All the Crooked Saints

One of my favorite books, and a masterclass in Stiefvater's skills. 

“It could take forever to learn yourself.”

“All the Crooked Saints” was the Miracle I was wishing the Sorias to perform on me.

When the magic and complexity of Maggie's characters meet a small town in the Colorado region and the magic realism of Gabriel García Márquez, there is no way anything bad could happen.

I had already been in love with Maggie's writing since the Raven Boys saga, but her storytelling definitely found another level as she described the wilderness surrounding Bicho Raro and the miracles surrounded by owls that haunted and enchanted the Sorias.

“All the Crooked Saints” is a deep story, with a taste of magic, and a wonderful lesson in self-knowledge, music and miracles. There's no way not to fall in love with Maggie's dual characters, just as there's no way not to feel represented by at least one of the Sorias.

I highly recommend it for all lovers of magic, as well as for all those who find themselves lost and desolate under a gray cloud that just rains.

More like 4.5. it took a bit to get into it partly because it was my first audio book and secondly it was a different kind of writing style then what I normally read, but once I was in I was invested. Not sure how I would describe this one, its multiple points of view, about a family of Saints and the Pilgrims who seek them out and its also about love and different ways you show it and about fears and hopes. If you give it a try I recommend the audiobook I thought the narrator fit perfectly.

Took me too long to finish this book, even considered DNF'ing it. I'm so glad I didn't. First half of the book was almost a torture for me to get through, but after that it became a magical experience. It almost made me tear up a couple of time.

2.5 Stars

Book 9 complete for O.W.L.'s 2019 Herbology- Plant on the cover

Pros:
- The writing style of this was superb. I loved the narrator and how he was telling everyone's stories. I listened to the audiobook and I definitely got Jane the Virgin vibes and I enjoyed the way the story was told.

Cons:
- There was not really a plot to this. It definitely focused on telling the stories of the three main characters and those around them. However, I did not feel like we were working toward anything or solving something. It was an odd feeling since I expect some kind of adventure or story with a book.
- I did not connect with the characters at all. Yes they had interesting lives and their stories were entertaining, but there was nothing that made me connect with them and really care about their story and what would happen to them.

Overall, this was a very middle of the road book. There was nothing overtly wrong about it, but there was nothing great either. There was nothing that made me want to know what was going to happen. I think if I had not read this for my O.W.L.'s it would have taken me much longer to read this. Every time I put it down, it was not like I had to pick up again right away.

Did I hate this book? No. But it wasn't good.

I loved Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle, but this just really fell short for me. I absolutely loathed the writing style. I didn't understand the use of run-on sentences and punctuation that plagued this book as mold grows on bread. It served no known purpose to the plot and was simply just irritating in the long run.

I didn't really care about many of the characters. None of them were developed very well and left a lot to be desired.

The one decent thing about this book- what's giving it an extra star, really- is the plot. It is new and fresh and I even liked the fact that it was set in a strange place in an uncommon (in literature) time. It was expertly woven and intricate. And perhaps that was the issue with this book. Maybe Stiefvater developed the plot so well that she simply forgot about every other part of a book. Whatever the case, this just didn't work for me.

DNF at 100 pages. The writing was repetitive and trying to be whimsical but failing. After reading two full series from Steivfater, this just reads like a failed experiment in writing style. Stay in your lane.

In typical Maggie fashion, this was wonderfully weird, beautifully written, and full of all sorts of subtle magic. I really appreciated the focus on family—particularly the bond between the three cousins. I also loved how so many of the characters felt fleshed out, even with minimal time spent with some of them. This is something that Maggie always does so well; no matter the “importance” of a character to the story, she gives them their own unique personality and desires, and this really transforms her books into something that feels alive.

Here is a thing everyone wants: A miracle. Here is a thing everyone fears: What it takes to get one.

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater is the story of miracles. It's a standalone slice-of-life fantasy book set in the 1960s Colorado desert, and it follows the Soria family and those seeking the miracles the Sorias can provide. As always, Stiefvater delivers beautiful prose and compelling characters.

Most of the book takes place in and around the Sorias home in the desert. The family is known for their ability to work miracles, and they've attracted an eclectic bunch of visitors hoping for just that. However, these miracles aren't ordinary miracles (if there is such a thing). People come to the Sorias wrestling with some sort of inner darkness or personal tragedy. The first stage of a Soria miracle enhances this, forcing the person to come to terms with their problems. The second stage is up to the person to overcome their own challenges, which will heal them. For example, someone unable to deal with the pressure of too much attention might be turned into a giant that people can't help but stare at.

The Soria family abides by only one rule: Once someone has passed the first miracle, no Soria can speak to them until they pass the second. Breaking this rule can result in horrible consequences for the Sorias.

There are several important characters:

Daniel: Daniel is the current Saint of the Soria family. He's the one best at performing miracles, and so all the hopeful visitors come to him.

Joaquin: Known as Diablo Diablo in his backyard radio show, Joaquin just wants to be famous.

Beatriz: She tends to like math more than people, even developing a secret math language with her father that's spoken through whistles.

Pete: Pet road tripped out to Colorado upon learning that he had a hole in his heart, hoping to buy a car and start a new life.

Pete hitchhikes with a man who is traveling to Colorado in search of the miraculous Soria family. When they arrive, no one really knows how to handle Pete. He doesn't want a miracle, he's just there because he was promised a car in exchange for labor. Meanwhile, Daniel breaks the only rule the Sorias have and exiles himself to the desert in order to protect the rest of his family from the darkness that fell upon him.

It's hard to say much more about the plot. Similar to character-driven books like Becky Chambers' The Wayfarers series, the plot takes a distant back seat to character development.

The pacing is a bit slow at times. If you're not a fan of character-centric works, this probably will bother you.

However, the prose is excellent. I could gush all day about how wonderful Stiefvater's prose is and still not do it justice. She doesn't use flowery language or long descriptive passages, but her sentences are beautiful.

If you enjoy magical realism, engaging characters, and fantastic prose, this will probably be an enjoyable read for you. If you prefer books with an engaging plot and quick pace, this might not be for you.

Overall, I felt this was a weaker book than the author's Raven Cycle series. Even so, I enjoyed it immensely and was somewhat sad that it was only a standalone.

(My rating is really 3.5 stars, this is the only time I've wanted half stars on Goodreads!) I've loved everything I've read by Stiefvater, so I was really looking forward to this. The writing was magnificent, as usual, but I just didn't feel very invested in the story until the last third of the book. Definitely worth a shot, but not quite my thing!