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A review by kathywadolowski
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If the entirety of this book had been as strong as the last 50 pages, it could have been a five-star read. As it is, it should've been called "Angst of El Norte with a Brief Appearance by Vampires."
I guess I'm just annoyed because this book is billed as a horror/war story with a romance element, when in reality it's flipped. This is a romance book—an annoying one at that, as Nestor and Nena continuously miscommunicate and refuse to acknowledge reality or their feelings—with some war and horror thrown in at the very end. The plot takes a backseat to their drama nearly the whole way through, and we had to suffer through Nena throwing unfair tantrums far more than we stressed about vampires picking off the vaqueros in a slow but heightening death battle at the Mexican border. *THAT* is the book I wanted!!! And getting a glimpse of what could've been in the final inning wasn't enough to make this one worth the read.
I guess I'm just annoyed because this book is billed as a horror/war story with a romance element, when in reality it's flipped. This is a romance book—an annoying one at that, as Nestor and Nena continuously miscommunicate and refuse to acknowledge reality or their feelings—with some war and horror thrown in at the very end. The plot takes a backseat to their drama nearly the whole way through, and we had to suffer through Nena throwing unfair tantrums far more than we stressed about vampires picking off the vaqueros in a slow but heightening death battle at the Mexican border. *THAT* is the book I wanted!!! And getting a glimpse of what could've been in the final inning wasn't enough to make this one worth the read.