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honey15469's review
I have tried to read this three times now and each time I only mange to get through one to two pages so I give up. I can't get past the amount of times they mention he's a vampire (in third person no less so it comes across as 'new information' as if we didn't get it when he said that one line ago). I don't like a lot of the lines of the writing style. if someone can find enjoyment out of this then I am extremely happy for them up this was just not for me
fbzcab's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
therese_nook68's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC! Did not realize I had it until the book was archived.
3/5 stars
CW: death. Lots of death
Interesting twist on Filipino mythology-- at least what I've known to be Filipino mythology, don't know if it's accurate per say (my knowledge of the myth, not the novel's). I really like learning how this fantastical world was integrated into a more modern day take.
My biggest issues with the book is that while I loved the descriptive writing, I found it to get repetitive and start to tell us what is happening rather than showing up and it stated to drag the story for me. My other issue is that there were too many threads going on and it was hard to pinpoint all of them and seeing what exactly got wrapped up and how things happened.
While this book wasn't my cup of tea, I am excited to see what else Jason Tanamor comes out with in the future!
3/5 stars
CW: death. Lots of death
Interesting twist on Filipino mythology-- at least what I've known to be Filipino mythology, don't know if it's accurate per say (my knowledge of the myth, not the novel's). I really like learning how this fantastical world was integrated into a more modern day take.
My biggest issues with the book is that while I loved the descriptive writing, I found it to get repetitive and start to tell us what is happening rather than showing up and it stated to drag the story for me. My other issue is that there were too many threads going on and it was hard to pinpoint all of them and seeing what exactly got wrapped up and how things happened.
While this book wasn't my cup of tea, I am excited to see what else Jason Tanamor comes out with in the future!
linzercookie's review
DNF at 38%. I feel like a jerk because there aren't a lot of Filipino authors and I want to support my community but I just need to put this down. The concept is pretty good but the execution is kinda tough. There's a lot of telling vs showing, and the manuscript really needed a stronger editorial hand - there are so many random observations and details, and so much explained that would be obvious to the audience, but other things that get little to no explanation at all.
danielagreads's review
3.0
While I enjoyed the cultural lore and background for this novel, I found it difficult to get through based on the slow pacing of the novel. In the beginning, the large cast of characters can be difficult to remember, especially as the point of view switches between them. As the novel goes on, you get a better familiarity and it's easier to get through. I don't know if it was a mix of a reading slump/ stress, but I found the narration style of the novel to be a bit long-winded and repetitive, following an omniscient third person, who would sometimes interject with their own opinion. I especially found it uncomfortable how often homeless people were cavalierly brought up as they "filled Portland."While this became vital to the plot, I felt it was poorly worded, to the point where the reader was supposed to feel desensitized. The characters were fully developed and interesting to read; I especially enjoyed the development of the different aswang groups within Portland. However, the relationships with some of the characters felt rushed, especially with the plot twist revealed at the very end. Overall it's an exciting dive into Filipino culture, but the technical parts of the writing need improvement.
lilbooktopus's review
1.0
I was given an ARC by Parliament House Press for an honest review. In no way has this affected my opinion of the book.
Aswangs in the US struck me as a very interesting concept. It's an intriguing way of tackling how the Filipino mythos could play in a backdrop so modern and foreign.
That said, it did not play well.
Tanamor uprooted these creatures from its motherland, threw it overseas, and left it there to die. He stripped the lore to mere warring tribes with little to no characterization at all. All this because he tried to tackle too many social issues at once -- immigration, homelessness, racism... You name it, it's probably there -- for the sake of discussing them. There was no clear goal or commentary. I know the lore of the aswang and have a good grasp of the types so I could differentiate between them, with much effort. But for those reading from outside our culture, good luck. Ironically, the author put so little effort in fleshing out the stars of his show.
Even worse, I hated how minorities were represented. Aswangs in this novel are immigrants who have made their home in Portland which is described as a sanctuary to those migrating to the US. However, they were also portrayed as predators. And I thought that was the worst until I read how they thought it was okay to kill the homeless, another minority that inhabit Portland, because they are acting as population control. As if the homeless are pests.
The plot was sent this way and that, leaps of logic at every turn. I thought infodumps were the worst exposition but I found out that glossed over infodumps were, as again and again I encountered "he told them about..."
It didn't help that there was no flourish at all to the writing, the book filled with awkward fourth wall breaks, clunky dialogues, bad humor, and repetitive description.
Tanamor focused on peddling the culture of the Philippines in bite-sized portions: big enough to recognize its origin, but too little to be appreciated for the beauty that it is.
Full review on my WordPress soon.
Aswangs in the US struck me as a very interesting concept. It's an intriguing way of tackling how the Filipino mythos could play in a backdrop so modern and foreign.
That said, it did not play well.
Tanamor uprooted these creatures from its motherland, threw it overseas, and left it there to die. He stripped the lore to mere warring tribes with little to no characterization at all. All this because he tried to tackle too many social issues at once -- immigration, homelessness, racism... You name it, it's probably there -- for the sake of discussing them. There was no clear goal or commentary. I know the lore of the aswang and have a good grasp of the types so I could differentiate between them, with much effort. But for those reading from outside our culture, good luck. Ironically, the author put so little effort in fleshing out the stars of his show.
Even worse, I hated how minorities were represented. Aswangs in this novel are immigrants who have made their home in Portland which is described as a sanctuary to those migrating to the US. However, they were also portrayed as predators. And I thought that was the worst until I read how they thought it was okay to kill the homeless, another minority that inhabit Portland, because they are acting as population control. As if the homeless are pests.
The plot was sent this way and that, leaps of logic at every turn. I thought infodumps were the worst exposition but I found out that glossed over infodumps were, as again and again I encountered "he told them about..."
It didn't help that there was no flourish at all to the writing, the book filled with awkward fourth wall breaks, clunky dialogues, bad humor, and repetitive description.
Tanamor focused on peddling the culture of the Philippines in bite-sized portions: big enough to recognize its origin, but too little to be appreciated for the beauty that it is.
Full review on my WordPress soon.
kath_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
2.0
I was so thrilled when I saw this book on NetGalley that I requested it immediately. A book written by a Fil-Am author featuring Filipino characters, myth and folklore. We don’t see this kind of story/book being published internationally a lot. So you can imagine how disappointed I am during and after reading this book. I tried my best to love it. I was so close to not finishing it but I had hopes that it would get better or entertaining at least.
I’ll start with things I genuinely liked in this book. The family values, the backstory (inaccuracies aside), the hanging coffins, and glimpse of Capiz. There’s also a brief introduction to different kinds of aswangs which I wished were more fleshed out.
Now let’s continue with little things that were forgiveable for me. Going to Baguio from Samar by land (driving) is not possible. Sure you can bring your car but you and your car have to take a ferry. Next is being respectful to the elders. Using “po/opo” and “ate/kuya”. This is a very distinct and important tradition in Filipino families. I understand that their Lola is from Capiz and I’m aware that “po/opo” is not commonly used in Visayas (where Capiz is) and Mindanao but I’m sure they have their own terms/names for older people (like Manang/Manong). They grew up in the U.S. so maybe it wasn’t practice in their family. Lastly, peddling (which was used in this book) and pedaling are totally two different things. I have the e-arc so I hope it was corrected in the final copy.
So what’s left are the disappointments. First, is the writing. I struggled a lot. I’m totally okay with simple and straight-forward writing style. But this book has a strange style that didn’t work out for me. It’s written in third person perspective and on some instances, the author/narrator is directly talking to the reader. There’s not a lot of dialogues as well. The characters are one-dimensional and I had a hard time connecting with them with the exception of Geena, Percival’s younger sister. She’s the only character that I liked. There’s romance in this book. If you can call it that.
There were some plotholes in the story and lots of things that don’t make sense to me. For example, their Lola is the head of the vampires and when she dies Percival will inherit the amulet and the legacy. For their own protection, she doesn’t tell them that there are other types of aswangs who are also living in Portland. She also hides about the Covenant which I think was the most important thing for them to know. Is it much better if she tells them about everything so they’re aware and prepared just in case?
It didn’t sit well with me how the homeless people and elderlies were treated (or represented) throughout the story. They were killed because they have little contribution to the society. The issue was left unresolved. What bothered me as well was that the aswangs are not from America and for them it’s justifiable to murder the homeless and elderlies.
The ending. I still had hopes despite of everything. See how patient and hopeful I was. I personally thought that the “twist” and the fight scene were… ridiculous. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. I really appreciated what the author was trying to do but unfortunately it didn’t work out for me.
This book was supposed to be a mixed of dark, comedy/humor, and mystery but sadly, it fell flat in all these aspects. It broke my heart because it has really great potential. I will not recommend it but I will also not stop you from reading it. Just let me know your thoughts once you’re done.
*Disclaimer: Huge thanks to XpressoBookTours and NetGalley for my free e-arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
http://kath-reads.com/book-review-vampires-of-portlandia-by-jason-tanamor/
http://kath-reads.com/book-review-vampires-of-portlandia-by-jason-tanamor/
yvanngo's review
4.0
According to the lore, the legend involved two brothers, both gods. One brother Gugurang, was pure, and the other, Asuang, was flawed.
Growing up in the Philippines, I remember being more frightened than usual nearing November 1st and 2nd. These are the days when we mostly visit our dead relatives. I’ve always felt as if the pull of the supernatural is weirdly strong during these two days — I am also 150% scaredy-cat so, what do I know? Haha! I also remember news segments dedicated to ghosts, white ladies, and weird unworldly sightings. In addition to that, we live in belief, and maybe fear, of unnatural beings existing either in (or on) your neighbour’s tree, or that mound of dirt two streets over.
This was the main reason why when a blog tour invite for Vampires of Portlandia popped in my inbox, I quickly applied and hoped I could be a part of it.
Vampires of Portlandia is a #ownvoices story centred around the aswang lore in the Philippines. It follows Percival, and his family as they blend in in Portland, when a sudden influx of homeless and elderly deaths shakes the city. Much of what I know about aswangs in the Philippines came from scary movies that I tried so hard to avoid (remember Shake, Rattle and Roll?). Having these beings as the center of Tanamor’s story set during the holidays somewhat lessen the scare factor a little which I greatly appreciated. In addition to this, Tanamor gave the aswangs a morality to start with. They didn’t just pop out of nowhere. They are human.
Family, my friend, is the most important thing to Filipinos.
One aspect of the Filipino culture which was prevalent in this story was family. Family doesn’t always mean “by blood”. Family also means doing what ever you can to protect those you love. Throughout the story, I can’t help but feel as if Percival, Roger, Geena and Marco were put in such a disadvantage. However, the more I sit on it, the more I realize I probably would’ve done the same thing Marcella, their grandmother, did.
I enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed the display of conspiracy theory woven by the government to rid the Philippines of aswangs. I enjoyed the nods to Filipino culture. Furthermore, I appreciated Tanamor preserving their morality. Just because they’re aswangs doesn’t mean they’re evil.
Thank you to Caffeine Book Tours, Jason Tanamor, and Parliament House Press for letting me be a part of this blog tour and for providing me with a digital ARC for review.
If you would like to check out the rest of the #AswangInPortlandTour tour stops, you can do so by viewing the schedule here.
bitesbooksbrews's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Parliament House for this copy of Vampires of Portlandia by Jason Tanamor in exchange for an honest review. It publishes September 29, 2020.
First off, I have to say, this book is completely out of my wheelhouse. I don’t particularly like vampires or Portland, so why did I even choose to read this? Because the Filipino folklore of the Aswang is so fascinating to me! I’d never heard of it before reading this. I truly enjoyed learning about this mythology.
I just personally had a hard time getting into the story itself. But the writing is decent.
If you like vampires, gore, are interested in learning about Filipino culture, and want to go on a tour of Portland (but stay safe!), this is for you!
First off, I have to say, this book is completely out of my wheelhouse. I don’t particularly like vampires or Portland, so why did I even choose to read this? Because the Filipino folklore of the Aswang is so fascinating to me! I’d never heard of it before reading this. I truly enjoyed learning about this mythology.
I just personally had a hard time getting into the story itself. But the writing is decent.
If you like vampires, gore, are interested in learning about Filipino culture, and want to go on a tour of Portland (but stay safe!), this is for you!
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