A.M. Sosa uses multiple perspectives to explore the legacy of trauma and the role of memory in creating an authentic self in And I'll Take Out Your Eyes, their striking and unforgettable debut novel.
Set in the Mexican American community of 1990s Stockton, Calif., the novel opens with seven-year-old Christian waking up in the family kitchen holding a knife. His mother's attempt to use "good magic" to cure him fails, and the curse continues to manifest as he grows older. His mother's health declines, his relationship with his adored older brother splinters, and he endures constant physical abuse at the hands of his father. In high school, Christian struggles with his sexuality in a culture of repression; he drinks and gets high to escape himself and the violent city in which he lives. When Christian manages to flee to college in Berkeley, he is finally able to begin processing his trauma and discovering his true self through writing.
Sosa's language is cinematic and arresting. They often blend Spanish, most of which can be understood in context, into the narrative, adding depth and dimension. What makes their novel truly intriguing, however, is Sosa's use of multiple perspectives, combining first, second, and third person to tell Christian's story. When recounting aggression, for example, dissociative second person is used. When Christian begins writing for himself, Sosa uses first person. These shifts keep readers on edge but completely immersed in the narrative. Lyrical, fierce, and unfiltered, And I'll Take Out Your Eyes is an exciting first novel from a writer to watch. --Debra Ginsberg, author and freelance editor