All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Steifvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite books.

I loved her Raven Cycle series.

But All the Crooked Saints––Stiefvater's latest novel––hit a soft place inside me, where love meets darkness longing for redemption. In her book, she tells a story rife with magical realism that strips away the stupidity of religion and pokes at the characters that are hurting and want to be healed. This is the sort of story I love––where an author is able to deal with real life issues in ways that feel like fantasy. Or maybe this was a fantasy, that felt like real life.

Three cousins live with their extended family on a ranch in Colorado where pilgrims will come hoping for a miracle. One of the cousins is can provide a miracle but what happens after that is up to the pilgrim. And what happens when that balance of miracle and darkness is tipped? Thus the story begins to move forward in interesting ways.  It results in a whirlwind of life-changing events for all three cousins.

I found that it took me awhile for the story to settle in and make sense, so I encourage readers to push through the seemingly confusing first pages. It is well worth the read.

I don't know if Stiefvater is a Christian or just someone who understands the darkness that exists in the world. Her view of how we should deal with that darkness is beautifully rendered through this story.  We are all crooked saints.