A review by 2treads
Havana Noir by Achy Obejas
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As with all the Noir series we've read, each and every story pulses with a knowledge that comes from having lived in and been steeped in a place and its history.
That said, the first two stories were heavy, almost as if they resisted being read, the premise of each was very interesting and that's why we continued reading, but they were written in a way that did not engage us.
However as we moved deeper into the collection, the sparks started flying, it was in the dialogue: sarcastic, snarky, humorous; the characters that were resigned, melodramatic, desperate; and the setting that seemed to come alive through the descriptions and existence in the particular political and socio-economic clime.
Definitely a collection in which lies a story for every reader.
TW: rape, sexual abuse of minors, murder.
That said, the first two stories were heavy, almost as if they resisted being read, the premise of each was very interesting and that's why we continued reading, but they were written in a way that did not engage us.
However as we moved deeper into the collection, the sparks started flying, it was in the dialogue: sarcastic, snarky, humorous; the characters that were resigned, melodramatic, desperate; and the setting that seemed to come alive through the descriptions and existence in the particular political and socio-economic clime.
Definitely a collection in which lies a story for every reader.
TW: rape, sexual abuse of minors, murder.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Murder, and Child abuse