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A review by margaretadelle
Blood & Vinyl (Dream of Waking, #1) by Ignacio R. Limón
3.0
I am always looking to add more diverse voices to my review list. And the author and I have been Twitter mutuals for some time. So when he asked if I would want to do a review, I was eager to.
This book is a strange mix. The best way I can think of to describe it is a jigsaw puzzle where every piece is beautiful and unique, but they're put together in an almost haphazard way. If you read the synopsis, you can't really get a feel for the main conflict of the book and that carries through in the plot. There are so many characters, many of them introduced in groups in large paragraphs of description. While the descriptions themselves can be interesting (my personal favorite was when one character's jeans were described as being "holier than the pope") when put together in such large amounts, it makes it difficult to remember any of them well. And in some cases, the descriptions will take over to the extent that there'll be a scene that's more description than plot. Although, if you're a fan of Tolkien, that might be just up your alley.
As for the plot, it goes at a breakneck pace that can sometimes move too fast to remember exactly why the characters are doing the next thing. They'll say something like "we need the thing at this place" and the next they're gearing up for a raid when no one had actually paused to say "okay, this is what we'll do next." It's almost as if the next step in their plan is taken as a given. There are also some scenes that seem so incredibly intriguing and important to the plot, but are relegated to being backstories that are mentioned occasionally. Leyl and MJ's first meeting, for example. From what I can gather, a LOT happened and it would have helped make the book as a whole feel more connected.
Where this book shines is the setting and characters. Those characters that are given enough "screen time" so to speak, to show their personality jump off the page. Leyl, MJ, Ina, and so on all make for compelling people. The relationships that are there, whether romantic, platonic, or familial, are all intriguing. I'm invested in relationship even when I know they're not that healthy.
The setting is also so enjoyable. It delights in being steeped in the mid-2000s. When someone pulled out a razor phone and I was suddenly transported back to middle school. I will admit that the bands that are named went almost universally over my head (aside from like AFI) so that didn't do much to keep me in the setting. But anyone who was a fan of 2000s alternative culture is sure to relive the glory of it all. There are also references to part of latinx culture that would be
I mentioned before that the story came across as a jigsaw with beautiful pieces put together haphazardly. And the pieces are definitely all there. The characters and their relationships between each other are compelling. The setting is evocative. But they're all squished tightly together in a way that makes it harder to see the bigger picture. If you were to take the story and stretch it out it would feel more cohesive and understandable. Space out the descriptions of characters and relationships, give transition scenes so the next step in the plot feels logical, and center it around a central conflict so the synopsis is a description of the whole thing rather than a list of it's parts.
Despite all this, the passion still comes through and I'm happy I read it. :D
This book is a strange mix. The best way I can think of to describe it is a jigsaw puzzle where every piece is beautiful and unique, but they're put together in an almost haphazard way. If you read the synopsis, you can't really get a feel for the main conflict of the book and that carries through in the plot. There are so many characters, many of them introduced in groups in large paragraphs of description. While the descriptions themselves can be interesting (my personal favorite was when one character's jeans were described as being "holier than the pope") when put together in such large amounts, it makes it difficult to remember any of them well. And in some cases, the descriptions will take over to the extent that there'll be a scene that's more description than plot. Although, if you're a fan of Tolkien, that might be just up your alley.
As for the plot, it goes at a breakneck pace that can sometimes move too fast to remember exactly why the characters are doing the next thing. They'll say something like "we need the thing at this place" and the next they're gearing up for a raid when no one had actually paused to say "okay, this is what we'll do next." It's almost as if the next step in their plan is taken as a given. There are also some scenes that seem so incredibly intriguing and important to the plot, but are relegated to being backstories that are mentioned occasionally. Leyl and MJ's first meeting, for example. From what I can gather, a LOT happened and it would have helped make the book as a whole feel more connected.
Where this book shines is the setting and characters. Those characters that are given enough "screen time" so to speak, to show their personality jump off the page. Leyl, MJ, Ina, and so on all make for compelling people. The relationships that are there, whether romantic, platonic, or familial, are all intriguing. I'm invested in relationship even when I know they're not that healthy.
The setting is also so enjoyable. It delights in being steeped in the mid-2000s. When someone pulled out a razor phone and I was suddenly transported back to middle school. I will admit that the bands that are named went almost universally over my head (aside from like AFI) so that didn't do much to keep me in the setting. But anyone who was a fan of 2000s alternative culture is sure to relive the glory of it all. There are also references to part of latinx culture that would be
I mentioned before that the story came across as a jigsaw with beautiful pieces put together haphazardly. And the pieces are definitely all there. The characters and their relationships between each other are compelling. The setting is evocative. But they're all squished tightly together in a way that makes it harder to see the bigger picture. If you were to take the story and stretch it out it would feel more cohesive and understandable. Space out the descriptions of characters and relationships, give transition scenes so the next step in the plot feels logical, and center it around a central conflict so the synopsis is a description of the whole thing rather than a list of it's parts.
Despite all this, the passion still comes through and I'm happy I read it. :D