Scan barcode
cancerousblush's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
I loved how flawed the main characters were and how they returned to each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Vampires kill people and animals within the bookjaney_bones's review
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
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexism, Violence, Gun violence, War, and Racism
Minor: Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Blood, Animal death, Alcohol, and Death
beccaand's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Violence, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Classism, Abandonment, Animal death, Colonisation, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content
emilywemily6's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was more a historical romance than a horror novel. The descriptions of the vampires was really creepy though, so I wish there was a lot more horror! Nena and Nestor have an interesting relationship, though it takes an exceedingly long time for the tension to ease after their falling out. It was also frustrating to see Nena try to hard to be obstinate about both her feelings and her understanding of Nestor’s experience. And she spent way too much time stringing him along while planning on returning to her duties back home, only to have it blow up in her face on both fronts. These characters felt more immature than their age as far as their relationship went, like they regressed once they saw each other again. I really liked the historical aspect of this book and the horror elements, but the romance was such a large part of the plot and yet not my favorite because it was so dramatic. I could get behind the relationship though, I could definitely see the chemistry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Racism, War, Abandonment, Cursing, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Medical content
Moderate: Slavery and Sexual content
rachelunabridged's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Colonisation, Classism, and War
Moderate: Grief and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
acrosstheskyinstars's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
2.5 stars for plot, 3.5 stars for characters, 3 stars average of the two
I really liked the premise of the book, but the plot was a lot different than the story I wanted. The Mexican-American war truly is only a backdrop. It barely matters to the plot in my opinion, which I found a bit disappointing. I liked the two main characters, but the Nena’s parents in particular were hard to understand frequently. Despite the wartime setting, the pacing also felt slow to me. Pick this one up if you really only want a light dose of the historical setting and don’t mind a slow-paced read.
I really liked the premise of the book, but the plot was a lot different than the story I wanted. The Mexican-American war truly is only a backdrop. It barely matters to the plot in my opinion, which I found a bit disappointing. I liked the two main characters, but the Nena’s parents in particular were hard to understand frequently. Despite the wartime setting, the pacing also felt slow to me. Pick this one up if you really only want a light dose of the historical setting and don’t mind a slow-paced read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Grief, Misogyny, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Abandonment, Classism, Gore, Blood, Animal death, and Violence
dandydoodle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Honestly wish some parts had been more fleshed out, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was good, the story pulls you forward easily. I wish some of the “horror” elements were more fleshed out and the comparison between the vampires and the Yanquis could’ve been pushed further, but the point was communicated. It’s all somewhat of a backdrop to the romance between Nena and Néstor anyways.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, War, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Grief, and Gun violence
boomwormbrittany's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Vampires of El Norte follows Nena who is the daughter of a wealthy rancher in Mexico in the 1840's. When a mysterious illness starts to leave the men of the ranch sick, she races to try to find out what is causing the illnesses. But when war breaks out and an old friend, Néstor, returns to the ranch, they both find themselves tangled in a mystery bigger than them.
I really wanted to love this book because the premise really interested me but this didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. This book is labelled as a horror but felt more like a romance book with a touch of horror in it. If you were to take the horror out, it would be more of a romance which is not what I was expecting.
I thought the author did an amazing job with the romance and developing this friendship again after an event happens in the beginning of this book. I thought the strength was really in the characters and the way this book transported you to 1840's' Mexico. I really felt like I was there when I was reading this.
However, I just didn't feel the horror elements held up. The descriptions of the monsters in this was interesting to read about but it didn't really give horror to me. I think the strength in this is the historical elements and the romance elements which is what I wished was focused on this book more than trying to make the horror elements work.
Overall, if you want to try this book please do. I think that there will be those who like this but thsi wasn't my favorite.
I really wanted to love this book because the premise really interested me but this didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. This book is labelled as a horror but felt more like a romance book with a touch of horror in it. If you were to take the horror out, it would be more of a romance which is not what I was expecting.
I thought the author did an amazing job with the romance and developing this friendship again after an event happens in the beginning of this book. I thought the strength was really in the characters and the way this book transported you to 1840's' Mexico. I really felt like I was there when I was reading this.
However, I just didn't feel the horror elements held up. The descriptions of the monsters in this was interesting to read about but it didn't really give horror to me. I think the strength in this is the historical elements and the romance elements which is what I wished was focused on this book more than trying to make the horror elements work.
Overall, if you want to try this book please do. I think that there will be those who like this but thsi wasn't my favorite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Murder, and War
danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.75
A fascinating take on the Vampire legend set against the backdrop of the Mexican American War. Like all good vampire novels in which the vampire is a metaphor, here they were a metaphor for the loss of a way of life and American expansionist violence.
I will say, I wanted to like this one more than I did. I definitely liked it but I wanted to love it. It suffered from my biggest pet peeve: when most of the conflict arises from two characters seemingly deliberately refusing to communicate.
And this frustration was compounded by the fact that the book switched POVs between the two main characters who were deliberately not communicating so we were constantly getting inner monologue about said miscommunication from both sides. And for me I also found myself frustrated by the constant switching of POV when it was most often switching between the POV of two characters in a scene together. So it felt a bit unnecessary. There was nothing being revealed plot wise for the most part that the reader needed to see a different POV to understand. It could’ve just been written from an omniscient 3rd person or third person multiple which it basically already is, without distinguishing between POVs.
And this frustration was compounded by the fact that the book switched POVs between the two main characters who were deliberately not communicating so we were constantly getting inner monologue about said miscommunication from both sides. And for me I also found myself frustrated by the constant switching of POV when it was most often switching between the POV of two characters in a scene together. So it felt a bit unnecessary. There was nothing being revealed plot wise for the most part that the reader needed to see a different POV to understand. It could’ve just been written from an omniscient 3rd person or third person multiple which it basically already is, without distinguishing between POVs.
These frustrations did ease by the second half, and I'll say that the final act really saved the book for me. It was exquisite. The very very end was a bit too 'easy’ in my opinion, but generally the climax was incredibly well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Violence, and War
emily_journals's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Full disclosure on this book, the horror elements are not the main aspect of this story. Although this book is categorized as a horror novel, I would categorize it more as a historical romance with horror elements woven in.
That being said, I really loved this book. I got recommended this book, so I already knew that this was more of a romance than a horror and was fully prepared for that, which I think is what most people didn't love about it. This romance is so good. The yearning and the pining is done so perfectly and the introduction really builds a good foundation for this friendship to become more. I also think the horror elements were woven in really well. The horror elements in this book are really used to mirror the colonialism of Mexico and I thought the way the horror was used to amplify and mirror those themes was really expertly done.
I don't think this book will be perfect for everyone, but it was perfect for me and hit the perfect level of every element to make me eat it up. I'm immediately going to go read this author's other works.
That being said, I really loved this book. I got recommended this book, so I already knew that this was more of a romance than a horror and was fully prepared for that, which I think is what most people didn't love about it. This romance is so good. The yearning and the pining is done so perfectly and the introduction really builds a good foundation for this friendship to become more. I also think the horror elements were woven in really well. The horror elements in this book are really used to mirror the colonialism of Mexico and I thought the way the horror was used to amplify and mirror those themes was really expertly done.
I don't think this book will be perfect for everyone, but it was perfect for me and hit the perfect level of every element to make me eat it up. I'm immediately going to go read this author's other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, War, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Abandonment, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content