A review by araowl
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

'Certain Dark Things' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a unique take on the vampire story, following a diverse cast of vampires and humans living in crime-filled Mexico City. We are first introduced to Domingo, a 17-year-old garbage collector who happens to meet Atl, a young vampire woman from a subspecies of vampires descended from Aztecs. Romance, violence and an atmosphere of crime noir ensue. I felt this book succeeded in its goal of being an entertaining, thrilling, and unique take on a vampire story, but lacked a compelling layer of emotional weight. I didn't find the romance between Atl and Domingo to be that well-developed or something I wanted to root for, but that could be my preference. I also found the story lacked satisfying character development, and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief while reading, as the worldbuilding felt slightly shallow and forced. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a thrilling, diverse take on a vampire story, but caution those who are looking for something with more emotional weight or character development.