History Literature / SantaOlivia

''Santa Olivia'' is a novel written by Jacqueline Carey, whom you may recognize from ''Literature/KushielsLegacy''. Much lighter fare than those books, Carey once described ''Santa Olivia'' as a "post-punk desert urban fantasy about girl’s love and boxing."

!!This Book provides examples of:

* MissingMom: Loup's mother dies while she's a child.

* ThePlague: Basis for the setting. It's vaguely described as a very strong flu. Not 100% lethal or contagious, but enough people die that society starts to break down, especially in an out of the way town like Santa Olivia. It never reaches AfterTheEnd levels though, and by the time the wider world is seen, it has largely recovered. It's damage is seen in more abandoned buildings, a few ghost towns, and some countries being extra careful about visitors.

* RapeAsDrama: Katya's rape - and the military's lack of action about it - pushes the Santitos into action, starting Loup's Santa Olivia appearances so they can get justice on the rapist, and then later the soldiers who lied to cover him.

* WeAreAsMayflies: {{Inverted}}. [=GMOs=] have decades less to live than typical humans, a byproduct of the overclocked metabolism. Loup's father Martin dies in Mexico long before she reaches maturity. Martin was an original GMO however, and as the military expanded the program, they found biofeedback and meditation techniques to slow down the body and extend the shorter life. Loup picks up and starts using them in ''Saints Astray''.

* FearlessFool: {{Deconstructed}}. One of the things that’s different about Loup is that she’s completely unable to feel fear. Because of this, she has difficulty understanding which things might not be a good idea to do. She likens this to be a particular kind of stupid.

* ButICantBePregnant: {{Inverted}}. Carmen realizes she’s pregnant, while Martin is in denial because he was told as a child that he was completely sterile.

* AngstWhatAngst: Since Loup [[FearlessFool cannot feel fear]], she also doesn't get a lot of the negative emotions and reactions most people have that are based on fear. Best example is Tommy - she admits envy that he can use his boxing skills and she has to keep a low profile, but has zero anger over it (it's not his fault) and acts baffled at the idea that more malicious jealousy might be normal. Embarrassment - or fear of judgment - is likewise alien to her. It's possibly the only upside given to her fearlessness. [[spoiler: This does have limits; losing Tommy nearly breaks her, and it is used against her in the sequel, as many assume she simply doesn't have any emotions.]]

* UncannyValley: Loup falls into this occasionally. Her inability to feel fear means that her reactions and emotional responses are a little off, until people get to know her. Also, many people react oddly or flinch when touching her and other [=GMOs=]. They're just described as "tense" or "intense" - it's not clear if there's some difference in the skin, the feel of the denser muscles, or both.

* UncannyValley: Loup falls into this occasionally. Her inability to feel fear means that her reactions and emotionally responses are a little off compared to most people. Also most people react oddly to touching her, implying that there's some difference above and beyond just denser muscles.

* BiTheWay: It’s a Jacqueline Carey novel, natch.

* YuriGenre: Loup and Pilar fall for each other. Hard.

The story begins in Santa Olivia, a small town on the border of Texas and Mexico, sometime in the not-too-distant future. An epidemic hits the world, and Mexico worse than most. A general, Santa Anna, called ''El Segundo'' by most, starts causing ruckus in order to get aide from the United States. Things get out of hand, some explosions are had, and when the dust has cleared, a barrier zone is created to keep Mexico out. Santa Olivia, along with a couple other towns here and there, happens to fall in the barrier zone, and so the inhabitants are given a choice. They can either stay, and forfeit their citizenship, or figure out some way to move themselves into the States. Most, being too poor to move, or too rooted in the town, decide to stay. An outpost is built next to the town, and in exchange for supplies and necessities, the town folk provide menial labor, restaurants, bars, and human interaction for the soldiers. One of these particular interactions is boxing. See, the local general doesn’t like many things, but he happens to absolutely ''love'' boxing, and brings in various champions for the townsfolk to compete against. He even made a standing offer: any townsfolk who actually won a match would be granted passage out of the outpost and into the States, along with one other person of their choosing.

** Though one could argue that this might be different hadn't they had the virus to deal with at the same time.
* AngstWhatAngst: Since Loup [[FearlessFool cannot feel fear]], she also doesn't get a lot of the negative emotions and reactions most people have that are based on fear. Best example is Tommy - she admits envy that he can use his boxing skills and she has to keep a low profile, but has zero anger over it (it's not his fault) and acts baffled at the idea that more malicious jealousy might be normal. Embarrassment - or fear of judgment - is likewise alien to her. It's possibly the only upside given to her fearlessness. [[spoiler: This does have limits, losing Tommy nearly breaks her, and it is used against her in the sequel, as many assume she simply doesn't have any emotions.]]
* ArtisticLicenseLaw: {{Zigzagged}}. Loup needs to keep her existence secret because, it's explicitly stated, she's not technically a human being, and so doesn't have any rights under the constitution. This would be completely incorrect [[note]] The United States Constitution grants rights to ''people'', not humans. It's actually part of the basis for the ongoing debate on abortion. [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle The More You Know...]][[/note]] in the modern-day States, but it's later revealed that an amendment was passed to specifically change that. [[spoiler: Which is later challenged and overturned by Congress.]]

* CaughtInTheRain: Pilar and Loup are walking home from the gym together, arguing over their {{UST}} in the rain. Pilar after [[InconvenientAttraction some painful confession]] finally just goes with it. They find a convenient abandoned office to resolve things in.
* TheClan: Shown in ''Saints Astray'', the original escaped [=GMOs=] settled in a beach/fishing town in Mexico, considered each other family, and some had children like Martin had Loup. Christophe uses the name The Kin for all [=GMOs=], but as far as he's aware, their bunch are the only natural born ones. Between numerous "cousins" exactly like she is (even if they're all boys) and plenty of "aunts" that don't flinch to touch her, it's the closest to normal Loup ever gets.

* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Right after Martin leaves, Carmen vents on a gloating Danny Garza about how El Segundo may not be real. Now, the missile bombardment just a few days later might be coincidence, but when the only major structure to be demolished by it with major casualties was her cousin Inez' apartment building that they used to share, she decides to keep her mouth shut from then on. Most of the town catches on too, as the military tries to enforce a curfew, but [[SpottingTheThread so quickly after the missles stop that there's no way they should have known the attack was over.]] The town hadn't even started digging bodies out yet.

* WeAreAsMayflies: Inverted. [=GMOs=] have decades less to live than typical humans, a byproduct of the overclocked metabolism. Loup's father Martin dies in Mexico long before she reaches maturity. Martin was an original GMO however, and as the military expanded the program, they found biofeedback and meditation techniques to slow down the body and extend the shorter life. Loup picks up and starts using them in ''Saints Astray''.

* AngstWhatAngst: Since Loup [[FearlessFool cannot feel fear]], she also doesn't get a lot of the negative emotions and reactions most people have that are based on fear. Best example is Tommy - she admits envy that he can use his boxing skills and she has to keep a low profile, but has zero anger over it (it's not his fault) and acts baffled at the idea that more malicious jealousy might be normal. Embarrassment - or fear of judgment - is likewise alien to her. It's possibly the only upside given to her fearlessness. [[spoiler: This does have limits, losing Tommy nearly breaks her.]]

* TheAtoner: Ron Johnson. [[spoiler: Actually John Johnson. He really didn't intend for Tommy to die from their match, and springs Loup and helps both Loup and Pilar get past the border wall, knowing he will likely be captured.]]

* ThePlague: Basis for the setting. It's vaguely described as a very strong flu. Not 100% lethal or contagious, but enough people die that society starts to break down, especially in an out of the way town like Santa Olivia.

* {{Sidekick}}: All the church orphans, to Loup, during her stint as Santa Olivia.

* TheAtoner: Ron Johnson. [[spoiler: He really didn't intend for Tommy to die from their match, and assists Loup's escape knowing he will likely be captured.]]

* PunchClockVillain: Most of the soldiers aren't terribly bad people, just bored and willfully ignoring some of the more horrible things going on around them.

* AngstWhatAngst: Since Loup [[FearlessFool cannot feel fear]], she also doesn't get a lot of the negative emotions and reactions most people have that are based on fear. Best example is Tommy - she admits envy that he can use his boxing skills and she has to keep a low profile, but has zero anger over it (it's not his fault) and acts baffled at the idea that more malicious jealousy might be normal. It's possibly the only upside given to her fearlessness. [[spoiler: This does have limits, losing Tommy nearly breaks her.]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Happens multiple times.

* OneTrueLove: Its mentioned that when [=GMOs=] do find mates, its always for life. Unfortunately for them, [[UncannyValley their strange intensity and physical feel]] keeps most away, and only a very rare few people have an [[AmazonChaser opposite reaction]].

* ThrowingTheFight: [[spoiler: Averted. Loup suspects this after she wins her match, but Ron Johnson says he gave it his all.]]
* TwinSwitch: [[spoiler: Ron Johnson the GMO soldier has a twin, and the twin is in fact the first one seen fighting in the ring, allowing the General to swap in Ron as needed.]]

* UnskilledButStrong: Ron Johnson, a soldier [[spoiler: and [=GMO=] ]] who has some boxing training, but relies on pure strength to win. [[spoiler: Loup doesn't have his massive build, but [[WeakButSkilled trains hard daily and absorbs every boxing technique Floyd can give her.]] It's enough.]]

* HeroOnHiatus: Loup and her gang stop the vigilante acts after the military gets too close, figuring out that the prayers left at the church shrine are the inspiration for their actions.
* HeroicBSOD: Loup, [[spoiler: when Tommy dies.]]

* SecretIdentity: Loup dresses up as the town's patron saint, Santa Olivia, while trying out the hero business. Tommy sees right through it, knowing what Loup can do.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Loup and the Santitos get good at delivering this.

* ArtMajorBiology: Martin says GMOs like him were created by mixing human and wolf DNA.

* FixingTheGame: [[spoiler: The General has no intention of letting any civilian win the boxing match and providing a ticket out. Most matches don't matter, but if a contender gets close, the general substitutes in a GMO that no normal human can beat. Tommy pays the price for being a great boxer with his life, although that was an accident.]]

* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: Tommy is killed]] in a boxing match against Ron Johnson, [[spoiler: another GMO like Loup]].

* TheAtoner: Ron Johnson.

A sequel, ''Saints Astray'' was released in Fall, 2011.

** Averted with Carmen though, who, though in a difficult position, loves her children dearly.
* AdultsAreUseless: At least, the townsfolk are, due to a complete lack of power when dealing with the military.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Zig-zags. Loup needs to keep her existence secret because, it's explicitly stated, she's not technically a human being, and so doesn't have any rights under the constitution. This would be completely incorrect [[note]] The United States Constitution grants rights to ''people'', not humans. It's actually part of the basis for the ongoing debate on abortion. [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle The More You Know...]][[/note]] in the modern-day States, but it's later revealed that an amendment was passed to specifically change that. [[spoiler: Which is later challenged and overturned by Congress.]]

* PapaWolf: Tommy is the big brother version of this to Loup. Had he not been in her life, she would probably have gotten caught and detained by the military as a very young child.

* ButICantBePregnant: Inverted. Carmen realizes she’s pregnant, while Martin is in denial, because he was told as a child that he was completely sterile.

* FearlessFool: Deconstructed. One of the things that’s different about Loup is that she’s completely unable to feel fear. Because of this, she has difficulty understanding which things might not be a good idea to do. She likens this to be a particular kind of stupid.

* PunchClockVillain: Most of the soldiers aren’t terribly bad people, just bored and willfully ignoring some of the more horrible things going on around them.

* SkunkStripe: Pilar is mentioned to have a natural streak of blonde in her otherwise brunette hair
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: Tom Almquist leaves Carmen with Tommy, and Martin leaves her with Loup, although he didn't die immediately
* SuperReflexes: Loup is capable of moving significantly faster than the average person, and is mentioned, several times, to be able to move fast enough that she can’t be seen.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Zig-zags. Loup needs to keep her existence secret because, it's explicitly stated, she's not technically a human being, and so doesn't have any rights under the constitution. This would be completely incorrect [[hottip:*: The United States Constitution grants rights to ''people'', not humans. It's actually part of the basis for the ongoing debate on abortion. [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle The More You Know...]] in the modern-day States, but it's later revealed that an amendment was passed to specifically change that. [[spoiler: Which is later challenged and overturned by Congress.]]

''Santa Olivia'' is a novel written by Jacqueline Carey, whom you may recognize from KushielsLegacy. Much lighter fare than those books, Carey once described ''Santa Olivia'' as a "post-punk desert urban fantasy about girl’s love and boxing."