3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Vision of other worlds, out of body experiences, communing with spirits of her ancestors – these are all things that 15-year-old Juanita deals on a daily basis. In The Engine Woman’s Light, by Laurel Anne Hill, the Latina teenage heroine has been selected by the spirits to be the mystical leader of her people, a hidden community in a reimagined 1864 California. As a baby, she was spectacularly rescued from a train set to take her to an asylum, along with other “unwanted” peoples. She now finds herself on a mission to prevent the mass murder of many others by derailing the same train, while simultaneously trying to rescue her own village from discovery and extinction.
Throughout the midst of this grand plot there are interactions with other characters, both living and spirit, and her own internal conflict of becoming an adult woman. She experiences deeply the different loves of family, friendship, and romance, while teasing apart and growing to understand the intricate differences and similarities within them.
I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Written in first person, the book is full of sweeping and beautiful descriptions. She sees as a teenage girl does, noticing the small and beautiful things in other people and describing them in a way that matches her own experiences and worldview. In one example, she talks about an older woman’s visage, saying “The skin on her [was] face taut and weathered with lines, like dried mud in a sun baked creek bed.” The reader really does feel as if they see through her own eyes. I love how many of the characters were described in a multi-sensorial way, with scents and colors, as if she were talking about the real essence of their being.
Parts of the book, however, I did find almost too descriptive. A lot of the material tackled in this book is gritty, and I believe too advanced for young adult literature. Witnessing the decapitation of another main character and explicitly describing a homosexual rape scene are just a couple of the examples. I appreciate that there are a lot of issues brought up that are relevant to today’s culture, but I did feel some of the intensity of these scenarios was unnecessary to make the point.
In regards to editing, I found no grammatical errors. There was only one technicality which I would question rewording, but it occurs several times throughout the book. Screams from the main character are written as “Aiyee.” almost as if it’s a real word rather than an onomatopoeia, and with a period at the end instead of an exclamation point. The normality of writing it that way isn’t congruent with a scream.
Overall, I found it a captivating read. The plot never stops driving, but requires the reader to ask many ethical questions without sacrificing any of the drama or action. If you’re looking for something adventurous that also makes you think, this may be your next read.
******
The Engine Woman's Light
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Rwinters's review? Post a comment saying so!
