Review by @youshouldreadthisif

 

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

The rundown: In 1840s Mexico, Nena’s home is threatened by Anglo settlers. But Yanquis are not the only thing to fear at the ranch. Nena knows this because 9 years ago, something attacked her while on a nighttime romp with her best friend Néstor. Believing Nesta died from her injuries, Néstor’s been on the run from his grief ever since, roaming from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. When the Anglos ignite war against Mexico, the two are brought back together, and the shock of their reunion is overshadowed by the monsters that stalk them in the dark. 

The review: I am a vampire girlie through and through, and Cañas must have decided to write this book to appeal specifically to me because she wields those vampires as social horror, all tied up in a strong second chance/childhood friends-to-lovers romance plot. For most of the book, the vampires linger at the periphery, stalking their unwitting prey, but, like Nena, we can feel the threat, unknown but terrifying, getting closer and closer. Cañas creates a creepy, oppressive atmosphere in a fairly minimal but still richly depicted historical setting. 

For full disclosure, I picked this book up because of the vampire-as-social-horror theme, and I was under the assumption that the romance was a subplot. It is not; Nena and Néstor’s romance is equally important as the vampire plot. As a reader who prefers to go into a story knowing what I’m getting into, I can safely say that these incorrect expectations influenced my experience with the first third-ish of the book, and I point this out so that other readers can make a more informed decision about this book knowing that it is a capital-R romance and not so much a capital-H horror. But the romance is nicely written, even if I wanted to shake Nena for her stubbornness now and then. Nena, who is the ranchero’s daughter, and Néstor, a vaquero, are pulled apart not just by the aftereffects of what happened 9 years ago but also by their class difference, which provides us with some interesting insight into 1840s Mexican society. 

One of the most interesting parts of the book for me, a born and raised Texan, is the implicit consideration of boundaries, borders, and identity. Many of the book’s events occur in what is now south Texas at a time when Texas had declared its “independence” from Mexico and just before it is annexed into the US. The characters, however, are Mexican, see themselves as Mexican. While it’s not really explored on page, I so enjoyed the question that lies at the heart of this book: Not when did these Mexican families come to the US, but when did the US come to them?

Goes well with: Pick up Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Certain Dark Things or Mexican Gothic next.

Review by @youshouldreadthisif

 

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

The rundown: Decades ago in a Pacific Northwest hospital, Betty was born with cobalt blue skin on the same day the Rummanis’ centuries-old, legendary blue soap factory is bombed in Palestine. Today, Betty sits at the grave of her beloved Aunt Nuha, Rummani family matriarch, faced with a decision: should she follow the woman she loves to another country, or stay in the only country she’s ever known? Having read her aunt’s journals and unraveled the secrets of her complicated life, Betty finds her answer.

The review: This book is strange and lovely. One of those books that, when you find out it’s a debut, stuns you. It’s so many things, and I’m still impressed, months after having read it, by how confidently Cypher conveys and explores them all. SKIN is epic in its construction of a mythology of sorts of the exiled Rummani family, anchored in blue soap and later the blue skin of a baby girl, following it from Palestine to the Pacific Northwest across generations. It’s intimate both in feel (Cypher uses direct address storytelling: Betty speaks directly to her deceased aunt) and in its focus on the interior lives of four of the Rummani women. Grandmother, aunt, mother, daughter. Nothing about it is straightforward, grounded as it is in oral storytelling traditions, such as nonlinear narrative and fables, and the half-truths that families are made of. We, like Betty, are looking for answers, for understanding in the revelations of Aunt Nuha’s journal. And it all comes together so, so beautifully. 

Goes well with: They’re very different tonally and stylistically, but Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses explores very similar themes and a similar setting. 

Review by Lara Ashley

The Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

The rundown: The story by Elizabeth Lim is about a daring princess named Shiori'anma who wants to get out of an arranged marriage and spend her days folding paper birds and hanging out with her six brothers. 

While also keeping her magic and her magical flying paper bird, KiKi, at bay. 

However, a dragon, snakes, and a deadly curse ruin her plans as her stepmother turns her brother into cranes, takes the princess's voice, and casts them out of the kingdom. 

Shiori'anma must go on an epic adventure to free her brothers, break the curse, and save the kingdoms.

The review: The book was terrific! Every girl can relate to Shiori'anma's spunk and unforgettable boldness! The character development of the young process was perfectly written. The princess transformed from a reckless princess to a hero. The sibling love between Shiori'anma and her brothers was so touching. Shiori'anma Wanted to savor their childhood memories before they grew up, and responsibilities took them elsewhere. It truly speaks to the pulls of life and leaving behind a piece of you. 

The journey Shiori'anma goes through to seal her fate as this powerful princess is weaved into this beautiful fairytale that will leave anyone wanting more-including wanting to grab the sequel, The Dragon's Promise, immediately. 

Pairs well with: This book pairs well with The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.

Review by Lara Ashley

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

The rundown: The sequel to Payback’s a Witch, From Bad to Cursed, tells another story in the witchy town of Thristle Grove. This time, from the perspective of the Avramov family. Isidora (Issa) is a thrill seeker who likes to design clothes, handle the family business of running a haunted house, summons demons in her free time, and has a growing vendetta against the town’s Golden Boy, Rowan Thorn. However, everything is put to the side when the town’s favorite Beltane festival occurs. But everything halts when a hex is cast on one of the Thorn family members, and she and her nemesis have to work together to uncover who hates the Thorn family more than she does. Classic opposites attract a love story filled with magic, secrets, and love.

The review: Welcome back to the charming and magical town of Thristle Grove. The four powerful families of the small town are back to reveal secrets and unleash unbelievable sorcery! Usually, the second book in a series is different from the original. However, that is not the case with Lana Harper’s sequel. Honestly, I liked this book better than Payback’s a Witch! Isidora is a relatable twenty-something woman/witch. She loves hard but is also hard on herself; she’s a daredevil with anxiety attacks and a talented witch who doubts her abilities. Readers will instantly feel connected with the main character, and she falls for her nemesis, Rowan. And *spoiler* When the evil entity interrupted Rowan and Issa, I wanted to cast a few hexes at the entity! A great example of an enemies-turned-lovers story, readers will love the attraction between Rowan and Issa. Rowan centers and grounds Issa, while Issa makes Rowan take chances and go outside the box. Their love story will make readers not want to put the book down (like me! I read it in one day!). The way Lana Harper handles prejudice, tackling family history, anxiety attacks, and true unconditional love is beautifully done.

 

Goes well with: The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling, Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck, A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley, and Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake