Reviews with content warning for Blood - Never Look Back

On the surface an Afro-Latinx retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the Bronx sounds great. The problem is, the execution of this novel wasn’t nearly as great. It had a lot of tropes I didn’t think were used well: insta-love, bad-boy-turned-soft, mentally-ill-and-distrustful-girl-learning-to-open-herself-to-love. I’ve also gone back and forth on how this book does mental health rep, and I feel like it does achieve a pretty solid description of how colonization and generational trauma impact mental health. There’s one quote I highlighted: “What is a spirit if not the result of a colonized, traumatic state?” But it still presents mental health in a very individualized and “burdensome” light (and like, Afro-Latinx therapists exist, abolitionist and social justice therapy practitioners exist, other models than how this book discusses therapy that I thought we might move into but we never did exist).

And I’m not sure how I ultimately feel about the use of Ato as an external, distinct character who represents Eury’s depression and trauma. What does it really mean for mental illness to be so separate from someone as to be a different character? What does that imply about a “true self,” i.e. not mentally ill, who can magically be cured, who can have their mental illness miraculously removed with no real other impact? What about the people who never get “cured,” who can’t get “cured”? Idk the subtext of how this book handles mental health is… not great.

Content Warnings

plumpaperbacks's review

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challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve loved Greek mythology for most of my life, and I was excited to dive into this diverse new take on such a classic myth. Lilliam Rivera didn’t disappoint. From the very beginning, I was drawn in by her writing style and the story she was telling. Eury and Pheus are brilliantly written protagonists, and I also liked nearly all of the side characters. Even though everything happened rather quickly, I liked the romance; the chemistry between Eury and Pheus was still present and believable.

My one issue with the story was its length. It’s very short, and while that made for a nice, quick read, I felt it also resulted in some events in the second half seeming rushed. I think even an additional thirty pages would’ve been beneficial.

That being said, I did really enjoy this book, and I definitely recommend it. Even if you know nothing about Greek mythology, if you like diverse, well-written characters and sweet, whirlwind romances, I think you’ll like this book. After reading it, I know that I want to read more from Rivera, hopefully soon.

Representation

Puerto Rican protagonist
Dominican protagonist
Afro-Latinx side characters

Content Warnings

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