Cynthia Pelayo

"...—because to children, adults were not always the protectors. Adults were the ones who brought about wickedness and regret."

Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo was October's book club pick and I am still thinking about it. Pelayo's writing was atmospheric, full of depth, and seeped with so much dark Chicago history. Her storytelling is superb. She made me rethink fairytales, and their influences in society. I'm definitely seeing the Pied Piper fairytale through a new lens. Chicago was brought to life and I can't wait to uncover more of the city's layers in her other works. Pelayo really set the tone for this one with the clever nods to Candyman, Nightmare on Elm Street and Bloody Mary. There were definite moments when I was scared and could feel the hairs on my arm stand up.

Pelayo explores the complexities of so many themes including:
👤 unresolved childhood trauma and anger
👤 dark side and history of fairytales
👤 the ways adults can be monsters and fail to protect children
👤 the violent, bloody foundations of major big cities
👤 effects of gentrification on inner city populations
👤 how the past can degrade the individual & collective spirit
👤 the ways in which children for the sins of adults
👤 how the genre of horror provides a mirror to society
👤 how violence steals dreams and changes future outcomes
👤 how children will sometimes go to any lengths to secure their own happiness
👤 how Catholic schools don't save you from the violence of the hood
👤 how secrets fester and resurface when not brought to the light and confronted

If you have never read horror before, then this one is a great place to start. The story is gripping with a setting that comes to life. You'll be wrapped up in the mystery and emotion. You'll love the nostalgia of the classic horror movie vibes. Last but not least, the latinx and boricua representation give it even more extra flavor. Children of Chicago will leave a lasting mark on you & leave you craving for more of Pelayo's stories. I highly recommend you pick this one up, read Pelayo's backlist and pre-order whatever Pelayo has coming next. There's a reason she's the first Puerto woman to win a Stroker award.… (más)

The best horror anthology I've read for a while, This World Belongs to Us is packed with unique stories that celebrate the incredible variety which horror can offer, and doing so while working hard (in the best way possible) to make readers' skins crawl. From the opening story on, I was superbly aware that I shouldn't be reading this book at night--or even outside in the Florida fall where the simplest of bugs could relate to the book and set off my imagination.

What makes this anthology so strong, though, isn't just the writing, which is superb. The variety of approaches these authors took to their subject matter, and the way each story added another layer of horror and bugginess, made me anxious to turn forward to each new story. Too often, anthologies have so many stories of the same tone or with similar themes, so that after a while things become repetitive even if the stories themselves would have shined on their own. Here, there's so much fun to be had in exploring the various bugs, themes, tones, and approaches, I absolutely adored the book, and I'm going to look forward to reading more anthologies from From Beyond Press. Additionally, this little anthology has given me quite a few new authors to look out for!

Absolutely recommended to horror lovers.… (más)

‘’In a few hours I will take you with me on the journey to the other world because I can’t leave you, not ever again.’’

In a game of Loteria, there is a multitude of paths one must follow faithfully. A game of Loteria is no different than the game of Life. Shadows, fears, nightmares, threats, secrets. Death. Where does each path lead?

‘’Hair as black as ebony.
No.
Hair as black as a crow’s wing.
A crow’s wing.’’

In 54 stories - as many as the cards of the Loteria- Cynthia Pelayo traces the wealth of Spanish, Central and Southern American Folklore. Each tale is woven through a specific card of the game and becomes a haunting song, a lament of the inevitable, a wail at the whims of Fate. El Chupacabra, La Llorona, El Hombre, the Rainbow Crow, the Sayona, El Sombreron, El Lobizon, El Cadejo, El Pombero, bandit saints, shamans, brujas, curanderas, and world legends like the Seventh Son, the Flying Dutchman, the Irish Banhees. Places like the Isla de las Muñecas and the Aokigahara Forest. From Barcelona to Mexico, Puerto Rico to Japan, Portugal to Haiti, Valladolid, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Guatemala.

‘’Our stories are always in movement, even when we think they aren’t. For we never truly end.’’

Bones and blood, violent spirits, sacrifices born in cultures long lost but not forgotten, ghosts that desire human warmth, very real monsters who sell their daughters to international crime-rings, women raped, tortured, murdered by men infinitely more dangerous than spectres or demons. Stories of spice and marigold, and the essence of the Unknown. Stories that guide you through graveyards and dusty roads around the world. Stories to be read after 3.00 a.m. Stories that echo a guitar serenade under the weak flicker of a candle. Or a scream of desperation…

‘’Inside I know what awaited me. It is what awaits us all. We all must remember memento mori.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/… (más)

Interesting premise that didn't quite come together for me. It's part fairy tale, part police procedural, somewhat reminiscent of Lauren Beukes, but not as well put together. It includes some interesting history about Chicago, but it's delivered by characters who sound like they're reading internet search results (seriously, I looked up rules about minors arrested for different crimes in Illinois, and then later when a character brought it up in the story, they said almost exactly what I'd just found in one of the top three internet search results). And I don't think the MC could have gotten a master's degree in lit and then joined the police and made detective by age 25. Time is weird with other aspects of the plot, too, like the MC's marriage, which lasted a year and they'd been separated for just a couple of months, but the book acts like both of those lengths of time are multiplied by 10, at least.… (más)