House of Bone and Rain

Gabino Iglesias. reminds me of Stephen King. Not so much writing style, but how you really get immersed in his world. He can take a totally unbelievable subject, and when you finish the book, you're utterly convinced it's completely possible and start researching to see if it is.

I was so lucky to get an arc of his newest and was I thrilled and grateful. I had already pre-ordered but to wait so long till publication was killing me.

The main story is friends helping another friend get revenge. A lifelong friend who is making bad choices but out of loyalty, you still support, even though you know you should just walk away. You're lucky if you have that type of friend. I also liked the spiritual practice of espiritismo and santeria was a big part of the story. All my Boricanos and Cuban friends have shared these beliefs with me, and I find them fascinating.

The book is set in Puerto Rico and gives you a touch of island life. Don't let the occasional spanish scare you off. Just highlight and hit translate. A lot of it is already translated in the following paragraph, and it's only five percent of the book. I actually liked it.

The book is interesting from the first page, but wait until you get to the end of the book. It will blow your mind.

Couldn't recommend this book more if I tried.

This was an addictive story about the power of friendship, growing up, love, death, vengeance and everything inbetween, Gabino is a powerful storyteller, writing with finesse he weaves a tale of grief with the most beautiful narration, punchy prose that hits hard, like emotional jabs, but amongst this is almost poetic descriptions, some sentences border on being philosophical, I have highlighted so many throughout this, incredibly thought provoking and evocative, themes of toxic masculinity and friendship group dynamics are explored, well crafted characters whos pain and rage are palpable, expect some gut wrenching moments (duh..its Gabino, have you read The Devil Takes You Home?)The descriptions of the island are lush and transport you entirely, I enjoyed the history and lore of Puerto Rico, I found it utterly fascinating and felt homesick for a place I've never been, Gabino is a master at what he does and what he does is break hearts with his stories, there are not enough stars I could give!
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Loved this book!!! The characters were beautifully rendered, and it had so much history and power in these pages. It reminded me of Fernanda Melchor who is one of my favorite authors!

This book has drained me of all of my energy. It grabs you from the first page and twists you every way but loose! 5 boys growing up in Puerto Rico swear to always be there for one another. When Bimbo’s mother (Maria) is shot dead on a street in San Juan, they decide to get revenge. Maria had crossed the line in some of her business dealings and was murdered for it. These teenage boys had no idea what they were up against. A big drug lord, a corrupt government and now a cat 5 hurricane is about to hit the island! Your heart will pound and break into pieces. I dont think there will ever be a book that will effect me like this again! House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias gets too many stars to count! Due out in August 2024.

Just a damn good book: gritty, instantly gripping, a true spectacle. It doesn't matter what genre is your favorite or if you even like thrillers. I think everybody can appreciate this because of how good the writing and the characters are. Highly recommended.

What a wild ride!! I thought it couldn't get better than The Devil Takes You Home. But it clearly can.

Dripping with dread and darkness from the occult, House of Bone and Rain takes you to the dark underbelly of a post hurricane Puerto Rico where the only light to be found is from your brothers and family. Set out on a quest for vengeance, a group of close friends test their resolve, their friendship and their sanity.

When Bimbo's mother is brutally gunned down, him and his friends decide to avenge her death. They discover a dark and mystical side of La Perla that existed right underneath their noses and have to kill their way up to the head boss who ordered the kill.

This novel is amazing. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page. The mix of English and Spanish was perfect and it was so nice to see conversational Spanish accurately being used in a text. I also loved how this novel depicted the dark underbelly of Puerto Rico, but also highlighting the joys and family that can be found even in the darkest of times on the island. This author is somebody who I will always trust and buy and read their books. Because as of right now, not one miss to be found.

As Hurricane Maria threatens Puerto Rico, four friends are catapulted from their youth after one of their mothers is gunned down. Just as the danger from the approaching hurricane increases, so does the violence and danger of their quest as well as the inevitability of the destruction to follow. The violence that these boys both choose and stumble into may be too much for some readers but the language used throughout draws you in and paints a picture of the beauty of the island and it's residents as well as why those from there feel connected, no matter where they roam. Readers drawn to stories with religion and belief at the core will find a lot to love here. Recommended for fans of Stephen Graham Jones and other dark, literary horror authors as well as fans of Nordic noir. The role that weather and the land itself will resonate with those readers. This is already one of the best books of 2024.

Somehow, during the entire first third of this novel, I managed to forget that Iglesias writes horror (in spite of following him on Twitter and KNOWING he's a Stoker winner) and all I kept thinking was that he was the Puerto Rican SA Cosby. And then, the horror came creeping in and I thought, okay, he's the Puerto Rican SA Cosby, but make it creepy as shit. That doesn't even really give Iglesias his due here, however. His books feel similar to Cosby, yes, in the stark violence but also in themes of masculinity and what it means to do the right thing. But Iglesias' writing is incredible, the way he weaves in Spanish phrases (some of which I could parse out and some of which I translated online) is beautiful even when the subject matter isn't. And perhaps the biggest personal testament I can give is that I usually really dislike the type of horror in this book (don't want to say more and give it away) but Iglesias does it so well so unexpectedly that I was all in. This solidified him as an auto-read author for me.

Thanks so much to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for an ARC of House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

It’s sad and terrifyingly beautiful in all the best ways. Immersive and haunting. The writing is so poetically perfect that I was consistently captivated. I cried. I screamed. I absolutely devoured it. I cannot wait for everyone to have a chance to take in this experience.

Take a revenge story, give it a genuinely informed Puerto Rican setting, make it gritty and gory AF, add a dash of the occult, equal parts paranormal and supernatural elements, but make it heartwarming and melancholy, like café con leche on the front porch with your abuela while watching a storm roll in, and you have Gabino Iglesias’ HOUSE OF BONE AND RAIN. A fast-paced thrilling read con mucha acción y una narrativa muy entretenida. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.