Reviews

clearing out my currently reading list, this is a veryyy soft dnf, i'd love to get back to this story eventually as I've enjoyed everythign I've read so far, but I literally just do not have capacity to read this book rn

a_o's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

smbrenning's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

matissaflono's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

janey_bones's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Isabel Cañas' 'Vampires of El Norte' pleasantly surprised me with its captivating blend of romance, historical fiction, and socio-political commentary. While initially expecting a horror narrative akin to 'The Hacienda,' I found myself immersed in a richly detailed world where the metaphorical 'blood-sucking colonizers' take center stage. Cañas' exquisite prose effortlessly transports readers to a vividly depicted time and place, evoking a sense of nostalgia and intrigue. While not a conventional horror tale, 'Vampires of El Norte' excels in its unique exploration of themes and its ability to keep readers engaged until the very end.

Content Warnings

maggieluong's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

shreyapandey13's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Historical gothic fiction set in 1940s Mexico with a supernatural twist 🦇

I found the premise of this book very intriguing. I've read Isabel Cañas's 'The Hacienda' which was a very entertaining read, and so started this book with high hopes.

The prose did not disappoint. Cañas has a great penchant for weaving the most poetic prose, capturing the atmosphere, visual and emotional essence of the story.

But everything feels good in moderation.

Where the story missed its mark is in the pacing. It was a tad too long than it needed to be, more time spent in character's thoughts than actual action which made the pace slow.

I was also not satisfied with how vampires are incorporated in the story. We needed more insight into how they came to be, and they needed to be scarier. But I can also understand the author's view.

Who are the real vampires in Isabel Cañas's world, these blood sucking creatures or white colonizers?

This book was 3.5 star read for me and I look forward to reading more books by this author

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