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zakura317's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sadpear's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
angelicardale's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wow that was insane. oh my god? that was so much to process. really riveting and intense and...insanely graphic. huge tw for child violence and death! this was a whirlwind of a book but i loved the themes and the imagery and the prose. it was, despite its gruesome nature, a fairly pleasurable and effective read. it did what it sought out to do!
godelewa's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked this up on a trip to the US and was disturbed by two things.
Firstly, it is simply the most disturbing and violent book content wise that I read in a long time.
Secondly, there is a lot of Spanish in this book and I get that many people in the US speak at least some Spanish, but none of the six languages that I speak is Spanish. I managed, guessing most of it with reference to my French, but I would only recommend this book to people who speak English and Spanish.
So, both of these disturbing things are not negatives, just things a reader should be aware of.
I saw the ending coming, hoped it wouldn't, and was still shocked when it happened. I works as a grim metaphor the inescapable marks of poverty.
Firstly, it is simply the most disturbing and violent book content wise that I read in a long time.
Secondly, there is a lot of Spanish in this book and I get that many people in the US speak at least some Spanish, but none of the six languages that I speak is Spanish. I managed, guessing most of it with reference to my French, but I would only recommend this book to people who speak English and Spanish.
So, both of these disturbing things are not negatives, just things a reader should be aware of.
I saw the ending coming, hoped it wouldn't, and was still shocked when it happened. I works as a grim metaphor the inescapable marks of poverty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
year23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Really enjoyed this fast paced, genre-bending horror.
blacksphinx's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved this story. Gabino Iglesias is an incredible writer, who could take an awful person like Mario and still make him a compelling protagonist. When given an opportunity to help pay off some of his child's medical debt by shooting a man in the back of the head, he doesn't hesitate for long and finds he enjoyed being a hit man. When later given the opportunity to rob a cartel truck and stealing their drug money for a $200,000 payout, he's all for it. But Iglesias makes you care about him, want to follow him on this heist.
There's some great stuff in this book. The discussions of religion are so real, so refreshing, and it's not even my culture and religion! The way characters dipped into and out of Spanish felt real, as someone who lives in an area with a high Mexican population. There amount of swearing in this novel is perfect, it always felt like actual people talking to each other. The supernatural horrors are just as bad as the things humans do to each other. One of the few things that I didn't like is that Mario spends a large portion of the book inside his own head, and all he can think about are his child and his wife and how he failed them in the same ways and it got repetitive, but I could live with that.
And then we get to that fucking ending. I hate it.This entire book is a "shoot the shaggy dog" story and it made me feel like I had wasted 10 hours of my time. This is a wonderful and beloved book for someone, but it is extremely not for me.
Also, we are not messing around with the "murder", "gore", and "violence" tags. Consider this to be a Dead Dove Don't Eat warning.
There's some great stuff in this book. The discussions of religion are so real, so refreshing, and it's not even my culture and religion! The way characters dipped into and out of Spanish felt real, as someone who lives in an area with a high Mexican population. There amount of swearing in this novel is perfect, it always felt like actual people talking to each other. The supernatural horrors are just as bad as the things humans do to each other. One of the few things that I didn't like is that Mario spends a large portion of the book inside his own head, and all he can think about are his child and his wife and how he failed them in the same ways and it got repetitive, but I could live with that.
And then we get to that fucking ending. I hate it.
Also, we are not messing around with the "murder", "gore", and "violence" tags. Consider this to be a Dead Dove Don't Eat warning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cancer, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Deportation
lmskikun's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I did not like or enjoy this book.
It just shows how people justify evil and start to even enjoy it. Also, I feel like the ending is what he deserved.
It just shows how people justify evil and start to even enjoy it. Also, I feel like the ending is what he deserved.
bookzombiee19's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
michaelbereading's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
After a tragic family event, a desperate father at his wits end becomes a hitman. He agrees to a dangerous mission with an old friend and a cartel insider. As they journey through Texas and Mexico, their hidden motivations and nightmarish encounters are revealed. This mission threatens to forever change Mario's life.
I'm very sad to report that I just did not like this book. I know others love it, and I see a lot of value in the concepts being tackled by the author. If I'm being honest I found this book to either be boring or maddening all the way through. I should have thought more critically about the summary before deciding to start this, because I don't think I actually would've picked this up if I had really thought about it. I didn't like a single character and by the end I didn't care what happened to any of them. I find I have this issue a lot when consuming media about drugs and the people involved in distributing them.
I'm very sad to report that I just did not like this book. I know others love it, and I see a lot of value in the concepts being tackled by the author. If I'm being honest I found this book to either be boring or maddening all the way through. I should have thought more critically about the summary before deciding to start this, because I don't think I actually would've picked this up if I had really thought about it. I didn't like a single character and by the end I didn't care what happened to any of them. I find I have this issue a lot when consuming media about drugs and the people involved in distributing them.