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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This was emotional from chapter one. The author covered so many things like our health care system, bigotry, racism, poverty, grief, love, etc. I love how he challenged us as readers to not look at the surface, but what lies underneath when we see a father grieving the loss of his child. I think this book brings a bigger topic to for the forefront.. how white people esp demonize BIPOC communities around harmful stereotypes/situations we have never lived in. It’s easy to say one would do something.. if you have never experienced it. Mario is a character that will stick with me. His love for his daughter and wife is heartbreaking and beautiful. The horrific moments are written so vividly I felt like I was in the room. The ending? The ending I did not see coming. I am so happy I read this!
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"If a gun embodies everything that's wrong with humanity, the internet is a festering mirror that shows us what happens when humanity has been completely lost."
Gabino Iglesias has a talent for showcasing the nuances of Latinidad in the US. Though I rated both books the same, I enjoyed the social critique in this story even more than what he showed us in House of Bone and Rain.
I am admittedly skeptical when it comes to the supernatural forces and superstitions that are ingrained in Latino culture. However, I find the fact that our myths and beliefs can be so similar even though we're from opposite sides of the continent fascinating.
I understand the reasoning behind the frequent use of Spanglish throughout this story, but I can also see how it could be seen as odd by those who belong to monolingual cultures/households. Ultimately, I think my only "issue" with this story was the ending. In my opinion, it felt like there was a lot of buildupfor an underwhelming finale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Gun violence, Racism
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes