Kerry E.B. Black Binges Books
Today's book reviews, in honor of Latine Appreciation Month (which strangely runs from 15 September until 15 October), feature works by Latine authors. These are but a few of the many truly talented writers who deserve to be celebrated and appreciated.
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
The horror in Jennifer Givhan’s lyrical novel, Salt Bones, isn’t just the supernatural creatures, the superstitions, or the mysterious disappearances. It’s also the generational traumas shared by the book’s characters. Set in a poor Mexicali community situated along the toxic and dying Salton Sea, this book focuses on the women. A daughter disappears, and she’s but the latest in a run of missing women. Rumors of a mythical horse-faced demon woman plague the people. This folk denizen punishes wrong-doing men and captures beautiful, young women. Themes of colonization and environmental responsibility thread through the narrative, with guilt, grief, and even madness weighing on the characters. Without any spoilers, though, I’ll encourage readers to not only finish the novel, but also read the epilogue.
Book Review: “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia transplants the Gothic ideology beautifully into the Mexican countryside of the 1950’s. The glamorous, independent, and kick-butt heroine, Noemi, ventures to the estate called “High Place” to check on the well-being of her newly married cousin, Catalina. Once there, readers encounter suitably creepy inhabitants, stifling isolation, a growing love interest, and mysterious illnesses. Drawing on historic Gothic works, “High Place” becomes a character in its own right, a skeleton upon which to build ghost stories, depraved eugenics, ancient wrongs. In fact, the scenery exudes decadent decay. The dream-like pacing builds to an ending crescendo which should leave readers with much to consider.
The Bewitching ALSO by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is another lush, beautiful, Gothic-inspired novel with interesting characters. This tale is told in several clearly-indicated timelines and blends historical fiction and a creeping horror. Minerva, an exchange student in a prestigious New England school in the ‘90’s, researches a 1930’s horror novel and the life of its author, a woman named Ms. Tremblay. This novel is said to be a true story of a disappearance that occurred on the very campus Minerva matriculates. She looks into the author through correspondence and living associates of the author. Minerva also recalls her Nana, Alba’s advice, and Alba’s experiences in Mexico late in the 1800’s and earlier in the 1900’s. Of the three, Alba’s story gripped me tightest. This is an atmospheric story with witchcraft and mystery.
Silver Nitrate ALSO by Silvia Morena-Garcia (Because she is another of my favorite authors! OBVIOUSLY! HAHA)
I learned so much about film history while reading Silvia Morena-Garcia’s Silver Nitrate. This intriguing tale follows a film editor and the “fading” soap star she’s secretly loved since childhood as they find a famed director who has a volatile occult film in his possession. This story has magic, mystery, a dose of horror, and there’s even a bit of romance, all set in Mexico in the late 1990’s, and it's told with Silvia Morena-Garcia's immersive storytelling and lush prose.
Monstrillio by Gerardo Samano Cordova
For a crazy journey into a monstrously surreal family drama, pick up Gerardo Samano Cordova’s Monstrilio. In it, a grieving mother takes a momento from her dead child (his lung. Yep, she hacked that shriveled organ right out of his chest in full, gory detail) and nurtures it (following a piece of folk lore that’s shared with her while visiting her childhood manor in Mexico.) Much like a homunculus, this body part grows and takes on sentience. The mother - and eventually father, and other family members, too - nurture this little creature, but the new life fights against his own nature to remain a viable part of society. M (as he is called) hungers for flesh, which presents a problem for neighborhood pets, which in turn presents a unique parenting challenge. As he grows, M also hungers sexually, and the way that plays out incorporates his “otherness.” M must come to terms with who and what he is and who and how he loves. There’s a sweetness to the tale in the acceptance of and love for the little life with unsavory impulses. It also looks at what is monstrous in grieving, in living, and in loving. The story is broken into 4 sections, with each told from a different character’s limited first person perspective. It is bloody and bizarre at points and completely unlike anything else I’ve read.
House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
Someone killed Maria, the mom of one of the protagonists, and this grieving boy drags his friends along on a journey of revenge in Gabino Iglesias’ 2024 novel, House of Bone and Rain. The young men encounter evil people, brujas/brujos, inclement weather, and Lovecraftian Eldritch horrors. “All stories are ghost stories,” as we know, and this brutal coming-of-age traipses over Puerto Rico with the strength of an elder god - or a hurricane, which threatens untimely demises. The story is told from the boys’ perspectives, but it also intersperses chapters told from the point-of-view of the women in the boys’ lives. I enjoyed the chapter titles, which reminded me of older works (which I love), and the book indeed made me wonder, “How much bad can you carry into the world before the darkness catches up to you and swallows you whole?”
The Devil Takes You Home ALSO by Gabino Iglesias
Gabino Igesias’s novel, The Devil Takes You Home, offers a gritty, horrifying journey with a grieving father-turned-hitman and two companions. After the passing of his daughter leaves him financially and emotionally strapped, Mario joins two other villains for “one last job” which will leave them either financially set - or dead. The violence is excessive and detailed, but the worst part of the book involves the trio seeking a “miracle” child for a charm to keep them safe on their journey. (That scene almost made me DNF) There’s a bruja so powerful, parts of her were removed, an underworld couple who use hungry crocodiles as inspiration, and internal moralizing that never quite makes it into action. Most important, though, the writing’s intense and immersive, as is always the case with Mr. Iglesias’ work.
Christmas in the Empty Cabin and a mention of another work by E. Reyes
Christmas in the Empty Cabin: and Other Macabre Tales by E. Reyes begins with Dia de los Muertes, includes Thanksgiving, and slides into Christmas while keeping the feel of spooky season - well, alive. This collection contains six tales. My favorite was the title story, which is an old fashioned ghost story perfect for unforgiving winter nights, though the last in the collection, A Scurry Furry Christmas, is a tale of retail turmoil, a “must have” item, and a harried dad trying to secure said item was wickedly fun. Now, this is a collection from a horror writer, but for those who are wary, there are references to child abuse and animal killing, so if these are triggers, be forewarned.
I also reviewed (but can't find) another of E. Reyes' works, a Halloween Grind house which her rereleased with further editing since I read it. If you enjoy Tales from the Crypt, these shorts should be right up your alley.
As I said, these are but a few of the many amazing authors who contribute to the diverse world of literature. Please send me your recommendations, because you know I always like to keep a healthy TBR shelf!
About the Author:
Kerry E.B. Black is a Western Pennsylvanian writer intimately familiar with chronic pain and physical disability - through personal experience and vicariously through her family. Besides writing for journals, ‘zines, and anthologies, she’s published two paranormal thrillers (Awakening at Equinox and Spring of Spirits), four collections of short stories (Herd of Nightmares, Carousel of NIghtmares, Nightmares on Holidays, and Fairy Herds and Mythscapes), a novella (Wolves at Bay), and two poetry collections (Poetic Nightmares and Witches in the Air). Please follow her social media accounts, including
Comments