Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

"A gritty, bloody, dark take on Vampires, their existence in the world, how other countries deal with them and how one street kid in Mexico City is about to have his entire world turned upside down but, he's eager for the ride."

3 Stars

Pros: Bernardino's a great character, he's absolutely terrifying and brilliant/The ending, now that was unexpected but I liked it. It was well done.

Cons: Atl and Domingo's friendship, that at first started as just a necessity on Atl's part, still felt forced at times/Atl could be a real standoffish, cold, beast, she wasn't the most likable of characters/The dialogue was unbalanced and uneven at times.

Full Review:

Domingo is a street kid. He makes a living by collecting garbage and giving what he finds to other collectors or recycling it for money. All he knows about Vampires is what he's read from comic books. So when a dark, beautiful, girl asks him if he wants to be her friend, then takes her back to his apartment and promptly, feeds from him, once his head clears, he's enamored.

All he can think about is Atl. All he wants to do is be with Atl. So when it turns out that she actually could use his help navigating the dangerous streets of Mexico City, he jumps at the chance. Atl was a Warrior Priestess in one of the Aztec clans but a clash with another clan has left everyone she knows and loves, dead. So she's alone in the world. And though she's hesitant at first, hearing the voice of her sister in her head that she shouldn't "play with her food" she decides to give Domingo a shot.

Together they navigate a Mexico City that is dangerous and dark. Not only are there different clans and kinds of Vampires milling around, there are also drug cartels, gangs and law enforcement. Everywhere they turn is dangerous and Atl must rely on Domingos' street smarts to get anywhere.

At times the writing felt stilted, kind of uneven. The dialogue would feel strangely unbalanced. Domingo would go from saying something like, "I aint go no ID" to then in the next sentence asking eloquently, "But why would you feel this way?" It was just odd and gave the book an uneven, inconsistent feel.

It was an interesting enough story and one that kept me eager enough to find out what happened. And though the ending was not what I expected, once I'd read it and sat with it for a while, I figured it was the best way to end the novel and leave it as is.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog