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Mestiza Blood
Mestiza Blood | V. Castro
3 posts | 3 read | 6 to read
A short story collection of nightmares, dreams, desire and visions centered around the Chicana experience. The stunning, star-reviewed V. Castro weaves urban legend, folklore, life experience and heartache in this intimate anthology of modern horrors. From the lauded author of The Queen of the Cicadas (which picked up starred reviews from PW, Kirkus and Booklist who called her "a dynamic and innovative voice") comes a short story collection of nightmares, dreams, desire and visions focused on the Chicana experience. V.Castro weaves urban legend, folklore, life experience and heartache in this personal journey beginning in south Texas: a bar where a devil dances the night away; a street fight in a neighborhood that may not have been a fight after all; a vengeful chola at the beginning of the apocalypse; mind swapping in the not so far future; satan who falls and finds herself in a brothel in Amsterdam; the keys to Mictlan given to a woman after she dies during a pandemic. The collection finishes with two longer tales: The Final Porn Star is a twist on the final girl trope and slasher, with a creature from Mexican folklore; and Truck Stop is an erotic horror romance with two hearts: a video store and a truck stop. FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
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review
Reggie
Mestiza Blood | V. Castro
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Pickpick

My favorite 2 stories are in the back. The Last Porn Star, V Castro‘s final girl story, and Truck Stop, her very weird story. The thing I realized is V‘s stories aren‘t scary stories for us but the bad guys. Which isn‘t bad it‘s just not what I‘m used to. Once in a while she gets stuck in tell not show. Other than that I really enjoy V Castro‘s unabashed sexuality and her Chicana culture that comes through in every story. Insert grito here.

Bookzombie I love your picture collage! Selena! Is there a story about a bus over the railroad tracks? San Antonio has a haunted railroad tracks legend. 2y
Reggie @Bookzombie Thanks, even though the author lives in the UK she‘s from San Antonio. In a paragraph she mentions the bus full of kids that gets killed on the tracks and from then on helps whoever gets stuck on the tracks by pushing them. We have that myth here in NM. In interviews she often says how some of the missions in San Antonio are haunted. 2y
Bookzombie @Reggie I didn‘t realize she was from SA originally. Yes, the missions and there are other stories of hauntings. You can take a tour for some of the downtown hauntings. 2y
82 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
Reggie
Mestiza Blood | V. Castro
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Super excited to get to this shorty story collection. 1991-92 I remember the cholas at my middle school. Always dressed in black, a lot of Raiders attire, the shhh shhh noise of their black and grey, puffy Raiders jackets in the halls during cold days. The heavy makeup on point, the hair, The Hair!! with the bangs standing straight up in the front like some badass fan. The attitude. So excited for this first story.

CaitlinDBurnside Well, well! I've learned something new today. Cholas!!! I knew the Go-Go-Girls, the Mini-Maxis or the Goths. Thanks! I'll read more on that subject. 2y
tokorowilliamwallace Nice, I love going out to restaurants/venues by myself to explore some cuisine or spot which just came on to my radar, and read! Take advantage of margarita deal days! It's fun to match up the mood/subject/theme of your read to the venue or activity! 2y
DivineDiana @CaitlinDBurnside Cholas is a new term for me too! I love Litsy! ❤️ 2y
See All 23 Comments
readordierachel So evocative. I love it. Did they rock the brown lip liner, too? 2y
Reggie @CaitlinDBurnside @tokorowilliamwallace @DivineDiana @readordierachel Rachel, yes! In my mid 20s (2006ish) worked with this woman name Sonya. And Sonya was definitely a chola who had grown up and was now a mom and a wife. She was turning 35, and a coworker and I were taking her out for a beer and she told us a story I‘ve never forgotten. She was 14, 99lbs if that and lived in Doña Ana which is a little town outside of Las Cruces. Her brother ?? 2y
Reggie had just come home from the hospital with a broken leg and his eyes blacked out because the local gang, the Doñaeros, had beat him up and word on the street was that they were gonna finish him off. Sonya, the brother, and their mother were in their trailer sitting in the living room when they heard them. Cars were starting to circle their block. Sonya said she got so angry that she got up and despite her mother begging her not to go outside ?? 2y
Reggie while pulling on her arm she stomped outside and started yelling that if they wanted her brother that they would have to go through her. And that‘s when the cars all stopped. And just all girls got out of the vehicles. The Doñaeras. They formed a circle around Sonya and this huge girl, whose name was TBone stepped forward and said let‘s go, me and you, this is between me and her and no one else she finished telling the group. The fight began ?? 2y
Reggie and Sonya said she was feeling good and getting some good punches in. But then the worst thing happened where the girl rushed her, tripped her, and sat on top of her where her knees were on Sonya‘s arms. She said that girl was at least 200lbs. And with every bit of her strength, she knew if she could get up she would win. With every bit of her strength she pushed against TBone and thought maybe and realized she couldn‘t. TBone started to wail 👇🏼 2y
CaitlinDBurnside @readordierachel even though I've been a go-go girl and all, the only time I did the heavy make-up was during my Halloween Goth years. Funny bits, I've an aversion to make-up due to Grandma trowelling style but had fun volunteering at the local theatre doing make-up. Aw life is amusingly beautiful!👍 2y
Reggie on her face with her fists and blacked out for a moment. When she came to TBone was standing up and looking down at her. And then she put her hand out and Sonya slowly took it. TBone looked around at all the girls and said Sonya‘s cool, me and her are cool, if any of you have beef with her you gotta go through me. Sonya went back inside her house where her and her brother sat side by side watching tv for the rest of the weekend with matching 2y
Reggie black eyes. 2y
readordierachel Reggie, that story is amazing. I feel like I just read a novella. 2y
CarolynM Great story, Reggie👍🙂 2y
WJCintron Tequila? Now I want!! lol 😂 2y
DivineDiana What a story! Agree with @readordierachel 2y
Bookzombie That‘s a great story, Reggie! Also, that margarita looks delicious. 2y
Reggie @WJCintron as they say- It‘s always 5 o‘clock somewhere. That margarita was really good. 2y
Rissreads Story and a drink! Love margaritas too ♥️ 2y
Suet624 How brave of Sonya! 2y
Reggie @Rissreads 🍹😊 2y
Reggie @Suet624 she never backed down from anything. Most of us cowered in front of our boss and she would be like- call your boss over so I can talk to him. 2y
Suet624 A great person to have on your side 😊 2y
94 likes23 comments
review
Ellies_Books06
Mestiza Blood | V. Castro
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Pickpick

I'm proud to have picked this book & that it is my first book of the year. I've enjoyed every tale, they've made me laugh with joy as I remembered my Abuelita. There was one of the tales in particular that hit me the most, the one about Ariela. I'm Ariela. My purpose is Ariela's achievement. Somehow I can't bear to disregard hope after reading about Ariela and her daughter.
#BookReview #MestizaBlood

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Ellies_Books06 This ARC was granted to me through NetGalley and approved by Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! #BookReview #MestizaBlood 2y
11 likes1 comment