The Earthquake Machine

by Mary Pauline Lowry

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda's world but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda's life is her family's Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation. Determined to find her friend Jesús, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Boquillas, Mexico. There a peyote-addled bartender convinces her she won't be safe traveling alone into the country's interior. So with the bartender's help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish, and adult coming-of-age and Young Adult novels.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Adult, Ebooks

326 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Mary Pauline Lowry received her MFA from the Boise State University in 2019. She is the author of two novels, Wildfire and The Roxy Letters. Her newest book, Last Night Was Killer, will be out 07/07/26. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, O Magazine, and other publications. She lives in her hometown of Austin Texas.

Reviews

[Jessica at Book Sake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by this book. The description and cover do it absolutely no justice whatsoever. At first, I thought it sounded like a random mash of events that couldn’t possibly be woven into a story – at least not one that would affect me the way this has. Boy, was I wrong… I found myself, not reading into all hours of the night, but stopping often to digest what I had just read. I guess I didn’t expect the content to be so edgy with such a young main character, so it caught me a little off guard. The author really did a fantastic job with Rhonda’s character in general – I was really able to get inside her head and experience what she was going through, sometimes more than I might have liked. I also enjoyed that the author had the guts to cover so many controversial and private topics in one book. It’s honestly a lot to take in, but Ms. Lowry really exceeded my expectations with The Earthquake Machine and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.

On a side note, I was so interested in the woman behind this book that I even went to the author’s website to find out more about her (I never do that) and was quite taken with her blog post about “Alien She” by Bikini Kill. Come on now, how much cooler can this lady get? It’s really no wonder why I liked her book so much. Everyone should read it.

Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Earthquake Machine
Author: Mary Pauline Lowry
Date of Release: September 2011
Number of Pages: 356
Summary from Goodreads:

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda's world but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda's life is her family's Mexican yardman, Jes s. But when the INS deports Jes?'s back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation. Determined to find her friend Jes s, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Boquillas, Mexico. There a peyote-addled bartender convinces her she won't be safe traveling alone into the country's interior. So with the bartender's help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jes s. Thus begins a wild adventure that explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish, and adult coming-of-age and Young Adult novels.

Review: This book was brilliant. I mean it took me places emotionally that I have never been before. The wary Lowry wove each line into a piece of artwork was just perfect. This review really isn’t going to do justice to how I feel about The Earthquake Machine. Mary Pauline Lowry has created a novel that will pull on your heartstrings and make you question everything you thought you knew about growing up.

Rhonda was the key character that made me fall in love with the novel. Her development and growth as a dynamic character was pivotal to the plot and I loved the fact that her voice was raw and gritty. I felt like I was walking write next to her every step of the way throughout the book. Lowry does not shy away from developing Rhonda’s identity even when she does make the pivotal switch in the Angel disguise. Not mentioning the fact that Lowry face the topic of sexual awakenings would be a fault to this review. It is one of the things that would make so many people uncomfortable with but the way it is written is done so thoughtfully I had no problem at all with it. I even will go as far to say that I learned things personally in this novel which made me think about so many things that I never would have even had the chance to think about and that would have been a miss on my part.

I can honestly say many things happened in the plot line that I did not see coming. I really liked how unique and original the novel was and how I had never read anything like it before. Lowry is an amazing writer and I know we will see many more books to her name out soon! Rich in emotional intensity Earthquake Machine is a novel I hope many people decide to read.

[Hot Stuff Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://freak-ya-tastic.blogspot.com/2...



I have to thank the author who gave me a free e-copy of her novel. It's always a real pleasure for me.

This novel is about a young teenager who is fourteen, but I don't think teen will appreciate this book as much as older readers. It's the kind of story that moves you, not only because the character is living tough events, but more because it's a journey. In my opinion it's an initiatory novel with a character looking for her true identity.

The writing style of the author is awesome. It's mostly descriptive because it's kind of introspective, but not in a boring way at all. The author gives life to her character and her inner thoughts. Everything is true, not filter in any ways. In my opinion, the author catches perfectly the evolution of her character about her life, about the discovery of her "sexuality" and it's sounds totaly right.

It's been a long time since I didn't read something so moving by the simplicity of the writing style. I was hooked by the strong character that's living tough events. I could identify myself sometimes with her and I was always looking for where she's going. Nothing is predictable like in real life.

It's the kind of novel I know I'll remember a long time because of this unbelievable journey that enhances a wonderful character perfectly served by a writing style in accord with the "voice" of the character. It's sad, it's funny and it's just amazing to read.

The cover doesn't fit the story, so don't think twice before reading this novel. It's something that will force you to think about what it was like at the same age and how you would have react with everything the character is coming through.

Once again, thank you Mary Pauline Lowry for this opportunity to read your novel and to discover your writing style incredible for such a story. You can forget about any lyrical sentences. Here, it's about truth, about life and about an inner travel even more than a "real" one.

[Katie Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed at The Queen of Teen Fiction:
http://queenofteenfiction.blogspot.com

Read my interview with Mary here:
http://queenofteenfiction.blogspot.co...

The Earthquake Machine is what I call a Roller-coaster read. You have your ups, your downs, your crazy loop de loop and some of those quick twists and turns that you didn’t see coming. The writing is fantastic and the story is completely unique and unforgettable.

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of fourteen year old Rhonda, whose life is pretty messed up. Not wanting to continue living life with her father, Rhonda escapes to Mexico in order to find her former yardman, Jesύs.

Rhonda changes her identity to one of a Mexican boy named Angel and begins her crazy quest to find Jesύs.

Rhonda is an incredible protagonist. She has a huge amount of strength and courage and I highly enjoyed reading about her physical and emotional journey. I think a lot of teen girls will be able to relate to some of the feelings that Rhonda has and will understand the things she is going through. The characters she meets along the way are fantastic and they each add a great aspect to the overall story.

The Earthquake Machine is highly focused on the sexual coming-of-age of a teenage girl. I love books that deal with topics that everyone can relate to in some way and I think that this book deals with sexual awakening perfectly and has a great feminist tone to it (Go Girl Power!).

I’ll admit it; I got a little bit emotional reading this one! It’s not often that I get teary during a book but Rhonda certainly doesn’t have an easy journey, so keep those tissues handy when reading!

I think this is an amazing coming-of-age story that will be loved as much by adults as it will be by teens. It’s a book that I certainly won’t forget about in a hurry!

[Unabridged Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry is a novel of self-discovery, grief, and adventure. The only thing that gives Rhonda peace is sneaking out before dinner to spend time with her gardener, Jesus. At 14, Rhonda’s life turns upside down when the neighbors have Jesus deported shortly before her mother commits suicide. She is now all alone in a house, with a father who cares more about work than being there for his daughter. Her best friends invite her along on a trip to raft the Rio Grande; during that trip, Rhonda decides that she does not want to live her life anymore.

Instead of suicide, she decides to swim across the river into Mexico, and change her life. She decided she would rather be a boy, and becomes a Mexican boy names Angel. From there she travels through Mexico to find her friend, Jesus. Along the way, she meets interesting characters both good and bad. During this time, she makes discoveries about herself, and tries to fill the void that her other life has left.

I really loved the journey that Rhonda/Angel takes to discover herself, and the understanding she gains. My heart hurt for poor little Rhonda, for one who is so young to feel so much grief in her life. When Rhonda sheds her old life to become Angel, she really does completely change. She goes from a scared little girl, to a brave young man in a way. She carries the strength throughout the story.

While this book has a young protagonist, it is not something I would not recommend to young teen readers. There is a lot of foul language, and the journey involves a sort of sexual self-discovery. It would be great for adults and some older teen. Mary Pauline Lowry has a way with metaphors and descriptions that allows you to experience the events of the book.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review**

[Sharayah P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best parts of being a book blogger is being approached to review books for up-and-coming authors. I don’t say yes to every request. In fact, I would venture to guess that I only accept about 20% (or less) of the books I am asked to review. There just isn’t enough time in a day, know’m sayin’?

But during the time that I have been accepting review requests from the authors/publishers themselves, I have had a chance to review a great variety of good books: crime/mystery, young adult, paranormal, short stories, literary, and even poetry. I enjoyed all of them (in varying degrees), but until now I have yet to really experience a moment of genuine surprise at how just how good a book was. But hooray! Now I get to check it off of my book blogging bucket list. (No, I don’t really have one. That’s silly. Ahem.)

And now for the review: The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.

Determined to find her friend Jesús, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Boquillas, Mexico. There a peyote-addled bartender convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the bartender’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús.

Thus begins a wild adventure that explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish, and adult coming-of-age and Young Adult novels.

The cover you see above is new. I have to be perfectly honest for a moment before I really delve into my review: With the new cover, I would *not* read this book. YES, I would judge it by its cover. I can admit it. We all do it! In my opinion, the cover does not do justice to the very serious issues or depths to which the book delves. I fear that the cover would be off-putting to a large population who might otherwise be willing to pick it up. This is, of course, just my opinion, and it hardly matters since I did read the book and I did enjoy it, and I am going to recommend it to you. So take that for what it’s worth.

The Earthquake Machine is, at its heart, a coming-of-age novel that tells the heart-wrenching story of Rhonda as she escapes her painful life to Mexico to become Angel and search for Jesús (more on the lovely symbolism going on there in a moment). I would like to talk specifically about how religion and sexuality play into this novel.

Religion and sexuality are two of the very largest aspects of the human identity. They shape some of the biggest choices we make: what we believe in, who we marry, what kind of job we take, how we vote, where we go to school, who we spend our time with. And while they are heavily influenced by the people around us, the choices of how and why to practice our religion and sexuality are ultimately up to us. It’s no wonder that so many coming-of-age novels feature these discoveries prominently! As children make the transition to adults, they are trying to discover who they are and who they will be. Religion and sexuality are intricately intertwined within this process for Rhonda/Angel, (whom I will from now on simply refer to as Rhonda to avoid confusion/hand cramps).

Rhonda’s spiritual journey takes the shape of a very feminist spin on traditional Christian beliefs. Rhonda undergoes several traumatic sexual events that cause her to feel severely ashamed of her gender. The most obvious manifestation of this is in her decision, once she crosses the border into Mexico, to cut her hair, begin dressing as a boy, and drastically reduce her caloric intake to avoid growing hips and breasts and starting her period. Even as she tries her hardest to convince those around her that she is just another Mexican boy, she finds herself clinging to La Virgen, the Virgin Mary. Her belief that Mary understands her better than Jesus or God ever could because Mary understands female suffering is a theme that is echoed by several women throughout the novel, and which subtly explores the idea of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs as fairly oppressive to women.

Not helping things much is the fact that Rhonda’s exposure to men is largely negative. She realizes that there are very few men whom she can trust, and in fact her search for Jesús leads her to cross paths with many unsavory male characters. Even as she tries to find the one man who she thinks can save her, so to speak, she is being drawn further and further in to the idea of a female ‘part’ of God that she can relate to, and finding her greatest friends and role models in women, from an independent female carpenter (which was very easy to read as, like La Virgen, a role model similar in many ways to Jesus Christ but whom Rhonda felt she had a much greater connection with) who is moved with compassion for Rhonda to Las Verduras, the feisty banditas who take Angel under their wings.

Rhonda spends a great deal of time puzzling over her spirituality and trying to come to terms with God and Jesus. She is ultimately unable to view them as more than great abstract figures that mean nothing to her and surely cannot understand her, electing instead to grasp onto the Virgin Mary as her own personal piece of God. It is difficult for me, as a Christian, not to let me personal feelings color my review of this aspect of the book, but the truth is that it never seemed to come across as too condemning of Christianity. I felt myself understanding, at times, exactly how Rhonda felt and how she could have come to this conclusion. At the very least there is a great potential for discussion: what is it about Christianity that may be off-putting to women? Is it really the faith itself, or is it the way it is being practiced and portrayed?

Readers of The Earthquake Machine will find themselves rooting for Rhonda’s successes and mourning her failures. She is a remarkable character, so utterly lost and confused, yet stubbornly determined to be in control of her life, to chart her own course. Her willpower is second to none. She is not fearless, but she is brave. She is emotional and analytical, but she is not weak. In time she discovers that she can embrace both her strength and her femininity, and we need more female protagonists like her! She is so very far from perfect, but she is open-minded and ready to learn what the world has to teach her.

The Earthquake Machine reads at times like a love letter to Mexico. It is rich in symbolism and culture; the characters both north and south of the border feel authentic, and the developmental arcs that occur are believable yet surprising. I was pleased to be unable to predict anything that happened, yet I believed it all thoroughly. That is no small feat (I’m likely to put a book down if I can easily predict everything that happens.) When I finished reading the book I was craving Mexican food something awful.

In closing I do want to take a moment to mention that readers should be aware that this book has quite a bit of adult content. It does not shy away from some rather explicit moments, some of them rather disturbing. These moments work to move the plot forward and shape Rhonda’s character, but parents should be aware of the fact. If the book was made into a movie and all scenes were left exactly as-is, I am guessing it would receive an NC-17 rating. I say this neither to deter or entice- I obviously feel that this book is very much worth reading, but coming into it unprepared can be a bit of a shock, particularly because it is being marketed as a YA-type crossover.

Having done the English Major thing in college I tend to read books through the lens of “could this ever be taught in a college Lit class?” and I have to say, my answer to this one was a resounding yes. In fact, I suggest that if you read this book, you read it with a book club or at the same time as a friend so that you can discuss it- there is a wealth of heavy topics around the central coming-of-age narrative that need (and deserve) to be talked about.

I’m going to conclude here, but stay tuned for a guest post and interview by Ms. Lowry herself (I’m really excited!). The interview questions I sent her delve a bit more into what is discussed here, because there just isn’t time in one book review to discuss it all without turning it into a boring paper no one wants to read!

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Earthquake Machine is a one of a kind read. It tackles many hard issues and it's much more raw than the type of book I usually read. I still enjoyed it though. It's the story of a girl finding her place in the world and there's a real journey that changes Rhonda.

What really surprised me was how mature the book was. It wasn't exactly dark, but there was a lot of stuff that you don't usually find in YA. Everything was handled appropriately. I don't think anything was overdone just to shock the reader. Rhonda's journey was really interesting.

Rhonda was a dynamic character. She really grew up and got stronger after the death of her mother. In the beginning of The Earthquake Machine, she was quiet and compliant. She didn't live the easiest life but she was still very naive in a way. I could believe her character since I know people like her at my school. People that are quiet and unsure of themselves.

Maybe the events that happened weren't the most realistic (this is fiction after all) but the way Rhonda responded to them felt real. I didn't always agree with her decisions but I was raised in a completely different environment. While Rhonda believed that women had no futures, from an early age I wanted to be much more than a housewife. I also cheered for Rhonda when she wanted more and I adored her bravery. The best part of the book was probably how Rhonda was well written. You could easily connect and understand her character.

I live in Canada where we learn French so I completely missed out on understanding the Spanish in the book, especially when Rhonda visits Mexico, but there were enough definitions that I understood everything written. Mexico's culture was a huge part of The Earthquake Machine and I loved it. I don't really know much about Mexico and a lot of what I heard wasn't very positive so I enjoyed learning a bit more about Mexican culture. The freedom, the sense of community and revelry they have is incredible.

One issue I had with the book was that it felt really long at some parts and it had to be read carefully. The writing was great but the book just takes you in so many directions that it feels like the story is really long. So much happens and I guess I'm not used to all that in one book instead of books written in a series model. I wasn't bored per say, but I wasn't always into the book as much as I could be.

The Earthquake Machine is a surprising read that deals with harsh issues in a clear, unpretentious way. Rhonda's journey is inspiring and thought provoking. There is excellent characterization paired with a great plot that results in a very special read. 3.5 stars, since I thought it was really good,

*** & 1/2 *

[A.R. McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway held by Amy from Obsessions Of A Bookaholic. Thank you Amy and Mary for allowing me to read The Earthquake Machine!

I LOVED this book. I was so happy to finally read another book with Hispanic culture in it! I was raised Hispanic even though I was born here; my parents were born in Chile. We've had many Mexican friends, and it was so refreshing and nice to read about their beautiful culture. I was entranced by this book from the first page. I knew it was going to be different when I read the description, and my expectations were not only met but surpassed.

Mary hits on so many labels and categories we take for granted in this book. Through Rhonda, the main character, she explores the tightly knit connections between sexism, racism, and classism. She explores gender and gender roles, the patriarchal institution of religion, and how a woman can gain power if she finds her inner voice. In the beginning of the novel, Rhonda is a young fourteen year old, but by the end of the novel she has gone through so many experiences and hardships that it would be foolish to call her a mere girl. She has matured from a doubting girl who is unsure of herself and afraid of the world to a mature person, one who has stepped between that shadowy line of young girl and young woman.

I was very pleased and surprised by the feminist tone of this novel. In this day and age, feminism is still under attack even though sexism continues to hurt women everywhere. One of the things I really admired about this novel was how Mary shows that life can be good or bad on either side of the border, especially for women. Rhonda's father is an excellent example of how a man can suppress a woman, change her drastically to a shell of a person. At the same time, though, Rhonda felt the love and protection of Jesus, who she saw as a brother.

I also commend Mary for her on point Spanish skills! I don't remember seeing any Spanish mistakes, and the dialogue felt natural and real. I could tell she put a lot of effort in making the Spanish just right.

I feel so lucky to have won this book. I hope it gains more attention and receives the popularity it so rightly deserves. It was an amazing, heart breaking journey that made me laugh and smile. It's the type of book that changes you after you've read the last page.

[Marg-Lo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry tells the story of Rhonda, a girl who’s haunted by the discord in her seemingly perfect upper-class family and terrified by the pressures she faces as a tween on the cusp of womanhood. Rhonda’s closest and best friend is the family gardener, a Mexican immigrant named Jesús; her world is turned upside down when Jesús is deported and the chaos in Rhonda’s family reaches a breaking point. Rhonda runs away from home to search for Jesús and to try to escape a future that seems all but inevitable: becoming a caged bird like her mother and the other upper-class women she knows. Rhonda’s fantastic journey takes her across the border and deep into the heart of Mexico, where she encounters women at all ages and stages who are, like her, struggling to make their way in a world that privileges men. The Earthquake Machine chronicles the daring adventures and tragic misfortunes that catalyze Rhonda’s coming of age as a strong young woman who refuses to conform to society’s expectations for her.

The Earthquake Machine is a smart, dark, fanciful take on the female Bildungsroman. Lowry’s descriptions of the train wreck of Rhonda’s family and the hardships she faces on the run are unflinching, yet they aren’t meant to present tragic scenes that turn readers into rubberneckers ogling a bloody wreck. Instead, Lowry asks the reader to consider hard questions about sex, gender, and identity, and she posits answers to those questions by showing how Rhonda comes of age as a girl who is comfortable in her own skin and confident in her ability to survive in a world that’s particularly hard on women and girls. What’s more, Lowry’s lush prose, surprising plot twists, and deft literary style contain delightful elements of magical realism that temper the tragedies in The Earthquake Machine and bring warmth and humor to the story. It’s no wonder that Huffington Post reviewer James Moore declares, “The Earthquake Machine moves Lowry into an elite group of young female writers.”

Mary Pauline Lowry’s The Earthquake Machine is a wild ride that you won’t want to get off until you finish it. The Earthquake Machine will rock your world!

[Naberius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm... where do begin? This was a story that was a little unusual, and sometimes a bit extraordinary .... and once I had finished it, my mind kept coming back to it. I kept turning things over and over again in my head --- the main character, the story, some of the supporting characters, the setting. Either way, it all adds up to a fascinating read.

The author's writing style is descriptive, enough so that you can almost imagine where you are, how things taste, how things feel. I think that's a rare thing -- to feel as if you are experiencing the story first-hand, not just through the main character. Is everything completely believable and realistic? I don't think so, but it didn't spoil the story for me. If at times, things felt like they were entwined in a peyote dream, that was okay with me.

FULL REVIEW on my blog: Fluidityoftime/blogspot.com

[Cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for The Earthquake Machine. The author has lead what seemed an unconventionally interesting life, and the premise of a young girl adventure, a girl learning independence and resourcefulness - in a book for young adults not shying away from topics of violence, sexuality, and spirituality - sounded incredibly promising.

Unfortunately, this novel fell dreadfully short of such expectations. The story was disjointed, confusing, and contrived to the point of unbelievability - and wholly inappropriate for the young adult age category of 12 and up. Well, I will say that with a grain of salt. It's slightly more explicit than what I remember of VC Andrews novels, and I may have read those when I was 13 or 14. But you don't find those on YA shelves at the bookstores. (For the record, Flowers in the Attic is a very deceptive title. I think I thought I was reading Flowers for Algernon or something classic. I was not.)

I am obligated to warn that this review will be replete with spoilers, as it is the only way I can offer the problems I had with story and the subject matter's presentation. Since I definitely do not recommend reading this book, I do recommend reading this synopsis, if you would like to know exactly why you shouldn't read it. This is going to be long. But I must share my pain.

To start, the book treats bipolarism as if it should not be treated with drugs. The first chapter sets us up: Rhonda's home life is boring and torturous - her pharmacist dad is drugging up her "crazy" mother - who it is implied is bipolar - without a proper doctor's prescription, which, yes, is bad, but we are offered no explanation as to why she wouldn't just see a proper psychiatrist. The drugs "flatten" her mother; Rhonda is convinced her mother would be much better without them, in her natural crazy state, it is assumed. This theme of not treating bipolarism is alluded to throughout the book.

Within the first 5 pages, Rhonda is masturbating in the bath, with her head underwater, assumedly having discovered autoerotic asphyxiation at the ripe old age of 14 ("the dizziness from not breathing made the colors brighter"). This is Rhonda who still maintains a boyish figure, and has not developed at all yet, nor started her period. But apparently she has been compelled to figure out the complicated female orgasm before her hormones have even kicked in, along with breath play. Oh, and her mother walks in on her and thinks she's drowning and flips out. Enter: shame, and self-blame for what follows. Really?

Rhonda has one real friend named Jesús, the family's gardener, who is an undocumented worker from Mexico. She has learned fluent Spanish - so fluent that she sounds "just like a Mexican" - simply by listening to him.After Rhonda's mom goes off the deep end, spurred by Rhonda's sexually precocious autoerotic asphyxiation episode, Jesús paints the bottoms of all the trees white. (These events are unrelated.) The neighbors get upset and retaliate by having him deported. And he is sent back to Mexico. Immediately. Because it's that fast and easy. He goes back to living with his mom. Being deported is that inconsequential.

Rhonda overhears her quietly evil father get a gun out of the closet, load it, and lay it on the desk, telling her mother to "do the right thing." Her mother then blows her head off. Rhonda gives us a lovely (read: unnecessarily graphic) description of the inside of her mother's head, as well as the brain matter on the wall. (We are still in the first chapter.) Neither she nor her father have much of an emotional reaction to this incident.

Next Rhonda is set to go on a father/daughter float trip in Big Bend National Park with two of her girlfriends from school. Her father predictably bails at the last second to hang out with his pharmacist mistress. Rhonda goes along anyway. While everyone is asleep, Rhonda approaches the guide with silver in his hair, motions for him to open his knees, and cuddles in between his legs with her back to him. Because that's completely natural. (No, seriously. This is presented as totally normal, acceptable behavior on 14-year-old Rhonda's part, Rhonda who has been described as quiet, thoughtful and bookish.) Then, of course, the dude can't help but feel her... down her pants, and she immediately has "the Feeling." She runs back to her tent. There is much inner talk of her wanting to stab him in the eye with her knife, or hoping he will have sex with her.

Now, I was lucky enough to have not been molested as a child, so I cannot speak to the normalcy of these feelings and do not pretend that I can. However, the book seems completely uncommitted to whether this was molestation or just a normal, totally okay sexual encounter for a 14-year-old to have with some dude that's three times her age. Maybe mid 30s and prematurely greying. But still. Wholly inappropriate, though not made to be so in the book.

The next day she decides she is suicidal and so falls off the raft to try to drown herself in the Rio Grande. (In Texas. In Big Bend. Is it ever deep enough for that to happen there? I didn't think so, but I'm no expert.) Mansk the molester morphs into savior, jumps in the water and rescues her. That night at camp Rhonda waits for everyone to go to sleep, and approaches the molester to solicit him for sex (" 'I want you to do it to me.' "). He laughs at her and says no way, that she's nuts. Rhonda is crushed and violently enraged by this rejection. More talk of stabbing him in the eye and other violence. Instead, she decides to run away to Mexico in the middle of the night to find Jesús, her only friend, who lives in Oaxaca (that's way south in Mexico, btw - and pronounced Wahackah - just fyi).

So she steals some money from one of the dads, who is also less than a stellar human being, surprise surprise, packs some food and clothes in her bag, walks down the river a little way, decides she should strip naked and pack her clothes in her bag too, to prevent them from getting wet, the Rio Grande being so very deep, floats down the deep river with a current, (is my dubiousness coming through loud and clear?) (in)conveniently has to let go of her pack with the clothes because she doesn't have enough energy to swim to the other side after floating for so long downstream (don't worry; she's conveniently tucked the money into her hair) and has to emerge from the river stark naked (REBIRTH!!), with just her sandals (those she left on, it being so easy to swim with shoes) , IN THE MEXICAN DESERT. She then... survives! She doesn't even get thirsty, she survives so fast. Conveniently, she finds some guy sleeping with a pack of burrows, hops on one, and within half an hour she's found a border town! How lucky! And no one molests or kills or even looks with unsavory eyes at the naked gringa. Totally believable, right?

So I think I'm just through chapter 2 by now. You can read the rest, after all, if you stop here! But I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't get any better, and just gets more contrived and farfetched after that. Since you're probably not going to read, the highlights: After dressing as a boy, renaming herself Angel, tripping on peyote, taking a bus in the wrong direction than getting out in the middle of the night in the middle of a jungle, starving herself to keep her boyish figure, escaping a bandit-boy circle jerk in the jungle, tricking a smarmy artist dude and his carpenter wife (how offensive, the Mexicans think, a woman wants to be a carpenter?) into driving her to Mexico city, getting abducted by female banditas dressed as men (they weren't taken seriously as bandits dressed as women), having the smarmy dude's pin word come to her from the Virgin Mary (SLIT), bailing one of the banditas out of jail, and taking a taxi to the town where Jesús lives, she finds Jesús and starts living with him and his mom.

But he won't teach her how to carve alibrijes, as he'd promised, on the other side (of the river/border): men carve; women paint. That's only, it turns out, because his mom is old and not so good with the painting anymore. So Rhonda learns to cook and paint, befriends an elderly American woman in the neighborhood, reads a book about an old fashioned vibrator - great for curing hysteria, finds an old-fashioned vibrator ("the earthquake machine" - yup, this young adult novel is named after a vibrator), has "the Feeling" and feels less hysterical (because, you know, nothing cures an overly depressed or emotional woman/girl like a good lay... or orgasm... and this is definitely a message we want to give to young, impressionable girls), shares it with the neighbor elderly lady and watches her use it (um, what?), then travels with Jesús and his mama to Mexico City to sell their alibrijes. There, Jesús and the mom are crushed in the hotel after a massive earthquake, forcing Rhonda to return to Texas. Rhonda is devastated and angry and wants to grind away her pain. No really. With her hips. Because she's still totally and completely obsessed with sex and The Feeling.

On the way back home, she easily finds Mansk the molester, determined to stab him, or something vicious, but instead they have some violent, bloody but totally consensual sex (she's 15 now, so, very mature and in control), and then part ways. She bribes her dad into supporting her and her education while going to live with her fun-loving godmother. The end.

I've spent way too much time summarizing, but I didn't know how to explain my criticism otherwise, and I haven't even begun to explain how put off I was by this book. The feminist message is so weird and skewed and misguided and unabashedly in your face that it's completely lost in the preposterous ridiculousness of the story. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish; but the novel utterly fails on that point, especially with the violence with which sex is presented. I strongly believe girls can have non-harlequin, non-crazy-violent adventures that actually explore maturing and independence in a healthy way. This is just not that story.

I am not the last word - most reviews I found out there were gushing and raving about how fantastic this book is, or at worst lukewarm on the subject. Goodreads, normally a good like-ability barometer for me, averages the ratings at a 3.8. I am the sole 1 star, and I rarely rate books 1 star. Lowry herself seems like a really interesting and lovely lady; I just did not enjoy her book, nor do I think it's remotely appropriate for younger audiences. She kindly provided the book to me in exchange for my honest review. I hope I wasn't too harsh.

Some disclaimers about myself to help you decide whether or not my opinion or where I'm coming from might jive with your own tastes:
- I was raised Catholic, and attended Catholic school from kindergarden to 8th grade.
- I am no longer Catholic; have not been since I was a teenager.
- I do volunteer work with victims of sexual violence on a regular basis.
These factors may come into play more for myself than others when judging the violent nature of sexuality's portrayal in the book.

[Nazish Ahmed (Nazish Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate this book 3.5 stars.

I just reviewed this on my blog.
To view the full review and other reviews, click here The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry




The first novel review in a long time (I've been doing a lot of manga reviews lately).

Sex: Yes
Gore: There is some, but not too much.
Magic: No
Romance: Yes (She mostly observes while other people are having romance, but she does have her romance, although I didn't see much of the chemistry between her and the guy, I think it was just desire not love, since she left immediately, if you want to know what happened, then read the book and find out).

Action: (This is hard too rate, since this is supposed to be a realistic novel, at least that's the impression I got from it)
Pacing: 3.5 stars
Plot: 4 stars

The Earthquake Machine is the story of fourteen year old girl named Rhonda, whose life is messed up, even though it doesn't seem like it to other people. Not wanting to continue living life with her father, she escapes to Mexico in order to find her former yardman, Jesύs, who she trusts the most. Rhonda changes her identity to a Mexican boy and begins her crazy journey to find Jesύs.

Rhonda, is really brave and crazy to travel all the way to Mexico and then through Mexico all by herself, I would't even be able to travel to another country all by myself like that (but then again, I've never been in the same or similar situation as she has been in, so it's not fair to compare me with her, being so different and different situations), still, I think it's amazing that someone so young (ok, she's not that young from me, only four years younger) had the guts to do something like that and actually pulled it off (I know it's fiction). I liked that she wanted to be different from other females (like I do, only people think I'm really weird, but I don't mind, it'd great), go girl power! But I don't like the fact that she tried to live a lie by being a boy so that no one treats her like a typical girl, the part about pretending to be a boy is ok, but the part about not eating isn't, it's like she was insulting God that why was she was born a girl, she should be happy with what she is, I know I am. By starving herself, she'd eventually get really sick and then die, which would be a terrible way to die, especially knowing that the reason was her own stubbornness. Plus, her obsession with reading about sex and sex in general is kind of creepy. Are there really any girls like that in real life? (whenever I read shojo mangas, some of the main character's act like that about sex too, which is why I read mostly shonen mangas) Because I wasn't like that and I'm still not like that (I think it's because how I was raised), etc. I didn't like her character at most points, sometimes I did, but mostly I didn't. There are protagonists in books that I absolutely love and then there are some tHat I really hate, but for this book, I'm not sure, so I'll say, around the middle.

(Sorry if that sounded like I was being mean or something, it's just that when I review a book, I always talk about what makes the protagonist great and what makes him/her not so great).

Other girls might relate to her, having gone through similar things as her or similar feelings, and I know by reading some of the goodreads reviews about this book, but I didn't relate to her much, at some parts I did, but mostly I didn't.

The characters she meets along the way are awesome and were fun to read about, to be honest, I liked some of them more than Rhonda. It was a fun read and I liked many of those characters, especially those other women she met along the way (I forgot what they called their group).
I liked the journey that Rhonda takes to discover herself, and what she learns. I learned a lot of spanish words from reading this book, before this, I only knew as much spanish as I learned from when I was little and used to watch Dora the Explorer. When Rhonda sheds her old life to become a boy named Angel, she really does change. She goes from a scared little girl, to a brave young women, by the end you can tell that she grew up.

I'm wondering if this novel is set in modern times or in past, because the way Mexico is described (like, the sexist thing about boys carving and girls painting), it sounds like something from the 80s or 90s, unless Mexico is still like that. Since the country my parents were born and raised s Pakistan, it changed over the years about the sexist thing, men aren't the only ones who still have a job there, it's mostly men, but many women started working too.

Even though the protagonist is young, I don't recommend this to younger teen readers, like those under maybe 15 or 16 years old, because: there is some vulgar language, lots of mentions of sex and something happens at the end that definitely not for kids.

[Jade Eby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at my blog Chasing Empty Pavements

This was the sort of book that after I finished, I had to walk away from for a little while. It’s themes and topics are hard hitting at first, but it’s after you walk away that you start really thinking about what was really going on. You remember scenes and conversations from the book long after you’ve stopped reading it and you try to figure out what the hell you think about it. Not only did the author’s personal story inspire me, but her self-publishing story did as well. I had high expectations for this book and I can tell you that it did not disappoint. On the author’s website, there is a disclaimer,

“Mary’s agent didn’t want to send out The Earthquake Machine to editors. The book was perhaps too edgy. Editors would be afraid to take a chance on such a wild ride. And so Mary decided to give readers a chance to find her.”

There are so many things to say about this disclaimer. First…how courageous is she? To be able to understand how different your book is from mainstream fiction and to take a chance on readers finding the book is inspiring. I love that she does not want to conform to what is mainstream or politically correct. And the disclaimer is absolutely true. This book is extremely edgy and I could see many people not understanding how to take this book in or appreciate what Lowry has written. I appreciate that Lowry decided to go a different route with this novel and I’m extremely grateful it fell into my hands.

The Good: The Earthquake Machine is a dirty novel. Really, I’m not lying. It’s dirty in the sense that it gets into your skin, deep down inside, scrubs all the clean out of you and then replaces everything with grit and dirt. Lowry strips away all conventions in this novel. Rhonda is not your typical girl nor will she ever be. It is so difficult to describe her as a character because by the end of the novel I grew to love her, but I was also so confused and appalled by her at points. This novel is about MANY things but a sexual awakening is very much a huge part of this novel. It’s something not a lot of people are comfortable with and this novel does NOT shy away from it. Lowry is unabashedly honest in her portrayal of the way some females discover who they are sexually, mentally and physically. Rhonda goes through an incredible transformation that includes actually living life successfully pretending to be a boy for a while. She cuts her hair, changes to her name to Angel and sets out on an adventure that very rarely exists for anyone, let alone a young teenager. Rhonda/Angel questions everything and I love that about her, especially in terms of religion. She doesn’t deny that it exists for some, but she doesn’t quite agree that it is all that it’s cracked up to be. Her strength and adversity inspire me and her discovery of who she is had me rooting for her the entire time. I think the thing I loved most about this book was the amount of Spanish and Hispanic culture that rippled through. I LOVE the Spanish language and I love Hispanic culture and this book had the perfect amount of Spanish and English within.

The Bad: I noticed on a couple of other reviews, many people felt the same way as I did about the cover. It’s not that it’s a terrible cover…. it’s just that the book is so heavy and so amazing, this cover does not do it justice. I understand why it IS the cover but I speaking from not only a reviewer’s point of view but just a wandering reader, I would not have picked this book up based on the cover. If I hadn’t of received this book for review, I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance. While terrible and sad, it is unfortunately the sad truth about books. They DO get judge based on their covers and self-publishing authors need to realize that will end up being a HUGE determinate of their sales. When a cover looks and feels professional, people are drawn to it and will feel that the inside of the book will match the outside (which it should!) Other than that, the only other negative I have for the book is that some parts felt a little long winded, like they could have been cut down or cut out a bit.

Overall, I thought this book was a knockout and a truly amazing reading experience. One of the deepest, heaviest books I have read in quite a while. I give it an A!

**I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own and I was not obligated to write a favorable review.

[Marybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a change from what I usually read, and by change I mean that it didn't just involve an all white cast of characters but had some diversity in them. And I'm not trying to say anything by that, just stating the facts as I see them and what I see myself reading. Which is sad, because I am actually Dominican. Well, Dominican-American, it's complicated, but I was born in New York and so was my mother, yet both my parent's grew up in DR.

So, when I was reading this book I liked seeing a little Hispanic heritage being involved in this novel, because I do want to see more of that out in the world. I think that Lowry was pretty awesome in the way she took up the novel.

Rhonda was such a naive character at the start of the novel and I just felt so bad for her. Her father was an outright monster, her friend's were so clueless I just wanted to punch them. Can someone explain to me why there seems to be a growing trend in which the best friend's of the protagonist are self-centered brainless idiots? I just don't get it. Yet, the girl's do become extremely helpful near the end, which is something that I really liked. So, I can't say they are completely useless.

But, anyways, Rhonda did some amazing development as the novel progressed. Rhonda started out as this little flower and at the end she becomes this exotic flower. She changes so much and I'm happy that it was something that went with the novel. The change was not instant, but took some serious developing and growing. And I also like the author's way of distinguishing Rhonda and Angel, but still keeps their identity.

I know it was bad of me, but I did a little laugh near the end when Rhonda was confronting her father. It was a serious and tense moment, but I just couldn't help it with all of Rhonda's demands. It seemed a little silly to me, but considering everything he put her through I would probably behave the same way. But I'm glad there was at least some closure there and that she got away before she ended up like her mother.

Overall, this book was a little different than what I was expecting and I liked that. It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I got going there was no stopping. Honestly, the four stars are for the slow start that this novel got. I wish that it picked up a little quicker, but at least there were some moments at the start that kept the book alive for me.

If there is a reader looking for something different and a little more diverse, I'd say give this novel a chance.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really unusual book, and that’s hard to say about the YA field. I loved the story, its setting, and in particular the voice of its main character. Rhonda feels like an authentic teenager – she’s completely confused, she looks for meaning in everything, yet acts totally on impulse. As a teenager I didn’t do any of the brave, wild things that Rhonda does, but I remember that time where you invest everything with huge emotional meaning, even though the rest of the world doesn’t see it that way. Rhonda sort of lives in color where the rest of us adults live in black and white.

Rhonda’s travels through Mexico are so vivid -- Lowry calls all of your senses into play as you read this book. She writes about the colors on walls and on the Mexican carvings called alibrijes, the taste of pan dulce, the sounds of different dialects. Lowry really pays attention to the details. The characters Rhonda meets feel larger than life but not like caricatures. As Rhonda travels from town to town, you really feel you’re seeing and experiencing what she does.

Rhonda’s inner turmoil felt brilliant at times and overwhelming at other times. She’s constantly coming to new realizations about herself but then turns around and makes the same mistakes. She questions her identity, her sexuality, her faith so many times in this book that while authentic, it gets a little repetitive.

By way of a warning, this book is pretty sexual and at times hit my discomfort level given that this character is fourteen years old. Still, Rhonda’s confusion and obsession with sexuality, while it overwhelms the narrative at times, is probably still in keeping with what a teenage girl might be feeling. Rhonda lacks any sort of parental guidance, so it’s understandable that sexuality becomes this huge, confusing thing in her life.

This book was action-packed and full of adventure, which is cool in a story about a teenage girl. There are maybe some times the book is a little too adventurous to be realistic (for example, when Rhonda meets up with a band of female banditas) but Lowry never tones down the action because she’s writing about a girl (which I would expect from a woman who is herself a firefighter).

All in all, a very cool read that doesn't feel like YA.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We gave this book a 4/5 at InsatiableBooksluts.com. (We were provided an ARC by the author.)

We often do discussion-style reviews on our site. Here's an excerpt:

"Rob: How did we all like it?
Amy: Liked it quite a bit. Don’t know if I LOVED it, but liked it very well.
Susie: Same. It wasn’t perfect but I liked it a lot.
Rob: That would sum it up for me too. The one thing I kept thinking the whole time I was reading it was that this is one book certain parents would raise hell to ban… and teenage girls would want to get their grubby paws on it.
Susie: Oh yes. Teenagers having a libido (gasp) scandalous.
Rob: Parents would rather not think about that of their immaculate children.

...

Susie: You know, this book kind of reminded me of All the Pretty Horses. If it had happened to a female.
Rob: You’re right, it did have that feel… a softer McCarthy.

...

Susie: I really was interested in how she dealt with gender in the book. Part of what I liked about Las Verduras was that they weren’t part of the traditional gender mold, and neither was Rhonda–they weren’t stereotypical women.
Amy: Gender, power, and strength were interesting themes, and handled well, I thought. And all themes I enjoy reading about, when done well, so I was pleased with that."

Read the full discussion at our site.

[Jasmine Villanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beneath the Moon and Stars review

This wasn't what I was expecting at all. I didn't really know what it was about when I said I would review it. The first half I didn't like very much. I've never read a book that has a lot of sexuality in it. At some points it made me uncomfortable. But this is one of those book that has real life issues in it. That is something I liked about this.I think the sexuality was a little much but it was also the whole concept of the book . The second half I loved. As soon as Rhonda/Angel found Jesus I loved it. I felt like that was the whole point of the book. Once I was done with it I realized that wasn't the point at all. This was about Rhonda coming of age and growing into herself.


Rhonda is an extremely strong main character. Her courage is incredible. How she managed to survive her crazy Mexican adventure I don't know. I wouldn't have been able to do that. She never gave up. Mama and Jesus were probably my favorite part of the book. I felt so bad for Rhonda in the beginning. Her family sucked. So when Jesus and Mama became her family it made me happy. I can admit I cried. The ending was incredibly sad.


The plot was kinda slow at first but it did pick up. There were plenty of twists and turns. I had no idea what was gonna happen next throughout like the whole book. Overall I did end up liking this. I didn't think I would. I would have never picked this up on my own but I am glad I got to read it. I recommend if your looking for something different but be careful this is a little adult.3.5/5 stars

http://beneaththemoonandstars.blogspo...

[McGuffy Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The teen years are a time of awakening for everyone. Each of us has our own set of circumstances, our own awakening. It is a time of leaving behind childhood, that which was created for you, and evolving into your own self.

The teen years are a time of making choices toward your future, by the steps you take. Consequences begin to have meaning. It is also a time when you become aware of the choices others are making, and the consequences they face, as well.

The Earthquake Machine takes us on Rhonda’s journey to herself. She is a fourteen year old girl coming into herself. She is becoming aware of life around her, and her place in it.

Rhonda sees her mentally ill mother with serious issues. Rhonda’s father deals with these issues by keeping her mother heavily medicated. Obviously neither parent is there for Rhonda. The person she feels closest to is the family gardener, Jesus. When he is deported back to his native Mexico, it affects Rhonda deeply.

Suddenly, Rhonda is on a mission to find Jesus. She makes choices about herself, her life, and takes steps to change things. Rhonda takes off on a journey across the border and into Mexico to find her friend. This forces her to change her identity to a male, to ensure her safety as she travels across the Mexican desert on the back of a burro.

This adventurous young adult novel deals with serious and immediate issues. Mary Pauline Lowry bravely writes of gender and sexism, as well as the cultural differences between the United States and Mexico. She has written a bold and important coming of age novel. I look forward to reading more from this insightful author.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhonda has a tough life. He father owns a big pharmacy and brings home drugs to keep her mother mellow. He only friend is Jesus, the Mexican gardener. When he paints the trees, the homeowners association rallies together and calls INS and has him deported. This along with other things sets Rhonda’s mom off. Her father doesn’t help matters when he challenges her to do the right thing for Rhonda.

Rhonda is asked on a father/daughter vacation with her friends. Other stuff happens on the camping trip, which makes her feel hurt and alone. She decides to cross the Rio Grande and find Jesus. She believes that if she finds her Jesus, then everything will be put right.

The story follows her as she looses everything, decides to reinvent herself, and meets a variety of people that help her on her way. These different encounters and events help her to fill the dark hole in her and help her to mature. I don’t want to go too much into the story and give away what happens.

I liked this book. I admit that it was a little hard to get into. But after the first fifty pages, I started getting sucked into Rhonda/Angels adventure. It is a heart-breaking journey that she goes on. There is everything from starvation, drug use, robbery, and rage amount a few things that happen. I felt so bad for Rhonda and came to accept her ask Angel.

I loved the ending. This poor girl that had so much happen to her but she uses it to grow into a strong young woman. This is a must read book. I admit that I’m not one that usually picks up stories like this. Step out of your comfort zone and read this book!

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Robyn Hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Pauline Lowry offers up an action filled, brilliant debut novel that takes the reader on one WILD ride! ...and she pulls from her varied background to develop her characters and storyline.


The Earthquake Machine is the story of a very unhappy 14 year old Rhonda who "escapes" her painful home life to find the one person in her life that she has been able to rely on...Jesus, the family gardener. Her adventure takes her south of the border and teaches her the value of the people that surround you and illustrates the inequities that exsist between traveling as a young girl versus as a young girl...while also sxposing the reader to Mexico's historically exotic culture.


The story moves well and the charachters will draw you in...from the delightful 14 year old Rhonda who has assumed the blame for he Mother's insanity; her abusive Father; the drug adled Bartender who manages to become a key part of Rhondas travels; to the tender and supportive Jesus and his Mama.


Exploring topics of Mexican and American Culture and Norms along with the obvious "coming of age" issues that any story of a 14 year old will...this is a book that I highly recommend.


Thank you to the author for providing a review copy of The Earthquake Machine.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on the Goodreads Giveaway program in exchange for a unbiased review. :)

This is a book that sucked me in. From the moment I met Rhonda I wanted to know what would happen to her. Only 14 she's learned already at the hands of her parents that the world is cruel. Her only refuge is the gardener, Jesus, who is deported back to Mexico. With her life spiraling out of control, she flees to Mexico to find him.

Her journey is at times surreal, but amazing. The cast of characters she meets are at times strange and all too real. But the book's strength lies in the multi-layered journey. Her search for Jesus, is a search for herself, as she seeks to understand her losses, her sexuality, and her faith.

I caution readers as faith and sex intertwined in a girl so young makes for a disturbing read at times. This is a secular book with strong Catholic overtones. On the other hand, it's a story that rings true on many levels, and I really felt that at the end she'd become who she'd been meant to be all along.

[Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the story started off very interesting and had my attention, but after finishing it and thinking about it overall this was not a good fit for me personally.
I felt that the main character used sex to deal with her problems. I am ok with sex in books, even books that have teens in them. But the verbiage used for the sex scenes made me uncomfortable and it was not just a couple of times either, it is throughout the book from the first chapter to the last getting more descriptive each time.
It just wasn't a good fit for me personally and unfortunately the content of those scenes overpowered how I felt about the rest of the story.

[Joe Ahearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Earthquake Machine firmly subverts almost every convention in YA literature. And that's a good thing. The story is engaging and inventive at every turn and the book's writing and construction are first rate. But this book is not just an interesting story. It takes on gender, sexuality, religion, mysticism, and drug use in ways some may find shocking and uncomfortable and that others will find enormously liberating. Rhonda, the protagonist, is a true hero and the author, Mary Lowry, is braver than 90% of the writers I read.

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! This amazing gender-bending coming-of-age story doesn't shy away from life's complications. There are no easy answers. The protaganist is an amazingly reslient 14-year-old and, wow, does she have some adventures! Kick-ass story complete with road trip, (complicated) sexual experiences, death, and, of course, an earthquake machine!

[Hira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review + a guest post from Mary Lowry here --> http://hm-viewsnreviews.blogspot.com/...
Also enter the giveaway and get a chance to win a hard copy of The Earthquake Machine!

[Jenny Hassibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, thought-provoking story!

[Karen]

The Earthquake Machine is a beautiful book that explores "el Otro Lado", the other side of everything, a necessary exploration for development. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rad coming of age book that covers a lot of literal and emotional ground and explores the curious idiosyncrasies of a vastly underrepresented Mexico.

[Maddly Peculiar · Rating 4 out of 5]

So beautifully written and so deeply tragic. The Earthquake Machine will shake you to your core.

[Tammy - Books, Bones & Buffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m happy to report that the state of independent publishing is alive and well, thanks to Mary Pauline Lowry. I have had the privilege of reading and reviewing quite a few indie books that were well-written and constructed, but my favorite so far is The Earthquake Machine. Filled with beautiful writing, stunning imagery, and a story you can get lost in, Lowry’s debut novel is a wonderful example of how to write a book. It is an unusual but powerful story of one girl’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

Rhonda is a fourteen-year-old whose home life is less than happy. Her father owns a pharmacy and is a workaholic, and brings “medicine” home to his wife to keep her subdued. Her mother, Louise May, is depressed and lethargic from the pills she is being forced to take. Rhonda’s only happy moments are spent secretly spending time in the evening with Jésus, the Mexican gardener who lives on the property. Jésus is kind and honest with Rhonda, and teaches her Spanish while he describes the life he left behind in Mexico, carving fantastical animals out of wood. Rhonda instinctively hides her knowledge of the language, as she knows her father would not approve of their friendship. But when Jésus is suddenly deported back to Mexico, Rhonda’s life starts to come unhinged.

In a terrible turn of events, Louise May loses the battle to keep her sanity and commits suicide. When school friends invite Rhonda along on a river trip on the Rio Grande, she goes along, hoping to forget about the horror of losing her mother. But an illicit encounter one night in camp with Mansk the tour guide propels Rhonda to run away. And so begins her journey. Afraid that she may be crazy like her mother, Rhonda decides to run away from the group, hike to Mexico and find Jésus. In a beautifully lyrical passage, she swims across the Rio Grande to the Mexican side, wanders naked through the desert, and finally comes to a small village where she finds help in the form of a bartender named Juan Diego. He helps her on her way by cutting off her hair, giving her clothing and procuring a donkey to ride for the rest of her journey to find Jésus. Finally, to go with her boyish disguise, Rhonda changes her name to Angel. (To avoid confusion, I will continue to call her “Rhonda” for this review.)

During the trek to locate Jésus, Rhonda runs into several groups of dangerous but colorful characters, each one acting as a catalyst that propels her forward on her journey. When she finally gets to her destination, she settles in with Jésus and his mother and learns how to paint alibrijes, the colorful wooden animals that Jésus described to Rhonda back home. She also befriends a miserable old American woman named Genevieve who plays a large part in explaining the title of the book (which I won’t give away here). But the idyllic life in Mexico is short-lived, and tragedy for Rhonda and her friends is just around the corner. Lowry brings everything full circle as Rhonda is forced to make some tough decisions about who she really wants to be.

Lowry does a wonderful job weaving metaphor and imagery throughout her story. In particular, the Rio Grande represents both the separation of Rhonda’s old life and her new one, and the crossing over from innocence to adulthood. Change is a constant theme: Rhonda changing her name to Angel and “becoming” a boy by cutting her hair are just two examples. Because Rhonda is going through puberty, Lowry skillfully describes her emotional state as she falls into adulthood. Rhonda thinks eating will give her a woman’s curves, and so she stops, because she’s not ready to grow up. Jésus’ mother finally gets her to eat by telling her “it’s food that makes you a woman, and being a woman makes you strong.”

Burgeoning sexuality plays an important part in the story, although the sexual passages in the book have been criticized by some reviewers. But in my opinion, these scenes enhance the book and are in keeping with the theme of growing up. Rhonda, who doesn’t know the word “orgasm,” refers to her sexuality as a moth, and near the end of the story when Rhonda meets up with Mansk again, he calls her a moth with “…a darker beauty than butterfly beauty.” One of the funnier scenes takes place when Rhonda introduces the old woman Genevieve to “the earthquake machine,” and you’re just going to have to read the book if you want to know what I’m talking about. And yes, it has to do with sex.

Lowry’s writing is spare and clean and she has mastered implied information; she doesn’t tell you more than you need to know. There are beautiful sentences throughout like this one, after Rhonda and her friends sneak out to buy coffee and pan dulce: “Surely the men would be able to see coffee and sugar racing through their veins.”

In dreamy prose, The Earthquake Machine takes us on Rhonda's adventure from innocence to maturity and back again. Lowry has a knack for storytelling, which is evident by how lost in the story I found myself. Rhonda’s journey is an unusual one, but her emotions represent those of every adolescent girl. I was entranced from beginning to end, and I hope The Earthquake Machine reaches a wide audience. If Lowry doesn’t have an agent for her next book, I’m guessing she soon will.

Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy.

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.