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dolcezzina21's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure about this at first because it's not my usual taste in books, but it wasn't long before I was hooked. It's beautifully written, which I find rare for this genre. I also loved that the entire story takes place in Brooklyn and I was able to visualize all the locations Daniel referred to. I look forward to the next book in the series.
serinde4books's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book I received in one of my Book Riot boxes. The description is "Carlos Delacruz is one of the New York Council of the Dead’s most unusual agents—an inbetweener, partially resurrected from a death he barely recalls suffering, after a life that’s missing from his memory. He thinks he is one of a kind—until he encounters other entities walking the fine line between life and death. One inbetweener is a sorcerer. He’s summoned a horde of implike ngks capable of eliminating spirits, and they’re spreading through the city like a plague. They’ve already taken out some of NYCOD’s finest, leaving Carlos desperate to stop their master before he opens up the entrada to the Underworld—which would destroy the balance between the living and the dead. But in uncovering this man’s identity, Carlos confronts the truth of his own life—and death.…"
I really liked this book, in fact about halfway through the I pre-ordered the second book from Amazon.com, which is coming out in January! Carlos reminded me of a wonderful mix of Odd Thomas and Harry Dresden. So good! The bad guys seemed a little day to defeat and I didn't really care for the ending, but I saw it coming. My only other comment is that sometimes the language felt a little rough, it just didn't have a smoothness to it I was expecting, and the storyline jumped around some. Thankfully this is a series so there is a chance the next one can do it a little better.
*Update of 2nd read: This was a much slower read on the second round, I couldn’t seem to get into it as much as the first time I read it. I also went on vacation, and strangely didn’t have time to read while away.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
I really liked this book, in fact about halfway through the I pre-ordered the second book from Amazon.com, which is coming out in January! Carlos reminded me of a wonderful mix of Odd Thomas and Harry Dresden. So good! The bad guys seemed a little day to defeat and I didn't really care for the ending, but I saw it coming. My only other comment is that sometimes the language felt a little rough, it just didn't have a smoothness to it I was expecting, and the storyline jumped around some. Thankfully this is a series so there is a chance the next one can do it a little better.
*Update of 2nd read: This was a much slower read on the second round, I couldn’t seem to get into it as much as the first time I read it. I also went on vacation, and strangely didn’t have time to read while away.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
3.0
This came in my most recent Book Riot quarterly box. It's something I wouldn't have ever picked up to read in a million years. Much to my surprise I found it to be an engaging page turner!
It's the first book in a series and I'm not sure if I will continue with it but I think I might.
It's an interesting universe of ghosts and half-ghosts and I think maybe I want to know more.
It's fun to get out of your reading comfort zone every now and then!
It's the first book in a series and I'm not sure if I will continue with it but I think I might.
It's an interesting universe of ghosts and half-ghosts and I think maybe I want to know more.
It's fun to get out of your reading comfort zone every now and then!
cdbaker's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. I may look into more books in the series.
robynryle's review against another edition
4.0
I really like well-written "genre" fiction. I like people who take the writing of genre fiction very seriously. Daniel Jose Older takes his writing very seriously. You can feel him sweating it out over the perfect turn of phrase. Like, listen to this--"..the air is crisp and perfect like some divine hand was feeling meticulous about putting each piece into place." I like that this book is like a really good piece of bread that's been soaked in noir soup and come out dripping and delicious. This book makes me want to go to Brooklyn, and okay, I wanted to go to Brooklyn before, but now I REALLY want to go to Brooklyn. I want to see all of Brooklyn, not just the hipster bits. This book shows you that story-telling that thankfully, joyfully, moves outside the world of whiteness can be so, so good. Read it.
A couple of favorite moments:
- The way he moves into the scene when two characters have sex for the first time, describing a teenage couple first and the reverberations caused by their wanting--"It was just something you could taste in the air whenever they got within a block of each other."
- This hilarious exchange, when a guy is trying to describe someone:
"Yeah, definitely. And also..." He waves around looking for the word.
"Black?"
"African-American, yeah."
"Did you just correct me, David?"
"No! I mean--"
"Anything else about her?"
A couple of favorite moments:
- The way he moves into the scene when two characters have sex for the first time, describing a teenage couple first and the reverberations caused by their wanting--"It was just something you could taste in the air whenever they got within a block of each other."
- This hilarious exchange, when a guy is trying to describe someone:
"Yeah, definitely. And also..." He waves around looking for the word.
"Black?"
"African-American, yeah."
"Did you just correct me, David?"
"No! I mean--"
"Anything else about her?"
rebeccazh's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed it. Didn't particularly love it, though. I liked the voice/style, there's a certain rhythm to it. Also liked the worldbuilding and the other characters.
love_kall's review against another edition
2.0
1st person present and expletives just for the F*** of it. nah.
shereadsshedrinks's review against another edition
3.0
For the 100th time I wish there were half stars in the review system. This one would have been a solid 3.5. Quick read, kind of like Dresden Files meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
scrow1022's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, what a pleasure to sink into a new world, into language, into characters in this way. To feel safe and also excited at what will come. To have my brain put to work and the heart moved. Looking forward to reading the rest in this series.
knp4597's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25