“Here is a thing everyone wants: A miracle. Here is a thing everyone fears: What it takes to get one.”

Maggie Stiefvater’s standalone novel All the Crooked Saints is a story of family, darkness, miracles…and the occasional owl. Bicho Raro, Colorado is a mysterious, small desert community that is home to the Soria Family. The Sorias are like any family; in that they each have their own secret. But they are unlike other families because the Sorias can perform miracles. Pilgrims come from around the world to have their darkness cured. Unfortunately though, the Sorias can only help perform the first miracle…the second miracle must be enacted by the pilgrim themself. This fact has created a backlog of pilgrims in Bicho Raro, as no one has been able to fully rid themselves of their darkness in years. How can the Sorias cope with both the darkness brought by the pilgrims and the darkness that is inside each of their own hearts? 

If you are looking for a story with captivating, song-like writing All the Crooked Saints is the choice for you. Stiefvater is a master artist who weaves together words so that you almost feel as though you are a pilgrim of Bicho Raro yourself. I would also highly recommend listening to this book read aloud via Hoopla, as the narrator’s voice adds a level of beauty to this piece.