Scan barcode
takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall there was not enough character depth or development, and by the ending I rather feel like nothing had changed? meaning the story was kind of pointless?
I've read a few books by this author and none of them quite hit the mark.
2.5/5🌶️
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual content
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The rapport between Domingo and Atl is excellently-written, driven by Domingo's adoration of Atl, and Atl's need for Domingo's help but distaste for feeling weak. Atl is using up every one of her mother's contacts along the way, relying on wisps of goodwill and loyalty from humans and vampires who assumed their obligations died long before Atl's mother did. This results in a tangle of one-off and repeating characters as Atl and Domingo navigate this loose network of contacts, just trying to get out of the city alive.
The worldbuilding is immersive, built through stories, buildings, and how the characters move through this alternate version of Mexico City where not only are vampires real but there are several kinds of them. Some (like Atl) are Tlahuihpochtli descended from Aztec blood drinker temple priestesses, but human colonization and the encroachment of other vampires, like Necros and Revenants, have made things more complicated for recent generations. Several decades ago humans found out vampires are real, and many places promptly tried to legislate them out of existence. Mexico City is one such "vampire free" zone, a situation which causes problems for Atl.
The plot is a web of pursuers and pursued, beginning in earnest when one of Atl's pursuers gets sloppy and the police find a dead human. It's a dance of obsession, violence, and death, as Atl tries to use Domingo without him spooking, while Domingo finds himself falling in love with her and not minding being used.
I loved every minute, and am extremely happy with the ending. Don't miss this one.
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Misogyny, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Vomit, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Cannibalism, Bullying, Police brutality, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Ableism, Xenophobia, Sexism, Alcohol, Torture, Murder, and Child death
Minor: Excrement, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and Sexual harassment
rbash2391's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Body horror, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Bullying, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Torture
allthembooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
1. A 17 year old boy from the streets, that has ben through a lot of horrible things but still sees the world with hope and positivity.
2. A 23 year old vampire girl, that had everything and lost it all. Full of cynicism and violence trying to survive.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death
mandkips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault
narsere's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty
emmdashed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
The main POV characters themselves were fine. I didn't dislike them, but I didn't really fall in love with them either. Least favorite was Nick because he feels like a character we've seen too many times before: brutish and hot-headed, horny, rich boy. Atl and Domingo were alright, I liked them well enough, though I wasn't always sure I bought Domingo's blithe nature and immediate, absolute loyalty when there seemed little reason other than attraction. Ana and Rodrigo were interesting to me. Rodrigo really hit that banality of evil, 'I'm so tired I'll do awful things just to get out a little faster' vibe. Ana also had that scrappy cleverness that made me root for her even when she started doing some some morally gray stuff.
The plot was also just Fine, not bad, but not incredible. Writing was very good, solid description of scenes and action without going too overboard. I could visualize everything, and enjoyed the words.
I really hope Moreno-Garcia revisits this world in the future. A lot of concepts were touched on that I would love to see more explored. More different vampires, more about the seedy underworld in and out of Mexico City, and more of those near future aspects like the weird illnesses, and the genetically modified animals. Maybe a story in the past too, Bernardino and Atl's mother's lives before this story would be super interesting.
Overall a solid book if you're okay with a lot of exposition and worldbuilding. I didn't connect with all of it the story but that's probably more personal preference than any real fault with the writing. Like I said hopefully she comes back to this world again!!!
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Torture, Rape, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual content
Expanding on the Adult-Minor relationship Atl is 23 (I think? Early-mid 20s) and Domingo is 17, which is the age of consent in Mexico, but not everywhere, so be aware if this is something that may upset you.bumblebeefarts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gun violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
books_n_pickles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Anywho, the plot.
The near-future "neon-noir" (as Moreno-Garcia calls it) Mexico City has banned vampires from its environs, though the rest of the country has been something of a safe haven for vampires who faced persecution once they "came out" to the world in the 1970s. Atl is a descendant of Latin American vampires who have been around since before the Aztecs; the European Necros, a younger lineage more prone to violence, have been encroaching into her family's territory, including their narcotics empire. After staggering acts of violence, Atl is on the run, hiding in the safest place she can think of, the last place a reasonable vampire would be: Mexico City.
There, she meets Domingo, a charming trash-picker who is absolutely fascinated by vampires in general and Atl in particular. He eagerly assists her by giving blood and making connections with both her mother's old allies and his own underworld contacts, all in an effort to get her safely out of Mexico City and over the border on her way to vampire-friendly Brazil.
The world- and character-building that I so admired in Moreno-Garcia's <i>Mexican Gothic</i> are in more than full force her, since she's not as constrained by history and remote location as she was in that book. Mexico City is vibrant and alive, with its established neighborhoods, historic districts, seedy lower-income housing, hipster gentrification zones, and massive landfills; its dive bars, diners, metro, and retro automats. The biggest near-future-y element is the "Sanitation" department, a slightly sinister public health body that monitors Mexico City for signs of a deadly disease and, of course, the illegal presence of vampires.
Character-wise, along with Atl and Domingo, we have a woman cop who transferred from northern vampire territory to Mexico City to keep her teenage daughter safe, only wind up tangled in the Atl-Necros mess; a live-wire young Necros hopped up on violence and drugs, determined to capture and torture Atl for daring to reject his romantic advances and later
That's a lot of pieces to put on the board, which accounts for the slow start. It's the kind of sprawling world building and character establishment that I absolutely love, but which is probably divisive among readers. The complex global vampire lore--which is helpfully broken down at the end of the book, though I didn't realize that since I was reading the ebook--is nuanced and fascinating.
I'm kind of torn about this book. For everything I loved in it (and there was a lot, so I'm going with four stars instead of three), I didn't feel a real connection. I did feel quite a lot of discomfort with
Sprawling and complex, this book won't be for everyone--but for vampire and urban fantasy enthusiasts, it's a heady and delicious brew.
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, and Blood