.

_Santa Olivia_ is set in southern Texas in a bleak, plague-ravaged near future. The military has taken over the area, supposedly to protect the citizens from a shadowy external threat. Poverty and crime are rampant. Into this setting comes Loup, who rises from humble beginnings to become a symbol of hope and freedom for the downtrodden people of the town of Santa Olivia. Caution: you may find yourself cheering aloud! Despite the very different settings, I was sometimes reminded of Donna Gillespie's The Light Bearer as I read Santa Olivia; the two books brought out the same pumping-my-fist-in-the-air impulse in me.

Fans of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel novels will not be surprised that the love story in Santa Olivia is sensual, touching, and bittersweet. Loup and her lover are painfully "real" to me in their trials and tribulations. Both characters have made very specific plans for the future, and both find that their relationship complicates those plans more than they ever imagined.

I should also mention that Carey sets herself a hard task and does it well. One of Loup's special qualities is that she does not feel fear. It can't have been easy to write almost all of the novel from the perspective of someone who simply isn't ever afraid (even when the reader is nailbiting on her behalf)!

I could not put Santa Olivia down, and I highly recommend it. It had me on the edge of my seat, and while I was already a Jacqueline Carey fan, it has given me even more respect for her abilities. This is completely different from anything she's done before, and it's darn good.

Jacqueline Carey's Santa Olivia is very different from her Kushiel and Sundering series, but is still good. Unlike her other works, which are set on a grand stage with a large cast of characters, Santa Olivia is set entirely in an isolated town trapped in a no-mans-land between Mexico and the United States, created following a flu pandemic that decimated the population and caused the U.S. to take extreme measures.

I found it to be a more intimate novel than her previous works, with fairly simple but gripping plot. The main character, Loup, is fascinating study of what a person would be like if they were born with all the human emotions except fear. Despite the suggested tags, this is not a "werewolf" novel - rather than being outside of society, Lupe is part of the fabric of this damaged town, despite (or perhaps because) of her extraordinary gifts.

Highly recommended!

I go through books like there's no tomorrow. This book, although completely different than the Kushiel's series, was a true pleasure to read and incredibly hard to put down. It goes without saying that the writing was excellent, the character development was true to Jacqueline's style and for being told in one location, it was a true adventure.

What I enjoyed most about this story was the Loup's ability to rise above her gender and circumstances. She was determined and yet conflicted in her resolve to do what she set out to do. It parallel's our own confliction in everyday life to make hard decisions.

In the same way Michael Crichton's books were perfectly setup for the big screen, this could easily be turned into a movie, except with WAY better writing! :)

I am a long-time fan of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. But I was a bit reluctant to read a novel out of the Terre D'Ange universe because I had tried to read (and like) The Sundering duology but couldn't make it happen. I was more than pleasantly surprised with Santa Olivia and finished it in record time. The story moves quickly and succinctly, but never sacrificing wit or emotion--I even cried twice! Santa Olivia is a must-read for any Carey fan.

This is a great book, and as someone else already mentioned, if you want to recommend a SFF book to someone not in the genre, this is it.

I won't get into the plot, as most others have already covered that. Instead, I'll speak as a fan.

This is NOT written like the Kushiel or Sundering books. NOT. In fact, the transformation of writing style is SO complete that even though I *knew* it was a book written by Ms. Carey, it did not read like it, and it threw me off a little. The only thing that really connects the two writing styles is the overall high quality of the story, characterization, world-building, and plot. Otherwise, had they put a pseudonym or pen name on the cover, I never would have guessed it was written by the same author as the Kushiel series, or The Sundering. I don't think I've ever seen an author change their style so much between books/series. (Or if I have and don't know it, it's because I'm not yet aware one of their series is under a pen name and they've managed to fool me.)

But all that said--this book is equally good in its own way as the Kushiel series. I know a lot of people couldn't get into the Sundering duology, but this one doesn't have that issue. It's good, even if it's a soft near-future Sci-Fi and not a fantasy. So long as you realize the style is drastically different when you start it and don't begrudge that, I don't think you'll be let down. (Otherwise, just wait for the next Kushiel book to come out in a little less than a month.)

One thing I noticed, particularly in the wake of the RaceFail thing that went around the SFF fandom and community a while back--this is probably the first really good book I've read since some of Octavia Butler's works that has a mostly non-white cast. The majority of the characters are of Mexican/Latino descent (going by their first names and surnames), with the main character being of mixed black/Latino descent. So this might make the book of interest to some people too. It's done very subtlety; it's never called attention to, you just figure it out through brief character descriptions and the ethnicity of people's names.

On another note--Hollywood (or some indie studio) should really, really take a look at this and snap the movie rights up. This would make a phenomenal movie--it would translate very easily to the big screen. Done properly, a movie made out of this book would be up for Oscars, I guarantee. I've never said this about a SFF book before, and perhaps I never will again, but ::does a dance and points at this book:: Hey! Movie people! Summer/Winter blockbuster right here! Big hit!

Anyway, five star book. Go buy it. It's great.

I wasn't sure when I got it if it was going to be urban fantasy or what. The blurb makes it look like urban fantasy, but it's not. It's science fiction with a fantastic feel to it.
If you're looking for werewolves in the traditional sense, this book won't have them, but if you are looking for a solidly good story with great characters, this is it. There is just enough background about Loup's mother and how the town of Santa Olivia got into the shape it was in to set the scene for the main part of the story. Fantastic balance. I'm really hoping there is a sequel or 3.
Carey never disappoints. I've been looking forward to this book since I found out it was coming out. It's got a lot more cross genre appeal then her other books do and hopefully will introduce a lot of readers to her. I don't think my husband would enjoy her Kushiel books, but I think he'd enjoy this one a lot. I love the comic book influence in it. Fans of Vicki Pettersson's Sign of the Zodiac Series will enjoy this one too.

Once in a while, a book comes along that leaves me breathless and just blows me away. I'm still reeling from staying up until 2am reading a book that I honestly wasn't even sure I would like in the first 30 or so pages.
Which, completely proves the point, that sometimes,you have to stick and let an author suck you in, in her own way.

In a part of the country that has been forgotten, a de-militarized zone that is not part of Texas or Mexico but is know simply as "Outpost", the military men come and go in the lives of Loup's mother Carmen. But one leaves her with a gift that no one else can, a daughter with his genetically altered offspring.

It doesn't take long for people to notice Loup is different, superhero different. As people around her learn her differences though, they seem to accept them, rather than shun her. Although she is "different" and makes people uncomfortable, she's a part of the community and they take care of their own.

A child who doesn't feel fear, Loup and her friends take it upon themselves to disperse vigilante style justice on the oppressive military presence in their town, blaming it on the patron saint Santa Olivia. For a town that needs some faith, Loup begins to feel her place in the world. As Santa Oliva, she can be herself, she doesn't have to hide her abilities.

This is not a werewolf story as the back of the book seems to suggest.

This is Loup's story. A coming of age story.

This is a story about overcoming impossible obstacles, about love and redemption, and taking a stand against unsurmontable odds.

This book left me on the edge of my seat, my heart beating out of my chest, tears in my eyes and cheering!
You can read more reviews and enter for a chance to win a free copy
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Santa Olivia was one of those rare books that I couldn't put down after the first several chapters (those chapters were awesome)! However, after getting near the middle of the book, I considered stopping altogether. It wasn't that the book wasn't well written or difficult to read. Quite the opposite. I finished it because it was easy to read and an interesting story. It certainly wasn't the love stories that made me lose interest either.

However, I started losing interest around the time where the story seemed to become nothing more than about boxing. This lasted for most of the book. I felt like I was reading a book about Rocky Balboa, though this time Rocky was a female wolf/human.

I had hoped to see "Santa Olivia" take vengeance on those who oppressed her people (maybe that's typical of me as a guy). However, I got the impression that Loup just isn't capable of being that wolf/human vigilante I was expecting and hoping for. If there's a sequel, I'll probably be too curious to pass it up. I'm hoping that she'll be a little meaner in the next book!

I really had a hard time choosing between 2, 3 and 4 stars. I'm going with 3 stars because I felt it was well written and a good story overall. However, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I love Jacqueline Carey's writing overall, though I can't say I enjoyed her Tolken-like books (The Sundering pair) because I hate Tolken's style. But JC's mastery of that style is superb. So I come to this review with a willingness to admit I don't always like her books due to my own tastes.

In Santa Olivia, JC abandons the Tolken tone of The Sundering, and leaves behind the lush descriptions of her Kushiel series. Santa Olivia has a different style all together. This book is more "sparse" in description, but still vivid in the readers' minds. The characters are rich and realistic in their behavior.

The one thing I found a bit jarring was the switch in focus from the first "star" of the book to the real focus of the story. Once I understood the character I was first introduced to was not the real focus, I was able to make the switch. But you don't often see this type of switch midway through a book and it did throw me at first.

Is the book well done? Absolutely. Does it contain food for thought about society, taking a stand, the nature of our emotions, and other issues? For sure. Was the writing up to JC's standard of quality? You bet! I love the Kushiel series above these other works. But this novel was a pleasure to read and has stuck with me in ways I didn't expect it to. The characters grew on me more than I anticipated. And while I'll never love boxing, I know a bit more about it than I did before.

Readers should know this isn't hard core sci-fi or fantasy; there are no werewolves or demons here. But the "what-if" is currently not possible... at least as far as we know. This pushes the book beyond the boundaries of standard fiction into the realm of sci-fi/fantasy. That set-up never overshadows the fact this is a character-driven story. Santa Olivia might be a crossover book to get more mainstream readers to try sci-fi/ fantasy books for that reason.

A coworker and I have been lending each other books to read the last few months. This one is the next in my stack to lend to her. Different but enjoyable is how I'll describe it. The writing quality itself is superb. --I wasn't able to go to bed before finishing it. A reader can't ask for more than that!

When I first picked up this book, I was thinking that it was another version of a werewolf story. Not exactly, it is more of a sci-fi superhero story. In fact, parts of it reminded me of the tv show, "Dark Angel." In fact, if you look at the cover, her coat is made to look like a cape (and I do love the cover).

This book is such a great read. Even in the slower parts of the book, it builds tension as to what is coming next. You also have great characters in the book, all you either like right away or learn to like as the story goes on. And although there is some vigilante justice, there isn't that much in the book as perhaps you'd like, but it makes sense in the story. Plus, you really root for the Santitos (the orphan's nickname) because of why and how they chose to help the other unfortunate people in the outpost. It's just a fun ride and one that keeps going until the end. Unfortunately, it is the end why I could not give it 5 stars. It lost it's star because of the way it ends. It leaves way too many open questions. I couldn't find out if there was going to be another sequel or if this book is a stand alone. So, if it had given me, say 10 more chapters or guaranteed me a sequel (which I would certainly read), then it would regain it's last star.

I must also say that there is sexual content, some violence and a lot of cussing. So, I wouldn't recommend it to the very young set. Otherwise, I do recommend this book wholeheartedly! It is such a good read. I give it 4 stars!