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Half-Resurrection Blues

(Bone Street Rumba #1)

Daniel José Older (Goodreads Author)

3.55 · Rating details · 2,210 ratings · 507 reviews

“Because I’m an inbetweener—and the only one anyone knows of at that—the dead turn to me when something is askew between them and the living. Usually, it’s something mundane like a suicide gone wrong or someone revived that shouldn’ta been.”

Carlos Delacruz is one of the New York Council of the Dead’s most unusual agents—an inbetweener, partially resurrected from a death he ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 326 pages

Published January 6th 2015 by Roc

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2015 Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy (January - June)

313 books — 1,940 voters

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3.55 ·

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· 2,210 ratings · 507 reviews

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Dec 31, 2015 Rick Riordan rated it it was amazing

Adult urban fantasy -- With a series named Bone Street Rumba, how could this not intrigue me? Older's hero is Carlos Delacruz, a half-dead, half-alive agent and hit man for the New York Council of the Dead. (You knew the dead of NYC had a bureaucracy, right? Of course they do.) Delacruz has no idea who he was when he was alive. He doesn't know how he became an in-betweener -- not exactly mortal nor a ghost -- but his special status makes him valuable to the Council since he is able to move freel ...more

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Jan 14, 2015 carol. rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: fans of Leandros, paranormal romance

Shelves: urban-fantasy, male-lead, meh, nyc

Broken finger review #6:

In a fit of compulsive organization, I'm cleaning off my TBR. Perhaps because of Shadowshaper, Older popped up. Intrigued by the premise, a half-dead, half-alive main character--because if there's ever a metaphor for modern life, that's it--and thought it might be the perfect gym read. I still have the broken finger, so I can't hold heavy hardcovers, and hey--paperback! And urban fantasy--fast moving, right?

Well, sort of. The first 140 pages blipped by on the exercise bik ...more

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Aug 25, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, ghosts, paranormal, urban

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/05/b...

UPDATED: US GIVEAWAY FOR HALF-RESURRECTION BLUES details at http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/05/b...

It feels like just the other day I was expressing my desire for more ghosts in urban fantasy, and then onto my lap drops Half-Resurrection Blues. There’s a twist to it, though. Protagonist Carlos Delacruz isn’t exactly a ghost. Instead, he’s an “inbetweener”, which is exactly what it sounds like – someone not quite alive and 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/05/b...

UPDATED: US GIVEAWAY FOR HALF-RESURRECTION BLUES details at http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/05/b...

It feels like just the other day I was expressing my desire for more ghosts in urban fantasy, and then onto my lap drops Half-Resurrection Blues. There’s a twist to it, though. Protagonist Carlos Delacruz isn’t exactly a ghost. Instead, he’s an “inbetweener”, which is exactly what it sounds like – someone not quite alive and also not quite dead. As such, he is one of the New York Council of the Dead’s most special and valuable agents, someone who can interact with the living in the corporeal world as well as the ghosts in the realm of the dead.

Carlos has no idea how he came to be the way he is, nor does he remember his past or how he died. Until recently though, he thought he was alone. But since New Year’s Eve, he has encountered three other inbetweeners, one of whom is a particularly nasty sorcerer. Meanwhile, NYCOD is freaking out because the city is being overrun with “ngks”, imp-like creatures that pose a dire threat to spirits and undead. Somehow all of this has to be connected. It’s up to Carlos to maintain the delicate balance between the mortal world and the Underworld, and put a stop to a nefarious plot to breach the Entrada that protects us all.

I only learned after I finished reading the book that this wasn’t Carlos Delacruz’s first appearance. A bit of research led me to discover Daniel José Older’s anthology called Salsa Nocturna which features the NYCOD and also our main guy Carlos in a lot of the short stories. Reading this collection isn’t a prerequisite by any means, but knowing that Half-Resurrection Blues is part of a greater world that existed before this made a lot of sense. The story drops you right into the thick of things; few words are wasted when it comes to the rich portrayal of this fully-formed version of New York City, inhabited by a diverse population made up of both the living and dead alike. Nevertheless, the book is written in a way that makes it easy for the average reader to pick up the overall premise and atmosphere, allowing one to jump straight into the plot.

I love the story and I love the characters, but it is Older’s writing that takes the cake. This is my first experience with his work, and his style is definitely not something I would have expected to find in an urban fantasy novel. He makes an art of the genre, infusing his prose with so much beauty and intensity. The voice of main character Carlos Delacruz is rooted in the urban fantasy tradition, suiting the story perfectly, but every once in a while you will come across some sections in the narrative that are just…damn. Some sections are just downright poetic, so fine and elegant that it will take your breath away, leaving you at a loss for words.

Likewise there is nothing simple or superficial about the story. There’s a bit of everything thrown into this mix – some mystery with a tinge of classic noir especially when we delve deep into Carlos’ mind; a dash of humor when we learn that even ghosts and creatures of the otherworld have their little quirks and eccentricities; a strong undercurrent of horror because at its heart this is a novel about living and dying; and last but not least, we have love and passion handled in a way that is at once candid but also full of soul and quite insightful.

Half-Resurrection Blues is the first book of a series called Bone Street Rumba, and it’s probably safe to say I’ve never encountered an urban fantasy quite like this. Infused with the fierce and primal rhythm of a party while bringing together a combination of traditions, I believed the series is rather aptly named. All this makes the book a fun and entertaining read, but it’s also very thought-provoking when you peel back the layers. ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 K.J. Charles added it

Shelves: latinx, urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed the linked short story collection Salsa Nocturna: Stories so I picked this up. NY-set urban fantasy where the inbetweener Carols (was dead, got resurrected, is now somewhere in between) worked for the Council of the Dead, dealing with rogue ghosts and keeping things tidy. Obviously it all gets complicated, with a significant building threat and some fantastic evil vowel-free demons who operate on timy exercise bikes. As you do. Urban fantasy fun with terrific spirit of place and ...more

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Dec 11, 2014 TheBookSmugglers rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity, lgbtqia, politics, urban-fantasy

Originally posted on The Book Smugglers

Carlos Delacruz is an agent with the New York Council of the Dead who can be often found working alongside his ghostly partner trying to maintain peace between the dead and the living and protecting the entrada to the underworld. Brooklyn is his domain, where he goes hunting when he is told and where he has found a measure of peace and companionship amongst those who know what he is if not who he is.

For Carlos is an inbetweener, someone not entirely dead bu ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 Erica rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-and-reading, dead-friends-and-family, evil-creatures, fantasy, love-and-romance, men-and-boys

I am quite pleased to say I enjoyed this. Is it the best-written book ever? Nah, it's not. But it was entertaining and a new (mostly) genre for me. I don't read a lot of paranormal noir. Paranoirmal? My last few forays into Paranormal were an urban fantasy romance which gave me eye strain from constant rolling and the Moore books about the little girl who was the Big Death, which were just too much for me in too short a time period.
I can't remember why I'd put this book on hold at the library. I I am quite pleased to say I enjoyed this. Is it the best-written book ever? Nah, it's not. But it was entertaining and a new (mostly) genre for me. I don't read a lot of paranormal noir. Paranoirmal? My last few forays into Paranormal were an urban fantasy romance which gave me eye strain from constant rolling and the Moore books about the little girl who was the Big Death, which were just too much for me in too short a time period.
I can't remember why I'd put this book on hold at the library. I know Older was recommended but now I don't remember if it was someone here who was all, "Oh, here's a guy you need to read" or if it was an article about people who aren't white writing fantasy about people who aren't white. If it was one of you guys telling me to read this guy, thanks! If it was an article*, yay, I'm glad I listened. This was a fun story.

So we've got this dead guy who has been resurrected. Not Jesus, not even close, but similar circumstances. Kind of. Ok, not at all. Only in name. Kind of. At any rate, Carlos Delacruz died and was brought back to life but isn't actually alive, really. He's more like re-animated with only the barest of vital signs to keep him going. He works for the New York Council of the Dead, a group of ghosts who make sure there's a death-to-life balance going on and who keep death things, like wily spirits who being all interfere-y and such, where they belong. He thinks he's the only deadalive in town but then he finds another which leads to more and he falls in love with a hot chick who doesn't have much personality but that's only because this story isn't about her, it's about him and his insta-love with a girl who is hot and that's all we need to know. Ok, that part made me roll my eyes because ugh. Always with the insta-love because she's gorgeous. Whatever. Then a nefarious plot is brought to light and life is going to become more deathy if Carlos doesn't do something about it.

Here's what I really, really liked about this tale:
--Carlos is not an alpha male. Can I just tell you how much I dislike alpha males? Not in person (ok, I kinda don't like them in person, either) but in stories. I hate them. And Carlos, he's not one. He's also not the conniving, delusional beta male who is funny and charming except for when he's irritating and creepy. Our guy is just a regular dead-back-to-life dude who is doing his job in the Big Apple. SO refreshing.
--He's got a best friend. Riley, a spirit, and also Carlos' supervisor at work is his pal off the clock. They talk and hang out and stuff. Friendship is not often something highlighted to this degree in...well anything other than beach reads about women who are friends, really. I liked that these two guys were BFFs.
--The romance was not stupid. Ok, ok, all romance is stupid to me but, aside from the insta-love thing, I didn't gag at all. There's some sex and it was nice. I'm not one for Penthouse Forum (is that even still a thing)-style reenactments because I don't care whose throbbing organ is being drooled on by which wet, hot pussy or what back door is being plowed by whom. Graphic details aren't my thing and I, therefore, was all, "Oooh, that's so nice" (meaning short and relatively painless) at the kissing parts in this story.
--It's wry. I like wry. It makes me happy.
--Mama Esther. Specifically, Mama Esther's backstory. And her library! I want a whole book about that. A whole series, even. SO much love.

I finished this up in a couple of days while housesitting and I found I was sad it was done. I look forward to the next in the series and will be watching this author.

*Update, 5/3/15: Oh, that fucker! Daniel Older recommended himself to me (not really and not intentionally) via this article which I read for librarian reasons and really enjoyed and that's what made me want to check him out. Literally. Like, I checked this book out from the library. Also, I went and stalked his GoodReads author page. Such a manipulator! Curse you, Older. I'm going to get a crush on you and I'll be clueless as to how it happened. ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Andrea marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, urbanfantasy, us

A lot of urban fantasy covers some pretty similar beats. Dangerous person working for/against/around a powerful paranormal organisation, wandering around fixing this week's intra-dimensional threat. And Half-Resurrection Blues doesn't go anywhere particularly new on this point. Carlos is a man without memory or a pulse, not quite dead and not quite alive, working for an organisation that sends not-alive people (mostly ghosts) to fix paranormal/supernatural issues. The current problem is imp-thin A lot of urban fantasy covers some pretty similar beats. Dangerous person working for/against/around a powerful paranormal organisation, wandering around fixing this week's intra-dimensional threat. And Half-Resurrection Blues doesn't go anywhere particularly new on this point. Carlos is a man without memory or a pulse, not quite dead and not quite alive, working for an organisation that sends not-alive people (mostly ghosts) to fix paranormal/supernatural issues. The current problem is imp-things called ngks infesting New York - which are quite deadly to the spiritual agents of the Council of the Dead.

The book steps away from the standard grizzled white guy, for Carlos is Puerto Rican and politically aware, and so the world has layers - but at the start the plot held no particular surprises. Not fantastic with the female characters since none of them seemed to be power players in the story, and ranged through mother figure/healer, lust object, sassy daughter figure, and failed drunken hookup.

Then I hit a plot development that noped me right out of reading any further.

(view spoiler)

Other readers might have different reactions to this development, but it's a deal-breaker for me. Usually, when I stop reading a book, I flip to the end to find out how the plot resolved, but for this story, my nope was strong enough to create myself a DNF shelf. ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Miriam added it

Shelves: fantasy, unfinished

I gave it 100 pages.

Sorry, DJO! I still like you!

Friends who haven't tried this author:
I recommended starting with Anyway: Angie if you like harder, more horror-leaning urban fantasy, or one of his other Tor shorts.
If you prefer YA, Shadowshaper is excellent. Especially recommended for Brooklyn residents.

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Jan 01, 2015 Whitney rated it did not like it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This book was received through a goodreads.com giveaway

I was really excited to read Half-Resurrection Blues, but my excitement rapidly turned to disappointment upon reading. As an avid fan of urban fantasy, I’m always looking for a new series with a different twist, and had high expectations for this book’s ghostly premise. However, the book had several glaring shortcomings that ruined my experience.

The Main Character: Carlos Delacruz is one of the most boring generic characters I’ve ever had th ...more

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Jan 15, 2015 Nikki rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This book is made awesome by the setting and cast — it’s full of detail that places it exactly in time and space, in Brooklyn and in the ghost/s of Brooklyn; it’s full of characters with all kinds of origins and all kinds of stories, all of which is supplemented by the kind of details that make them feel real. Mannerisms, foibles, culture-specific ways of speaking or thinking… and it’s never some kind of monolithic culture, but all sorts of cultures in a melting pot, a dialogue. The background o ...more

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Jan 09, 2018 Ashley *Hufflepuff Kitten* rated it liked it

Shelves: i-own-it, fantasy-urban, 2018

3.5 stars

I adored Carlos' narrative voice; he really sounded like he was telling the story and I was right there next to him. Somewhere in the middle things got a little muddled and I remember wondering if anything was even happening or if it was all just words, but the action kicked in again in the end. I never grew attached to Sasha; their romance felt way too rushed to me. I loved Riley and Dro and Mama Esther and Baba Eddie and Dr Tijou. The ngks were bizarrely scary, especially once you saw ...more

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Jan 29, 2016 sraxe rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars, adult, first-person, ghosts, poc, urban-fantasy, written-review, did-not-finish

I honestly think this is a "it's not you, it's me" situation, so don't take my rating as a knock at the book because it's really just for how I felt about it. I tried for more than a quarter before having to DNF because I wasn't feeling it at all. And the thing is, I wanted to like it so bad! I did like certain parts of it, like how relatable the world felt. And ain't that some shit when it's an Urban Fantasy, huh? I haven't felt this at home when I read contemporary! I found Older's world to be I honestly think this is a "it's not you, it's me" situation, so don't take my rating as a knock at the book because it's really just for how I felt about it. I tried for more than a quarter before having to DNF because I wasn't feeling it at all. And the thing is, I wanted to like it so bad! I did like certain parts of it, like how relatable the world felt. And ain't that some shit when it's an Urban Fantasy, huh? I haven't felt this at home when I read contemporary! I found Older's world to be highly reflective of real life, with tons of POC and other different groups. Unlike a lot of works (I'm talking like...95% of publishing here, I bet), I could actually legitimately see myself in Older's world.

I also loved that Older didn't italicize words and phrases his characters in other languages. His video about why he doesn't do this is so real. It's something I'd never thought about before when seeing non-English languages being italicized, but this really made me stop and thing. Code-switching between three languages is a part of my everyday life, which I don't even think about 95% of the time, so why should it be made different?

The other thing I liked about this book was the dialogue. There are so many books with dialogue that just sounds incredibly unnatural. (Oh, and I'm talking contemporary here, not historical.) I think some authors forget to try and see if these sentences that sound great when you write them out actually work when they come to being used as dialogue. So I liked the natural flow of their conversations and the grittiness of the language. I felt it was the right blend, not too stiff and formal and like you actually are writing lines-sounding, but not littered with f-bombs in order to try and give it authenticity, either.

But anyway. Despite that, I still couldn't get into the book. The way the book was written (first person, present) was something that that threw me right off the bat because that tense and person combination is the one I dislike the most. However, the more I read it, the more I understood how well it worked for the book. Next, I had an issue with Carlos. I just don't find him to be that compelling of a character and never got around to liking him. And his instalove for Sasha was massively annoying. (And that's besides the circumstances which led to their meeting...ya know, (view spoiler).)

But like I said in the beginning, I think it's a case of "it's not you, it's me," so don't let my review of a quarter of the book stop you from checking it out. ...more

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Dec 15, 2014 Ami rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-with-male-protagonist, 2-or-2-and-a-half-stars-rating, new-to-me-authors-2015

2.5 stars

I immediately bought this book (Kobo had 50% discount code I could use) without reading any early reviews because I am a sucker for urban fantasy with male protagonist. I always try to find a new series I can follow. So I was intrigued -- and the a couple of friends gave this 4-stars rating.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me...

Maybe I am a lazy reader; I don't like the sensation that I've been dropped in the middle of an urban fantasy world without so much of an introduction. ...more

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Dec 02, 2014 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it it was amazing

You can also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/12/...

I’ve been waiting so very long for a full length novel featuring Carlos Delacruz, who works for the New York Council for the Dead. I first met Carlos in Older’s magnificent story collection Salsa Nocturna and so, of course, I couldn’t wait to dig into this. A bit of history: Carlos is an inbetweener, both alive and dead, and he has very little memory of who he was before he “died” and went to work for the Council. It makes You can also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/12/...

I’ve been waiting so very long for a full length novel featuring Carlos Delacruz, who works for the New York Council for the Dead. I first met Carlos in Older’s magnificent story collection Salsa Nocturna and so, of course, I couldn’t wait to dig into this. A bit of history: Carlos is an inbetweener, both alive and dead, and he has very little memory of who he was before he “died” and went to work for the Council. It makes for a bit of a lonely life, although he does value his friends and coworkers. When the book opens, Carlos gets orders to take out a man named Trevor that is threatening the stability of an entrada (an entrance into the underworld), and he does, not knowing that this will lead him into some rather startling revelations about his past, not to mention a very powerful sorcerer, Sarco, that seeks to destroy the barrier between the living and the dead.

If you know Daniel José Older’s work, then you know how he writes. I imagine he writes like he plays music, with a lyrical quality that is nearly impossible to tear yourself away from. Carlos is the narrator, and he wears his pain on his sleeve, his loneliness always palpable. And yet, he’s not afraid to fight the good fight, and his sarcasm is as sharp as a freshly stropped razor, as is his sense of humor. I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that Carlos does find clues about his past, and meets a woman that may have the key to his future. First though, he’s got to take care of a pretty nasty imp infestation that seems to be directly associated with Sarco. Those imps are nasty business, and the first time we meet one is, well, you’ll see. I’ve never quite read anything like it. The imagery is so twisted. So very, very twisted.

New York has long been considered a colorful, richly diverse city, but Older’s magical rendering makes it something very special indeed, full of ghosts, soul catchers, and many other otherworldly delights and monstrosities. It makes for a very creepy and exciting mix, daubed with shades of melancholy, and even some very clever horror elements, and the ending will leave you reeling. I can’t recommend this book, or this author, highly enough. This is what urban fantasy is all about, and when you start this, allow some time to finish, because you won’t want to come up for air until you do. ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Tabitha rated it liked it

Shelves: 1st-in-series, ghosts, for-review-received-from-publisher, own, penguin, part-of-series, urban-fantasy, 2015-audiobook-challenge, audio-book, reading-listening-in-tandem

Half Resurrection Blues is the first book in the new urban fantasy series Bone Street Rumba. It is a different take on urban fantasy then what I’m used to add it’s focused on ghosts and folks that are ‘inbetween’ being a ghost and living. The main character Carlos is just such an inbetweener, unable to remember anything about his previous life, not even his real name. He died and was brought back to a state of kind of half life. Currently he works for the New York Council of the dead pretty much ...more

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Apr 30, 2017 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Half-Resurrection Blues (Bone Street Rumba #1) by Daniel José Older is a different kind of urban fantasy. The main character is an agent for the dead because he is in-between the living and the dead. He takes cases for the dead. He sees the dead, knows them like we know live people but at the same time, he has live friends. The mystery is good, suspense filled, great fresh fantasy, and great characters. The only fault I found is too much sex. I am not a prude, I don't mind sex in books but ther ...more

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Sep 08, 2015 The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears rated it it was amazing

All you need to know for now is that Carlos Delacruz is my newest book boyfriend. I don't care that he's half dead, he's got a sword cane and mad swag.

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Dec 05, 2016 Zombieslayer/Alienhunter {merry wanderer of the night} rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic, read-2018, snort-snort-snort

Whatever it is that's been causing all this static is out where tonight. I'm sure of it.
The more I can disappear, the more chance I have of catching it.

Carlos Delacruz is an inbetweener, a partially resurrected dead man who was nursed back to half-life after being found in a Brooklyn park years ago.
As a being neither dead nor truly alive, Carlos has proven himself a worthy asset to the Council Of The Dead, the spectral court of laws in the land of the deceased, as a Soulcatcher. A Soulcatcher fi ...more

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Jan 08, 2015 Suz rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I thought it was a decent first effort but I have to admit that I had a difficult time connecting with the protagonist, Carlos Delacruz. It took me much longer to read the book than usual and I found it easy to set it aside and read other things. The entire time I was reading the story I kept waiting for something to open up and grant me more insight into the character, something that would make me give a damn about him. Rather than getting a lightening bolt moment it sort of trickled in but it I thought it was a decent first effort but I have to admit that I had a difficult time connecting with the protagonist, Carlos Delacruz. It took me much longer to read the book than usual and I found it easy to set it aside and read other things. The entire time I was reading the story I kept waiting for something to open up and grant me more insight into the character, something that would make me give a damn about him. Rather than getting a lightening bolt moment it sort of trickled in but it always felt like whatever it was that I needed to really empathize with him was throttled back. The twist toward the end should have been heart wrenching but for it me was just a bit of a bummer.

Still, I was reminded of the first Dresden book as I was reading this. Not in that the stories or even the characters were the same, because they certainly aren't, but in that it was hard for me to connect to Dresden for a while. Like Dresden the book was competently written and the mystery aspects were divulged with slightly slow but overall tolerable timing. Also like Dresden I didn't really care about the protagonist by the end of the book, but I had the feeling that I could if given enough time and a bit more emotion from the character.

I realized towards the end that I never understood how or when Carlos fell in love. It seemed to go from obsessive infatuation to love at some unknown point and then I was asked to believe it just because he said so. There were hints that there might have been a preexisting reason for this, but nothing solid ever came of it. As I'm typing this I'm thinking "it's a guy thing about emotions" which is just so much drivel but it enables me to put a "why" to it. If that description makes sense to you then I've accomplished my goal of explaining it.

I liked the world and the Latin flavor that the author sprinkles into the story perspective. It's light but present and lends a unique aura to both the story and the world, and I'm hopeful that over time and more books it will be one of the things through which I may better connect to Carlos.

There is a lot of potential here. I feel like it wasn't quite actualized in this book, but it's pregnant with possibility. I'll read the next. ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Leonicka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, diverse, fav-adult

Truly fantastic. So many layers to explore and discuss. The character development was great and Daniel's Brooklyn is alive--not in the cliché "practically another character" sense. More like it was the fabric, the sinews, the magic that tied everyone together.

Anyway. I listened to the audio version which I HIGHLY recommend. Daniel narrates it himself so the inflection and rhythm and emotion in the words comes across perfectly. It's an added bonus to hear him give each character a different voic ...more

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Jan 10, 2015 Jeff rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is a hard book to review. When deciding whether to buy it, I checked Goodreads and saw a number of 5 star ratings. Everywhere I looked, this novel was obtaining great reviews. So I bought it.

Let me say that the author is an amazing writer. I have nothing but great things to say about his sense of style and craftsmanship. If I was going to rate it solely on that, I would agree.... 5 stars. Unfortunately, the story and the characters just didn't do it for me. While I enjoyed the Brooklyn sett ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Beverly rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-book, newtome2015, paranormal, serieschallenge2015, urban-fantasy

This was a 3.5 read for me.

My thoughts:
• I was excited to read this book and was not disappointed.
• This is a first book in a series and the worldbuilding was expertly done without dragging down the plot yet allowing the reader to feel the actions matched the world. The author also left enough room so that the world complexities could be further flushed out in future stories.
• So love that Older gives us the “real” Brooklyn with all of the diversity, pageantry, grittiness, conflicts of old timer This was a 3.5 read for me.

My thoughts:
• I was excited to read this book and was not disappointed.
• This is a first book in a series and the worldbuilding was expertly done without dragging down the plot yet allowing the reader to feel the actions matched the world. The author also left enough room so that the world complexities could be further flushed out in future stories.
• So love that Older gives us the “real” Brooklyn with all of the diversity, pageantry, grittiness, conflicts of old timers v newcomers.
• So glad to see an Urban Fantasy series with a diverse group of intriguing characters and the food mentions are delish.
• This storyline had a freshness for me – as too often Urban Fantasies start to read the same. It has a nice blend of mystery, supernatural issues, romance and characters who feel “real”.
• Carlos Delacruz is a likable character who thinks he is one of a kind – an inbetweener ( a person not fully dead or alive and can move around the human world) who works for the New York Council of the Dead to help ensure that the two worlds do not meet. While Carlos relishes in being unique it is also the source of his loneliness – he has no idea how he did and who he was while living. So when an assignment puts him in contact with someone like him – Carlos not only has an assignment to complete but a personal mission to help understand himself.
• The dialogue is on-point, being witty, contemplative, wary or sympathetic as the situation requires.
• My nitpick for this first book is that I wanted one of the female characters – Mama Esther, Kia, or Sasha to have a bigger role. All are interesting strong independent minded women so hopefully we will see more of them in future books.
• Based on my enjoyment with this book I look forward to reading more books in the series and also look forward to Older’s upcoming book Shadowshaper which stars a Afro-Latina character.
• I recommend this book Urban Fantasy readers looking for diversity with an edge of noir and realistic urbanism.
...more

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Jan 13, 2015 dogunderwater rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015

This is a book that I wanted to love with my whole heart, but that fell a little short.

The Good: Older's characters are interesting and all have their own voice, distinct and new. He promised a diverse urban fantasy novel and delivered on that -- the NYC of Bone Street Rumba is populated with people and ghosts who would be right at home in the real city. It's nice reading a fantasy where the protagonist could be someone like you.

The world-building, too, is fascinating, but Older doesn't give it ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 Kaleb rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, 2015-reads

Half Resurrection Blues is a beautifully written ghost noir by Daniel Jose Older that paints a realistic and vivid picture of New York that I’ve never witnessed before. There’s so much to love about this book whether it be the world he’s created, the humor, or the diverse cast of character, but one aspect I must praise is its writing. When it comes to writing, one thing that irks me is lengthy descriptions. I find it ridiculous when some authors will gladly spend ten pages describing a sunset or ...more

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Feb 15, 2015 Wheeler rated it did not like it

Shelves: first-reads

Half-Resurrection Blues is a pseudo-enjoyable romp through an ultra-contemporary paranormal New York mired in way, way too much profanity.

Don’t get me wrong. I work at a newspaper as a reporter. I swear way too much and, because of this, we even set up a swear jar in the newsroom. Twice.

I have no problem with profanity, especially in everyday usage.

I do have a problem with the overuse of profanity in novels, where the profanity serves no actual purpose. That’s the most detracting thing about ...more

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Jan 14, 2016 Sadie Forsythe rated it liked it

3.5
I liked it, but I didn't love it. I liked Carlos. I liked the author's voice. I loved that the main character's gaze was Puerto Rican, therefore not white, and the reader is gifted with observations we rarely see. (This is part of why it's so important to have authors of color, not just characters.) I liked the idea of the story and plot. But I always felt like I was playing catch up, like I was never certain what was happening. Time was indeterminate and frequently large chunks of time would ...more

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Jan 12, 2015 Deera rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, readharder2015

It's been a long time since I was completely sucked into a world created by a book. Older fills his pages with diverse, complex, and lovable characters. This book was a complete pleasure to read.

Edit: I re-read this in January 2017 in order to refresh my memory for the final book in this trilogy and I may have only fallen more in love with Carlos and Riley and Sasha and Daniel Jose Older.

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Feb 14, 2016 Dramatically Bookish (ReviewsMayVary) rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog, z2016-i-love-libraries, we-need-diverse-books

I have tweeted Mr. Older a strongly worded tweet about his choice of endings for this book! I do not appreciate the feels!

http://bookedupandbossy.blogspot.com/...

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Feb 22, 2016 Janani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: poc-author-artist-mc, owned-books, sf-f

Loved it!

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Jan 08, 2015 Sunil rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, 2015

Daniel José Older introduced his Bone Street Rumba universe and inbetweener Carlos Delacruz in his short story collection Salsa Nocturna (which I have not read...yet), and he wastes no time plunging the reader into the world with his debut urban fantasy novel, Half-Resurrection Blues. I felt at a slight disadvantage not being familiar with the world already, but the general concept becomes clear quickly: Carlos Delacruz is neither alive nor dead, and Brooklyn is full of ghosts and shit.

I knew Daniel José Older introduced his Bone Street Rumba universe and inbetweener Carlos Delacruz in his short story collection Salsa Nocturna (which I have not read...yet), and he wastes no time plunging the reader into the world with his debut urban fantasy novel, Half-Resurrection Blues. I felt at a slight disadvantage not being familiar with the world already, but the general concept becomes clear quickly: Carlos Delacruz is neither alive nor dead, and Brooklyn is full of ghosts and shit.

I knew I would like the book from the third page, which includes the line "See, the dead are good for coming up with some last-minute oh-and-by-the-way type shit." That line immediately sold me on Carlos as a guy frustrated with his employers, who happen to be dead, as do most of the people he hangs out with, like a couple spectral agents named Riley and Dro, whom he meets in bars where they invisibly sip drinks. While it's not a comic novel by any means, Older injects just enough lightness to keep things fun, occasionally making me laugh out loud. It's a casual, accessible voice ("Can't even roll my eyes far enough back into my flesh-and-blood head to express how out of line that shit is") that nevertheless has its more ~*literary*~ moments ("The twisted universe has conspired to give me this moment and this night and those eyes looking back at mine, all amid the hurricane of infestations and betrayals and possibly imminent doom, and I will take what's mine").

By restricting his setting to a specific borough, Older can concentrate its power, and the Brooklyn in this book feels like one you could navigate by reading, with street names and landmarks I'm sure are fairly accurate to its real-life counterpart. Unlike some urban fantasies that are set in bigger cities where the characters traverse all over the place, Half-Resurrection Blues takes place in a slice of Brooklyn that fits in a two-page map. The "urban" in urban fantasy is an important component, and I like when all the details and vivid descriptions make me feel like I'm actually there, rather than some amorphous concept of "New York." Adding to this verisimilitude is the diverse population; in fact, very few of the characters in the book are white. Most of the white people are hipster extras.

While I can probably attribute some of my confusion to sleepiness and my own emotional state, I started to lose the plot about halfway through, as Carlos kept going from character to character to get information, and the focus of the story kept shifting. I appreciated how it all tied together but it ended up feeling overly complex. It's fairly dense, and things are always happening, which I generally like, when I can keep track of what's happening and how it connects to what else is happening. Also I was disappointed that the one major female character is basically just a love interest—which I've seen in first novels before, and then the subsequent books are better about it—though there are a couple good female supporting characters, most notably Mama Esther, a powerful ghost. There are a lot of ghosts in this book. Seriously, I think there are more dead characters than alive characters in this book, even if I count Carlos as "alive" to give humans an advantage.

Half-Resurrection Blues has delightfully profane, electric prose, a likable protagonist, and a vivid urban setting. Also lots of ghosts and spirits and shit, I really cannot overstate how many dead things are in this book. ...more

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About Daniel José Older

Daniel José Older

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Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, ...more