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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
“The Queen of the Cicadas” is a remarkable insight into Mexican lore that has V. Castro delivering the goods to her readers. I could not put this story down, every second I could steal away from everyday life I was right there sneaking in a few pages. V. Castro is definitely an amazing storyteller so much so you could absolutely feel what Belinda, Hector, and most importantly what Milagros felt. The rage, the betrayal, and the need for justice were at the forefront of it all, and that if it wasn’t for my kindle I would’ve thrown my book in frustration for the characters. The Mexican culture sprinkled throughout the story is one of authenticity, not something you could just simply google search. Having the Mexican culture and its lore throughout the story left someone like me, who is Mexican and grew up in Texas, feeling seen for the first time. The story itself was brilliant and not too long ago this was exactly what I was on the search for, well in terms of a horror story to read and I am forever grateful for it. Everyone in the horror community could use the glimpse into a life and lore they are unfamiliar with. “The Queen of the Cicadas” creates a new boogeyman that could be used as something to be afraid of which is refreshing to the genre. With diversity widening in the lit community in general I am hopeful that we can be presented with more writers like V. Castro. All in all, I greatly enjoyed “The Queen of the Cicadas” and I look forward to reading more of V.Castro in the near future.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The audio was disappointing:(
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The vibe of this book is exactly what I have been looking for in a book set in Mexico and I just knew that V. Castro was going to be the one to deliver it!
Initially, Belinda didn't feel like a main character I was going to get on board with, but she got better as the story went on. Tanya is vile! Ugh, that woman. When an author can make me hate a person who is just words on a page, that is good writing. I've read a few Mexico books over the past week and a common theme in them is the way Mexicans are treated and spoken to or about. In this book, there are a number of infuriating examples including:
Initially, Belinda didn't feel like a main character I was going to get on board with, but she got better as the story went on. Tanya is vile! Ugh, that woman. When an author can make me hate a person who is just words on a page, that is good writing. I've read a few Mexico books over the past week and a common theme in them is the way Mexicans are treated and spoken to or about. In this book, there are a number of infuriating examples including:
- the disregard the wife of the American farm owner shows when the crime (committed on her land) is brought to her attention,
- law enforcement commenting "ain't she ugly" upon seeing Milagros' mutilated body and saying that if Milagros was just barely alive they could've "come to some agreement" (presumably to make sure the perpetrators don't face punishment for her horrific murder)😑
The way that Milagros was murdered was horrific. It was reminiscent of the Rodolfo Soler lynching I read about in Fernanda Melchor's This Is Not Miami. Minus the cicadas, obviously.
I enjoy Castro's writing; the atmosphere, the weirdness, the Aztec mythology. I wasn't familiar with Ix Chel or Mictēcacihuātl (Lady of the Dead), so reading about them was fascinating! I always appreciate a book that makes me want to research people and events. I'm so glad I went into this one after reading some of Castro's other work because it's easily my favourite by her and is one of my top reads of the year so far!
I absolutely loved this quote:
"The scene was reminiscent of the founding of Tenochtitlan, or Mexico City as we call it now. When the wandering Aztecs saw an eagle perched on a Nopal cactus with a snake in its beak, they took it as a sign from their god, Huitzilopochtli, to build a great city there."
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated