nuevecuervos's review against another edition
4.0
While reading this book, I found myself thinking of Oyebuchi's Riot Baby, which I read earlier this year. There's a lot of real pain and a lot of struggle porn intertwined with urban fantasy in a manner that enhances the message being put out: these traditionally marginalized people yearn for better, and dealing them further injustice is a sure way to create monsters. I myself as a pocha Chicana mish-mash who grew up speaking Spanglish in a lower-middle-class suburb of Los Angeles filled with immigrants of several colors and ethnicities personally identify and recognize much of the pain here more closely than I did Oyebuchi's reflections, but they're both urban legends born out of the unique struggles that come with life in their respective margins.
The big difference here is that the protagonists in Coyote Songs don't come out on top. They act out their pain, ostensibly pushed by their nouveau Llorona to seek revenge, but in the end, there's no hope, redemption, or even truly satisfying vengeance in the style of a relatable villain origin story to be had here.
This isn't to say that the book is poorly written; it is in fact gorgeous, and I love the flow of English to Spanish and back again wherever it seemed necessary, just like in real life. I deeply relished being able to run through it, knowing it was written specifically for people just like me, and I didn't realize how much I needed this kind of thing until I had it. So, if you want that kind of experience, please read this, but know you will not walk away uplifted.
The big difference here is that the protagonists in Coyote Songs don't come out on top. They act out their pain, ostensibly pushed by their nouveau Llorona to seek revenge, but in the end, there's no hope, redemption, or even truly satisfying vengeance in the style of a relatable villain origin story to be had here.
This isn't to say that the book is poorly written; it is in fact gorgeous, and I love the flow of English to Spanish and back again wherever it seemed necessary, just like in real life. I deeply relished being able to run through it, knowing it was written specifically for people just like me, and I didn't realize how much I needed this kind of thing until I had it. So, if you want that kind of experience, please read this, but know you will not walk away uplifted.
kevinmccarrick's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
issa1414's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
wearyreader's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
inciminci's review against another edition
5.0
Coyote Songs was a very devastating read... It is significant that it is not the supernatural elements, the vindictive ghosts, a monster who eats children, the Virgin that tells a Coyote to kill for justice or the soul of a mother who has died in the back of a truck while trying to make it over the border and who vows for revenge for her dead child, are not the elements of horror here; in this book the most horrifying parts are the stories of refuge, of poverty, of police violence and of racism. Very bitter, very in-your-face and a must-read. I still think about it after having finished last week.
sarah_soli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bill_gauthier's review against another edition
5.0
Gabino Iglesias’s COYOTE SONG is a beautifully written, scary novel that works on many levels. There are several stories intermingling and the last 50 pages heightens the tension as the stories converge. The book is unapologetic with its horrors and suspense. If he’s this good with his second novel, Iglesias is one to watch!