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mildbestwishes's review
3.0
My students really liked this book, but I was hoping for more information about the situation in Mexico and less about the author's life.
bribeatris's review
5.0
??? A lot of the wrong ppl are reading this book. Clearly they don’t know what a memoir is ?????
I feel like this book is not getting the right light. It’s a memoir with Mexico’s history and culture intertwined , telling a story from a reporters point of view, it’s a tale of a Mexican American grappling with his homeland, split between both homes and their stark differences (tho not that stark as corruption brews in both governments and let’s not forget US is to blame for a lot of what happened / happens in Mexico ) anyways, while also experiencing death threats from the cartels / govts about the pieces he was covering (largely cartel ones)
Which many reporters got death threats have died etc but why does it make it a lessor point ??? People are acting like him getting death threats is him being a cry baby???? / saying he is self absorbed ???? When literally the point of a memoir is to write something ABOUT URSELF usually around an event that’s usually life pivoting ??????
Anyways, if you’re looking for a textbook of facts on the how why when and where of the cartel this isn’t it.
This is a story told by a man who loves his home country Mexico and who is also heartbroken by it
And actually everyone should read it to understand some things !!!!! Period !!!!!!
I feel like this book is not getting the right light. It’s a memoir with Mexico’s history and culture intertwined , telling a story from a reporters point of view, it’s a tale of a Mexican American grappling with his homeland, split between both homes and their stark differences (tho not that stark as corruption brews in both governments and let’s not forget US is to blame for a lot of what happened / happens in Mexico ) anyways, while also experiencing death threats from the cartels / govts about the pieces he was covering (largely cartel ones)
Which many reporters got death threats have died etc but why does it make it a lessor point ??? People are acting like him getting death threats is him being a cry baby???? / saying he is self absorbed ???? When literally the point of a memoir is to write something ABOUT URSELF usually around an event that’s usually life pivoting ??????
Anyways, if you’re looking for a textbook of facts on the how why when and where of the cartel this isn’t it.
This is a story told by a man who loves his home country Mexico and who is also heartbroken by it
And actually everyone should read it to understand some things !!!!! Period !!!!!!
jaclyn_youngblood's review
3.0
First: I learned an enormous amount by reading this book, and on that merit alone, it was worth the time I invested. That said, the trope of darkness got old really quickly (read: I found myself rolling my eyes any time Corchado mentioned darkness or midnight); I think the book might have been better served by being in chronological order; it's not that you can tell Corchado is a journalist, but I didn't much care for his particular writing style telling this particular story. Regardless, worth a quick read.
ajybranr18's review against another edition
4.0
Corchado captures the duality of the Mexican American, the origins of the drug war in Mexico, and his own account of being a reporter of the drug war in Mexico.
This book had me worried about Corchado’s safety several times in a twisted game of espionage between himself, a US investigator, the Mexican government, the US government, and a Mexican drug cartel. I felt as though I was reading a memoir and a thriller!
This book had me worried about Corchado’s safety several times in a twisted game of espionage between himself, a US investigator, the Mexican government, the US government, and a Mexican drug cartel. I felt as though I was reading a memoir and a thriller!
jdscott50's review against another edition
4.0
Alfredo Corchad’s story is a personal one. As he documents Mexico as a reporter for the Dallas Morning News, he is also Mexican with American roots. He has hope for a Mexico that can rise above the violence and destruction from the drug cartels. It is only until he becomes part of that story does his perspective change and generate this book. After reporting on a peace pact between the cartels and the government, Corchad receives a death threat by one of the Mexican Cartels and forced to leave the country. His story is intended to document both the belief of Mexicans for a better future and how that hope is crushed by corrupt governments and drug cartels.
The best part of Corchad’s story is the perspective from Mexico. In the United States, we hear about the violence fleetingly on the news. It’s a far different experience living in Mexico where not only is your own life under threat, but those of your loved ones. If you open a business, you have to pay protection money. The money and power held by these cartels makes it where there is violence just for sport. As evidenced by the killing of women near the El Paso border. There is definitely a marriage here between Corhcad’s reporting and Roberto Bolano’s 2666.
When the Mexican government finally does wage war on the cartels, the bloodbath only gets worse. On top of that, the bad economy creates a new generation of young men who can’t find work and can’t afford to go to school. They are a ripe target for new recruits who can make a lot of money with the cartels. The violent end of those stories is documented only too well in this book. Corchad has to navigate contacts both to get the story and save his own skin. Corchad also provides a thorough backstory on the cartels from how they are formed to who the leaders are now. It’s this dedication to get so deep as to be part of the story that really makes the book so engaging. It’s also his hope that perseveres despite the violence.
Favorite parts:
"In Mexico, they kill you twice: first with a bullet, an ax to your head, or a bath full of acid. Then they spread rumors about you. P. 19
Mexico's "democracy" belongs to the politicians, intellectuals, idealists, to the elite and the opportunists, but their vision for Mexico does not always involve consulting the majority of people who live day to day. There is no local ownership. For Mexicans, the higher one's income, the more deeply a person believes in democracy, at least on paper. Mexicans like the taco woman base their lives on Mexico's giant informal market, obeying only the laws that are convenient to obey and taking life as it comes, because mañana, quien sabe—tomorrow, who knows? P. 76
"In the United States people die either from a disease--a heart attack, cancer...or a car accident. Here you die one minute to the next, and knowing that makes you want to live life fuller...You're reminded daily of your mortality... p. 254
"What is my search for home if not a futile desire for resurrection, a renewal of a wounded spirit, a sentimental attempt to give meaning to not one but two lives, reconciliation with the past? p. 261
The best part of Corchad’s story is the perspective from Mexico. In the United States, we hear about the violence fleetingly on the news. It’s a far different experience living in Mexico where not only is your own life under threat, but those of your loved ones. If you open a business, you have to pay protection money. The money and power held by these cartels makes it where there is violence just for sport. As evidenced by the killing of women near the El Paso border. There is definitely a marriage here between Corhcad’s reporting and Roberto Bolano’s 2666.
When the Mexican government finally does wage war on the cartels, the bloodbath only gets worse. On top of that, the bad economy creates a new generation of young men who can’t find work and can’t afford to go to school. They are a ripe target for new recruits who can make a lot of money with the cartels. The violent end of those stories is documented only too well in this book. Corchad has to navigate contacts both to get the story and save his own skin. Corchad also provides a thorough backstory on the cartels from how they are formed to who the leaders are now. It’s this dedication to get so deep as to be part of the story that really makes the book so engaging. It’s also his hope that perseveres despite the violence.
Favorite parts:
"In Mexico, they kill you twice: first with a bullet, an ax to your head, or a bath full of acid. Then they spread rumors about you. P. 19
Mexico's "democracy" belongs to the politicians, intellectuals, idealists, to the elite and the opportunists, but their vision for Mexico does not always involve consulting the majority of people who live day to day. There is no local ownership. For Mexicans, the higher one's income, the more deeply a person believes in democracy, at least on paper. Mexicans like the taco woman base their lives on Mexico's giant informal market, obeying only the laws that are convenient to obey and taking life as it comes, because mañana, quien sabe—tomorrow, who knows? P. 76
"In the United States people die either from a disease--a heart attack, cancer...or a car accident. Here you die one minute to the next, and knowing that makes you want to live life fuller...You're reminded daily of your mortality... p. 254
"What is my search for home if not a futile desire for resurrection, a renewal of a wounded spirit, a sentimental attempt to give meaning to not one but two lives, reconciliation with the past? p. 261
panda8882's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting read about the politics and climate in Mexico as they've grappled with the drug cartels over the last 50 years or so told by a reporter whose life was threatened by those cartels. It was interesting how he started with that threat and then flashed back and forward to give it context. I also loved reading about Mexico from the perspective of someone who clearly has a deep love for his country despite its flaws. Looking forward to our book club discussion.
carissa230's review against another edition
2.0
Midnight in Mexico is about a reporter that heard the cartel may be after him, and his journey to discover the truth. There is not much information about the actual cartel and no evidence that the cartel was after him.