Official Review: Vericuetos de la sangre
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mmm17
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Official Review: Vericuetos de la sangre
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Vericuetos de la sangre" by JR Sanchez-Salinas.]
Vericuetos De La Sangre, written by JR Sanchez-Salinas, is a poetic and touching family saga whose themes involve blood ties, friendship, love, and death. It tells the story of two related Nicaraguan families that are not always aware of how they are interconnected.
The book begins with Migdonio José Parajón López, aka Don Mincho, reminiscing of his younger years. At his desolate farmhouse, he dwells on the past as he repeats his name and watches the rainfall. He remembers his wife María de Los Ángeles Rivera López and their five children: Migdonio, María Josefa (La Chepita), Ausberto, Ángel, and Angelina (Angelita). They form the Parajón Rivera family. All of his children share the same middle name, an homage to their beloved Saint Joseph (San José).
What I liked the most about the novel were the eventful episodes involving the farm life, full of cows and cowboys. The book recounts the adventures of the three Parajón Rivera brothers in vivid colors. The rich and colorful country life involves parties, and I particularly enjoyed the description of the coming-of-age celebration when girls reach fifteen years of age (quinceañeras).
I also enjoyed the cultural and geopolitical setting. There are also violent incidents and clashes with the police due to the tumultuous political environment. María de Los Ángeles has a distant cousin that she is fond of, Rosa Angelina. One of her sons, Cesar, gets involved in political movements; he becomes a revolutionary leader who is prepared to die for his cause. I enjoyed this subplot a lot, but no spoilers are allowed! What I can say is that Cesar and Eulogio, his brother, are interesting characters, and Eulogio gets romantically involved with La Chepita, which also thickens the plot.
As for aspects that could be improved, I felt that the characters weren’t properly developed. This aspect was what I disliked the most. For instance, I wish more time had been spent developing María Josefa. I thought that a little more backstory would have made the secondary characters more interesting, especially the women. This lack of development did not allow me to form an emotional connection with the story.
Finally, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I’m subtracting one due to the lack of character development previously mentioned. I believe that the book will appeal to readers who enjoy family sagas, provided that they can read Spanish at an intermediate level or beyond. The author uses a fair share of profanity, so I wouldn’t recommend the novel to a younger audience.
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Vericuetos de la sangre
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Vericuetos De La Sangre, written by JR Sanchez-Salinas, is a poetic and touching family saga whose themes involve blood ties, friendship, love, and death. It tells the story of two related Nicaraguan families that are not always aware of how they are interconnected.
The book begins with Migdonio José Parajón López, aka Don Mincho, reminiscing of his younger years. At his desolate farmhouse, he dwells on the past as he repeats his name and watches the rainfall. He remembers his wife María de Los Ángeles Rivera López and their five children: Migdonio, María Josefa (La Chepita), Ausberto, Ángel, and Angelina (Angelita). They form the Parajón Rivera family. All of his children share the same middle name, an homage to their beloved Saint Joseph (San José).
What I liked the most about the novel were the eventful episodes involving the farm life, full of cows and cowboys. The book recounts the adventures of the three Parajón Rivera brothers in vivid colors. The rich and colorful country life involves parties, and I particularly enjoyed the description of the coming-of-age celebration when girls reach fifteen years of age (quinceañeras).
I also enjoyed the cultural and geopolitical setting. There are also violent incidents and clashes with the police due to the tumultuous political environment. María de Los Ángeles has a distant cousin that she is fond of, Rosa Angelina. One of her sons, Cesar, gets involved in political movements; he becomes a revolutionary leader who is prepared to die for his cause. I enjoyed this subplot a lot, but no spoilers are allowed! What I can say is that Cesar and Eulogio, his brother, are interesting characters, and Eulogio gets romantically involved with La Chepita, which also thickens the plot.
As for aspects that could be improved, I felt that the characters weren’t properly developed. This aspect was what I disliked the most. For instance, I wish more time had been spent developing María Josefa. I thought that a little more backstory would have made the secondary characters more interesting, especially the women. This lack of development did not allow me to form an emotional connection with the story.
Finally, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I’m subtracting one due to the lack of character development previously mentioned. I believe that the book will appeal to readers who enjoy family sagas, provided that they can read Spanish at an intermediate level or beyond. The author uses a fair share of profanity, so I wouldn’t recommend the novel to a younger audience.
******
Vericuetos de la sangre
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Broke Open by Lela Becker
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RHD
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- Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
This one seems full of drama and action. It might as well be a soap opera! Thank you for your detailed review 
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
