al_dente 's review for:

Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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: Complicated

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Would you travel to the depths of hell to save the young daughters of your village? Malamar Veracruz would, and does, in this dark story that interweaves indigenous and Latino folklore with modern day terrors. 

 

While the nightmarish creatures El Cucuy and La Siguanaba carry the theme throughout the book, for me this one does not fit into a typical horror mold. Instead, the story reads more as a family drama involving the solving of a long-standing town mystery. The creatures themselves are presented in a dark, magical realist style, as visions rather than hauntings. This may or may not be what you are looking for as you browse the horror section of your local bookstore, but I enjoyed the reading experience regardless. Just don't expect any jump scares or night terrors. 

 

The prose itself is beautiful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, as we experience the musings and ruminations of our heroine Mal. And Mal is easy to root for because of this; I felt that I could understand and empathize with her throughout her painstaking, and increasingly desperate, search to solve the town mystery. The first third of the book requires some concentration to fully acquaint with the characters - there are quite a few and they are connected in somewhat confusing ways, but the family tree diagram at the front of the book is helpful in this regard. The storyline accelerates considerably after these relationships and personalities are established. 

 

If you love Spanish (I do!), you will be in for treat, as there are copious Spanish words, sayings, and phrases sprinkled in throughout the English text. If you have an elementary proficiency, you will navigate the Spanish portions of the text without difficulty; however, if you are unfamiliar with Spanish, you may want to read this book digitally, so you have easy access to onboard translation tools. 

 

I think this will be perfect for someone who loves the dark, magical realism found in Latin American writing traditions. If you enjoy Laura Esquivel, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or even Isabel Allende, you will want to check out Salt Bones. 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Givhan, and Little, Brown and Company/Mulholland Books for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.