CW ✨'s Reviews > Never Look Back

A fascinating Orpheus and Eurydice modern retelling with a Latine twist, with magical realism elements and a romance in which feels like a love letter to Puerto Rico.

- Follows Pheus, an Afro-Latine teen musician who meets and falls in love with Eury, a Puerto Rican teen who is haunted by an evil spirit, who stays with her cousin for the summer.
- The story is deftly written and I liked how it balances all these elements - its modern and contemporary setting, an exploration of the trauma and grief following Hurricane Maria, and also the comfort of religion and importance of religious identity.
- How the story interweaves elements of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth and magical realism was wonderful and I really enjoyed seeing the little nods and references.
- There's nothing bad about this book - there were just some things that didn't quite land with me, especially in the second half. The tonal shift was fascinating and elevated the story, but I felt a little left behind - not the fault of the book, but it just didn't gel with me.

Content warning: racist microaggressions (challenged), animal death (not explicitly detailed), sexual harassment