Santa Olivia

Jacqueline Carey
Grand Central Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9780446198172
Reviewed by Victoria Gonzales for Reader Views (8/09)


This is a fascinating book.  It is easy to see why the author, Jacqueline Carey, is a number one New York Times Bestselling Author.  She has an excellent voice and tone.  She perfectly captures the curiosity of adolescents, and their dialogue is hilarious because they think they know everything at a young age. Loup Garron, a play on the Haitian word for werewolf, loup-garou, is an orphan along with her brother and is determined to seek justice for her town, her family, and her friends. The story starts after her town has been taken over by the military because of some terrorist activity.  They make her town a buffer zone; however, long after the war is over, both sides of the buffer zone have forgotten about Loup’s town.  Loup is the offspring of a genetic experiment and she uses her supernatural strength to outwit the cruel military. 

It is not your typical fantasy or romance novel.  There is a combination of adventure, sports, military knowledge, romance, and science fiction in this fantastic novel.  There is quite a bit of boxing information in it, which might appeal to a male reader.  (There are also quite a lot of other scenes that would likely appeal to a male reader…) But overall, I think the book tends to be suited more to a female reader.  I certainly enjoyed it.  The author is so adept at creating these characters and setting that you almost begin to wonder whether the Outpost exists, whether there is some secret war and conspiracy going on, and why you have not heard about before it if it has. 

After reading “Santa Olivia” by Jacqueline Carey, I wish it had gone on a hundred or so more pages, to find out more about Loup and her friends.  I guess I will have to settle with reading the other books by this amazing author, which I am sure will not disappoint me. 

Make comment on weblog