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Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
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Santa Olivia (edition 2009)

by Jacqueline Carey

Series: Santa Olivia (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,0086720,391 (3.9)67
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, Santa Olivia is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth.
Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.
After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town.
Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.
… (more)
Member:maverickut
Title:Santa Olivia
Authors:Jacqueline Carey
Info:Grand Central Publishing (2009), Paperback, 352 pages
Collections:Book Club
Rating:*****
Tags:None

Work Information

Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

  1. 10
    Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines (MyriadBooks)
    MyriadBooks: For a different take on girls coming of age amid involvement in violent competitive sports.
  2. 10
    Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer (whitewavedarling)
    whitewavedarling: Though the writing styles and scopes are different, and Flight of Shadows is the sequel of Brouwer's earlier work Broken Angel, readers of one of these books will likely find the other worth diving into. Similar character types and situations make the books well-matched for each other as quick new-world reads that explore the ethics and moralities of a newer and more classed version of our familiar reality. It's worth noting, though, that while Santa Olivia is absolutely appropriate for young adult readers, Flight of Shadows contains graphic violence that you may or may not want to pass on to your teenager--certainly, I read far worse as a teenager, but you might not want your young adult to come across some of the material in Flight of Shadows without reading it first.… (more)
  3. 10
    Adaptation by Malinda Lo (knotbox)
    knotbox: A story of girls in love, a military conspiracy, inhumans, and friends who stick with you.
  4. 00
    The Cage by A.M. Dellamonica (MyriadBooks)
    MyriadBooks: Another story featuring lesbianism and werewolves, which is freely available online here.
  5. 01
    Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer (whitewavedarling)
    whitewavedarling: While the writing styles and scopes are different, both show a new world order as experienced through a strong and somewhat outcast female heroine. Fans of one should search out the other.
  6. 03
    The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (whitewavedarling)
    whitewavedarling: Santa Olivia is admittedly for a more adult-based audience, but themes, situations, and character types carry over between the works enough (plus a light integration of religion) that I think the readers of one work set would be well suited for the other.… (more)
  7. 03
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (whitewavedarling)
    whitewavedarling: Santa Olivia is admittedly built for a more mature audience, but the themes, character types, and situations in the Harry Potter series and in Carey's work make me believe a reader who enjoys one will likely enjoy the other. Santa Olivia, though, is not a traditional fantasy, but more in the lines of speculative fiction, so that fantasy-only readers who enjoy Harry Potter for primarily the inclusion of magic may not enjoy Carey's work. I'm recommending it with this Harry Potter book in particular since, for me, this was the book when the series took a leap toward becoming more adult. Santa Olivia is also probably the beginning of a forthcoming series.… (more)
  8. 03
    Harry Potter (Books 1-7) by J. K. Rowling (whitewavedarling)
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» See also 67 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 67 (next | show all)
Great story, wich pulled me in even though it was sometimes a bit unbelievable.
The story is a bit sad, but you can feel the hope of a better life. I love the mexican influence in this story. It is about an underdog against the system, a bit coming-of-age and post-apocalyptic. Put in some superhero influences, combined with a legend and you have a true mix of storytypes. That could have been a disaster, but instead it is a pleasure to read. ( )
  weaver-of-dreams | Aug 1, 2023 |
Carey creates a world that is technically in the realm of science fiction, but it is also a world that could come true very very soon. When bird flu mutates to the point of human-to-human transmission, I can see a scenario where the US government decides to create a no-man's land around its borders to keep out non-citizens trying to get in.

Santa Olivia is a town near the US-Mexico border that is unfortunate enough to exist in the no-man's land, and is taken over by the military and its population put under martial law. No one outside knows they exist. The town is renamed the outpost and its people are no longer citizens of the US. This is the world Loup is born into.

This book grabbed me from the first page and refused to let me go. I had to keep reading to learn not just what happens to Loup, but to all of the Outpost, and the cliffhanger-ish ending makes me gnash my teeth. Good thing the second book is out already. Santa Olivia is a wonderful tale of finding hope and life in a hopeless world. ( )
  wisemetis | Dec 27, 2022 |
Completely different from both of her other series, this one once again makes its own world entirely and then sweeps you off into it entirely. It's a completely different feel and setting from both her other series, but it will captivate you all the same. With the relationships and working through life and where things go.

I definitely never expected the last ten pages and can't wait to get my hands on book two. ( )
  wanderlustlover | Dec 27, 2022 |
A dramatic, whimsical, coming of age tale of a mutant orphan girl (more X-men than freaky) growing up in a post-apocalyptic outpost town. Her antics and adventures embody hope and purpose in the midst of oppression and hopelessness, a figurehead for a generation of abandoned townspeople.

Carey crafts her story with a graceful economy of words - letting the unsaid inspire the imagination. She paints a colourful and believable backdrop, and truly engages the reader with deep and involving characters.

I felt that the pacing and story development was spot on - I just wanted to keep reading right to the climatic and inevitable end. Ultimately though, the book is limited in scope, choosing not to dwell on the global and political climate - but rather focus in on the character and town of Santa Olivia. ( )
  cuteseal | Aug 17, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 67 (next | show all)
Jacqueline Carey's new novel is set in a near-future DMZ between America and Mexico - and her new heroine kicks ass. Superstrong and unable to feel fear, Loup is a genetic experiment gone right.
added by PhoenixTerran | editio9, Annalee Newitz (May 16, 2009)
 
I highly recommend Santa Olivia, not only to Carey's current fans, but to anyone who enjoys an outstanding, gripping, and in many ways credible near-future thriller.
 

» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Jacqueline Careyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Ericksen, SusanNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tantor AudioPublishersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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They said that the statue of Our Lady of the Sorrows wept tears of blood the day the sickness came to Santa Olivia. The people said that God had turned his face away from humankind. They said that saints remember what God forgets about human suffering.
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After you, it's all cheap tequila.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, Santa Olivia is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth.
Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.
After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town.
Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

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Hachette Book Group

An edition of this book was published by Hachette Book Group.

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Tantor Media

An edition of this book was published by Tantor Media.

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