All the Crooked Saints

I will start with Maggie Stiefvater has written some of my all time favorite books- Scorpio Races being top 3. This one is not for the average reader. This is the story of the Soria family. They have lived in Bicho Raro, Colorado for generations. They are Saints and can perform miracles. But there are rules to being a Saint and rules for dealing with the pilgrims who have traveled from afar to receive a miracle. Daniel is the current Saint and he is cousins with Beatriz, the quiet one with no feelings, and Joaquin who wants to be a DJ and has a pirate radio station where he becomes Diablo Diablo at night. The strange thing about miracles is that the first part brings out your darkness, which can manifest in so many strange ways and you then have to figure a way through your darkness for the second part of the miracle. The Sorias cannot help you with the second part or it could bring the darkness upon them. So the town is full of people waiting for their second miracle. Marisita, who is followed by a rain cloud and wears a dress of butterflies, the Moss man who is covered in moss. A set of twins who are wrapped be a snake and cannot break free, a priest with the head of a wolf. All waiting for a second miracle. Pete rolls into town with Tony, a DJ looking for a miracle. Pete has been promised a truck if he works for it. He has a hole in his heart and can’t join the military like he wants, so he is searching for a meaningful life. He locks eyes with Beatriz and his future is no longer certain. When Daniel is taken by the darkness, the Soria cousins and the pilgrims must find a way to bring him home before it is too late. This is a town full of quirky and loveable characters. The imagination to create this novel is unparalleled. I found it charming and interesting and lovely. I also laughed a lot. It may not be for everyone, but to those readers ready to go on a quest for a miracle, I say go for it! Happy reading my friends.