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Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Pillars of Creation by Carlos Nicolás Flores follows Yoltic Cortez, a young Chicano college dropout, as he embarks on an existential journey along the Texas-Mexico border, questioning faith and identity, and searching for meaning in a world where God seems absent. After witnessing a traumatic event on the river as a teenager, he is introduced to existentialist philosophy by the Failed Poet, a local intellectual who becomes his mentor. As he struggles with addiction, expectations from his family, and disillusionment, he is pulled into a spiritual quest in a world of violence and where God doesn’t seem to exist. His father's death and Marfil's disappearance complicate his life. Can he fulfill his dream of becoming an author and find meaning in his existence?
It is rare to find a book written in the second-person narrative voice, but Carlos Nicolás Flores has accomplished this feat with literary flair. The voice creates an emotional connection with the reader, making them feel like they are the key character in the story. The consistency in the narrative voice, the beauty in the lyrical prose, and the drama are some of the elements that appealed to me. Set against the vivid backdrop of the borderlands—where plazas, churches, and bookstores are spaces of reflection—Pillars of Creation explores themes of cultural duality, existential despair, and the redemptive power of literature. I loved how the author blends Chicano culture with philosophical inquiry, using the border setting to explore the relationship between faith and doubt, tradition and transformation. The result is an engaging literary novel that I couldn’t put down; philosophical in style and exploring existential themes.
