Review
I never anticipated that The Hunger Games could be reimagined with queer characters and Mexican lore. I would have been curious yet not knowing what to expect. Sonido Reyes delivers a powerful and poignant story with To Our Untamed Core. But adding themes such as colonization, religious indoctrination, and detribalization raised the stakes higher that I could have predicted.
From the first page, readers will likely recognize the historical events that inspired the story’s setting. We also get insight into the church’s reasoning into it’s shift from exploration to conquest. And we can all imagine how that went down. Over 600 years later, we meet Temo and his current trepidation regarding his upcoming evaluation to determine his “life’s purpose”. His trans identity is completely secret – only a few people know the truth. And he knows that he only has a few days left before those in charge discover and punish him for his “crime”.
As the To Our Untamed Core continues, we learn more about the relationship history between Temo and other characters. For example, his current boyfriend Ollin, his former best friend Socoyote, and his sister Isela. All these relationships contribute to our understanding of how the Holy Order’s militant tactics affect their society as the oppressed lower class. When those close to Temo are arrested and prepped for the upcoming tournament, Temo’s blind obedience turns into enlightened dissent. And he decides he will do whatever it takes to rescue his loved ones from their cruel fate.
I seriously couldn’t put To Our Tamed Core down. The author combines a fast-paced and well-developed plot with multidimensional characters. Not to mention the deeper themes that reflect our own disparaging history in North America. Multiple POVs and a few flashbacks help clue us in as to what our protagonists are up against, as well as insight into their perspectives and their own secrets. Overall, I cannot praise this book and author enough. Readers who enjoy YA and want to add more LGBTQ+ or BIPOC stories to their reading lists need look no further.
Sonido Reyes joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about their characters, research, and experience as a LGBTQ+ and BIPOC writer. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up a copy of To Our Untamed Core, available now.
Book
Centuries after the conquistadors claimed the Afueras for their own, Temo spends his life obeying the Holy Order’s decree, undergoing their sacraments to tame his supposedly violent nature.
The only rule he breaks: hiding that he’s trans. If that fact is discovered, Temo will face El Torneo, a brutal, fight-to-the-death game pitting the untamed against one another. No Afuereño who enters El Torneo ever escapes with their life.
But when Temo’s boyfriend is unexpectedly arrested and thrown into the deadly tournament, he’ll do anything to rescue Ollin from his gruesome fate, even if it means entering El Torneo himself.
Only there’s far more to this tournament than meets the eye—survival is just the beginning. When the cost of saving the one he loves the most might be higher than he ever imagined, is Temo willing to pay it?
