Another entry on my most anticipated queer books list,
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza is a challenging, introspective and philosophical read.
About ‘The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza’ by Shaun David Hutchinson:
Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth.
This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place.
As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all — that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.
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‘The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza’ book review
When I was researching upcoming novels to add to my most anticipated queer books list for 2018, Shaun David Hutchinson’s The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza was an easy choice.
Hutchinson’s previous outing in We Are the Ants was a deeply affecting read, and one that has stayed with me almost two years later. So, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that I had high expectations for The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza.
And, for the most part, there is a lot to love about this book. Hutchinson delivered once again on the introspective and difficult questions being asked of his characters, especially the titular Elena. There are several moments that I will, undoubtedly, return to and pour over in the months to come.
But where The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza stumbled was in the characters themselves. I never once felt as though I understood or knew any of them enough to truly be affected by the questions Hutchinson was asking of them. It was a little frustrating that, in a novel of this length and with as much time as was spent with the characters, I was as equally engaged with them as I was on the opening pages.
The stakes were as high as you would expect from a novel with “apocalypse” in the title. But whilst the complex and murky ethics of Elena’s powers were approached in a nuanced way, there was a lack of urgency that undermined them, though perhaps that was intentional on Hutchinson’s part. Elena is, after all, still a teenager, and the particular responsibility of what she can do would be a burden for someone twice her age — indeed, some of the choices she was required to make were enough to give me pause over what I would have done in the same position.
One aspect of The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza that I genuinely adored was its diverse representation across the central characters. Elena herself is openly bisexual and dates another girl, Freddie. Fadil is Muslim and questioning his sexuality, which likely falls somewhere on the asexual spectrum, though he never makes a definitive conclusion over the course of the novel. The exploration of their sexualities was intimately familiar and struck a deep, resonating chord with me, and I’d imagine will with many others as well.
However, Elena and Freddie’s relationship itself was one that I struggled to become invested in. There was a mean, cutting edge to it that meant I remained detached, and was often left wondering whether the relationship was right for either character. There was an interesting exploration of the idealized version of people we create when we are in love, but, in the end, once the veneer of Elena’s crush was removed, Freddie wasn’t someone I ever felt was the right fit for her, and vice versa.
Ultimately, the strength of The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza was in the complex themes it explored, and the tough questions that Hutchinson asked of his characters and readers. Hutchinson’s writing itself is deeply engaging and, despite difficulties in connecting with the characters and relationships, I found it an easy read. The ending was also incredibly satisfying, and arguably one of the strongest moments in the entire novel.
Hutchinson is undoubtedly an author that will remain on my radar, and I hope he continues to challenge my way of thinking for many, many years to come.