Book Review: Santa Olivia

My rating: 5 awesome vigilante stars!

I wonder how many of the negative reviews for this book are based on the fact that, being a Jacqueline Carey book, people automatically expect "Kushiel style".

Well, this is definitely not "Kushiel style". It doesn't even resemble it. It is a totally different type of story written in an absolutely different manner. And I absolutely LOVED IT!!!

It's a light and engaging read about an unlikely heroine born in an isolated military buffer zone between Mexico and the U.S.. She is the daughter of a man genetically manipulated by the government to be a weapon. A "Wolf Man", he was engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, stamina and senses, as well as a total lack of fear. Named for her vanished father, Loup Garron has inherited his gifts.

Frustrated by the injustices visited upon her friends and neighbors by the military occupiers, Loup is determined to avenge her community. Aided by a handful of her fellow orphans, Loup takes on the guise of their patron saint, Santa Olivia, and sets out to deliver vigilante justice..
(from the back cover)

If you're looking for a deeper meaning in this book - you're not gonna find it! There is no other deep buried secret or world-wide conspiracy. It's just the story of a little girl who is born different and tries to find her place in a society who is either afraid of, or in awe of her powers. We accompany her through her struggles to always "be careful" and not show how different she is and through sorrow and happiness on a self-imposed journey for vengeance and justice.

And we do it from the very beginning with a smile on our lips, because I'll bet you you're gonna laugh at hearing a priest and a sister's unholy opinion about God's way with his people, or at seeing a few little orphans trashing a gang of thugs. And don't even let me get started with vengeance given after the measure of a child's sense of justice! They can be pretty imaginative about it. :)

"Father Ramon's mouth twitched. "...let us pray that for the sake of her children, Celia O'Brien will take the lesson to heart and cease to begrudge our charity."
"Hear, hear." Sister Martha hoisted her water glass. "Let the rigid stick of self-righteousness be dislodged from her very uptight ass."
Father Ramon coughed.

Wouldn't you also cough in his place at hearing this particular prayer from the lips of a holy sister?! :D

The second half of the book gets serious and as the fun part becomes less, the action picks up and grabs you. I didn't want to stop reading till the very last page.

Don't start this expecting science and philosophy. Go into it expecting to relax and have a good time and you won't be disappointed.

Happy reading! :)

Check out this book and more of Jacqueline Carey on www.jacquelinecarey.com