February 2024 Group Read #2 - Vampires of El Norte

[WendyB]

It's too bad this book didn't have more appeal but I always think that you can't know what you might like if you aren't exposed to things you don't like. The variety of it all is what makes reading or food or just anything more interesting.

[Ann]

WendyB wrote: "It's too bad this book didn't have more appeal but I always think that you can't know what you might like if you aren't exposed to things you don't like. The variety of it all is what makes reading..."

That's all true. I'm still struggling to finish listening to this one -- I have to be in the mood for it -- but I've also learned a great deal about curanderas, Mexican history, alternate types of vampires, etc. I don't consider that my time has been wasted, though I'm not getting what I signed on for.

[Ricky]

I think the books biggest flaw is that it was targeted to the wrong audience.

[Ginger]

Ricky wrote: "I think the books biggest flaw is that it was targeted to the wrong audience."

Completely agree Ricky! I think this should have been targeted to historical fiction or romance fans.

I’m like Ann. I still enjoyed learning about Mexican history and the conflicts that were happening in the area during this time.

[Ann]

Ricky wrote: "I think the books biggest flaw is that it was targeted to the wrong audience."

Yep. Instead, what you're hearing is a bunch of seriously frustrated horror fans wanting more vampire NOW.

[Brittany]

This one took me a little bit but I thought it was beautifully written and found the romance sweet most of the time, Nina got on my nerves a good bit.

The vampires were cool but would’ve loved to had have them incorporated into the story more. They felt like more a plot device than actual characters.

Overall I enjoyed the read but I agree with most of the people commenting in this group - I wanted more horror.
With that being said this is by no means is an unsatisfying read.

[Chandler]

I got a late start on this one. I'm a little of the third of the way in. I'm liking it. I notice there's more of a focus on the romance but I'm not that bothered by it. I'm rooting for these kids to figure it out. I'm loving the descriptions of the vampires when we do see them.

[Ann]

Chandler wrote: "I got a late start on this one. I'm a little of the third of the way in. I'm liking it. I notice there's more of a focus on the romance but I'm not that bothered by it. I'm rooting for these kids t..."

Yes, the vampires are well-described & deeply chilling . Sort of Del Toro style . . . but I keep missing the Spanish name for them, & I'm doing Audible. Can someone please post what thesea re called?

[Rosalyn]

Ann wrote: "Can someone please post what thesea re called?..."

they're called el cuco. from wiki:

"The myth originated in northern Portugal and Galicia. the word coco derives from the Galician and Portuguese côco [ˈkoku], which means "coconut".[2] The word coco is used in colloquial speech to refer to the human head in Spanish.[3] Coco also means "skull". "

[Ricky]

El Cuco in Mexico is a monster used to scare children into behaving. "Be careful if you keep acting up el cuco well take you!" Growing up, I never heard a description of it. It was just a generic monster. it didn't have the depth of character like La Llorona or chupacabra. I do enjoy that they tied in that old kids' tale to a vampiresque beast.

[FranWeird]

As with everyone else, there was not really any horror at all, and I feel they could've incorporated the vampires more. I did like the story, though, so overall, it was a pleasant read

[Ann]

Rosalyn wrote: "Ann wrote: "Can someone please post what thesea re called?..."

they're called el cuco. from wiki:

"The myth originated in northern Portugal and Galicia. the word coco derives from the Galician an..."
Thanks!

[Chandler]

I just finished it. I probably liked it more than the majority. I agree that the miscommunication trope gets old. I think it works slightly better here because of their age. Twenty year olds make upsetting things more dramatic than they need to be. I also think the book was slightly mis-advertised. It's a romance novel with some horror elements, not a horror novel.

But I liked both Nena and Nestor enough I was hoping they'd work it out. I like the description of the vampires. The writing is beautiful. I liked this more than The Hacienda and I thought The Hacienda was pretty good.

[Leigh]

Well, I finally got around to reading this one! I'm glad I got through it, despite a few weak moments of almost bailing. The writing was beautiful, descriptive, and atmospheric. (view spoiler)[ As others have said, the romance dominated the story, and it was a very slow burn at that with lots of miscommunications that encompassed a lot of their story. That being said, I liked Nena, and her character development was good. The bits with the vampires were quite good, some scary moments and I enjoyed the cultural stories of these vampires. Plus I appreciate a good befriending of the monster storyline. (hide spoiler)] Overall, more fleshing out of the vampires were desired by me, although this was not really meant to be a horror book