I think the book would have been even better if it had been condensed more.The most compelling plot point for me was that of Yearling's (Barclay's) family history. It made the short chapters abrupt and made it hard to keep track of what was going on, or see any urgency. And structurally, although each of the characters are important, I didn't end up seeing the necessity of having four changes in perspectives. The detailed language gets repetitive after awhile. Even more conventional bits, like taste-testing apples, feel right and contribute to the sense of old-fashioned living or timelessness that the book carries around.The only problem with Blanca & Roja as a book is that the middle absolutely drags - which isn't a problem I experienced with any of her other books. Still, the language goes down smoothly.Anna-Marie McLemore has this way of world-building in which odd habits and images make so much sense in the characters' lifestyle.

I would prefer the two girls to be slightly more distinguishable, so that there would be more conflict or sense of urgency. I love the liminality of her magical realism paired with these explorations.Blanca and Roja settle into their roles with limited fanfare. Additionally, McLemore's own interest in LGBTQ+ issues and identities allows her to seamlessly imbed these conversations into lovely fantastical narratives. Blanca & Roja is the captivating story of sisters, friendship, love, hatred, and the price we pay to protect our hearts.īlanca & Roja feels like every other Anna Marie McLemore book, which can be both a good and a bad thing (just because of familiarity.) She has clear consistency in her voice, building characters with old-fashioned habits and Spanish family curses.

They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan.But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. The biggest lie of all is the story you think you already know.The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters they’re also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. Novel: Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore | Goodreads Release Date: OctoPublisher: Feiwel & Friends Format: ARC Source: Publisher