The Queen of the Cicadas

"4.75 stars"

"Well this started off really well and then got kind of weird? I loved the cultural aspects and the historical references within the story, and the bit of horror in there was extremely well done.<br/><br/>But then like 2/3 in the story shifted tone, and while it wasn’t bad per say, it’s not the direction I saw it going. I liked the overall concept (very American Gods) but it’s been done.<br/><br/>Still, I wanted to read this book in honor of the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, because I think these kinds of stories are really important. Bloody Mary’s got nothing on The Queen of Cicadas, and I definitely won’t be whispering words to mirrors any time soon!"

"The Queen of the Cicadas combines folklore and myth. The story has dual timelines with the first focusing on Belinda who is in Texas for her friend's wedding. The farmhouse in Alice, Texas just so happens to be the site of the murder of Milagros Santos, now known as La Reina de la Chicharras, or Queen of the Cicadas. <br/><br/>Belinda becomes fascinated by the story of Milagros and decides to investigate the urban legend and bring some closure to the Milagros family with the owner of the farm, Hector.<br/><br/>The second timeline focuses n Milagros and the events that lead up to her racially motivated murder on that farm. Milagros was a migrant worker who picked cotton the farm and sent the money back to her family in Mexico until her death.<br/><br/>The dual timelines were a little confusing at first, but once I got into the rhythm of it, I was able to follow. The plot is very well done and made me want to keep reading to see what happened next. I felt the characters were well rounded and I enjoyed getting to know them. <br/><br/>Not only is this a tale of horror, it is also a look at migrant workers who were brought to the US using the bracero program and the conditions that many faced. The bracero program was a government program that brought people from Mexico to the US because there weren't enough farm workers to tend the farms because of World War II <br/><br/>My appreciation to Flame Tree Press, author V. Castro, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review."

"Mexican folklore as a ghost story gave this book a great fresh horror feel with a foundation of history and myth. Found families and vengeance, injustice and a yearning to make things right. Looking forward to more by V. Castro!"