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ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story is not for the faint-hearted because there are some very brutal incidents involving injury, murder, death, abuse, drug use. Set primarily in Texas in a world of violent crime and desperation, the main character, Mario, is still reeling from the death of his young daughter and the breakdown of his marriage. The author nimbly weaves a number of serious social issues throughout his book, with one in particular being the way health care costs in the United States can bankrupt people and take them to a very low point in their life.
Looking for a way to recover financial stability and win back his estranged wife, Mario embarks on a life of crime he sees as short term. An opportunity becomes available for Mario to join two friends for a high-paying job that promises to be the payday they all need to start over and leave behind their criminal pasts. Unfortunately, this last job takes them into the underbelly of a world where the strong survive eliminating rivals and punishing traitors, and in this world, spirituality harnesses not just God, but the Devil too.
Really well-written story and a good translation. The assorted people and various landscapes of their environments felt visceral and real. In a lot of books and movies, criminals and the poor are portrayed in a one-dimensional way, but in this book, the characters possess great intelligence and depth, and the reader may likely be exposed to a harsh reality that many people experience but many more are insulated from by virtue of their skin color, neighborhood, lineage, and sometimes just luck.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Jean-Marc Berne was excellent.
Looking for a way to recover financial stability and win back his estranged wife, Mario embarks on a life of crime he sees as short term. An opportunity becomes available for Mario to join two friends for a high-paying job that promises to be the payday they all need to start over and leave behind their criminal pasts. Unfortunately, this last job takes them into the underbelly of a world where the strong survive eliminating rivals and punishing traitors, and in this world, spirituality harnesses not just God, but the Devil too.
Really well-written story and a good translation. The assorted people and various landscapes of their environments felt visceral and real. In a lot of books and movies, criminals and the poor are portrayed in a one-dimensional way, but in this book, the characters possess great intelligence and depth, and the reader may likely be exposed to a harsh reality that many people experience but many more are insulated from by virtue of their skin color, neighborhood, lineage, and sometimes just luck.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Jean-Marc Berne was excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Alcohol
symabee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow. That was heavy. The writing was descriptive and visceral. The subject matter was violent and heartbreaking. The author did a wonderful job of weaving together reality and the supernatural. This book is definitely not for the squeamish.
This was my August BOTM pick, so I was aware beforehand that a lot of Spanish was used in the book, and BOTM was nice enough to send me a translation guide in my box. However I don't see how the use of Spanish is a reason to give this book a lower rating. If you read the description, and possess critical thinking skills, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the characters sometimes spoke Spanish. If I hadn't had my translation guide, I would have just used Google translate. Yes it would have slowed me down, but that doesn't make it a bad book. I know many people's entitlement has probably led them to believe this, but authors are not obligated to cater to English speakers.
I also saw several reviews stating that this book was racist and anti-white, which is laughably absurd. The main character is a Latino man living in the United States, and he does encounter several racist white men throughout the book. And? That's reality for a lot of people. No where in this story does it say all white people are bad and you should feel shame for being white. If that was your main take away from this book, then you need to spend more time with a therapist unpacking your own baggage, and less time giving negative reviews on the internet.
Anyway, if you like dark and gritty books, definitely read this one.
This was my August BOTM pick, so I was aware beforehand that a lot of Spanish was used in the book, and BOTM was nice enough to send me a translation guide in my box. However I don't see how the use of Spanish is a reason to give this book a lower rating. If you read the description, and possess critical thinking skills, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the characters sometimes spoke Spanish. If I hadn't had my translation guide, I would have just used Google translate. Yes it would have slowed me down, but that doesn't make it a bad book. I know many people's entitlement has probably led them to believe this, but authors are not obligated to cater to English speakers.
I also saw several reviews stating that this book was racist and anti-white, which is laughably absurd. The main character is a Latino man living in the United States, and he does encounter several racist white men throughout the book. And? That's reality for a lot of people. No where in this story does it say all white people are bad and you should feel shame for being white. If that was your main take away from this book, then you need to spend more time with a therapist unpacking your own baggage, and less time giving negative reviews on the internet.
Anyway, if you like dark and gritty books, definitely read this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Pregnancy