What do you think?
Rate this book
Bone Street Rumba #2.5
Salsa Nocturna: Stories
A 300 year-old story collector enlists the help of the computer hacker next door to save her dying sister. A half-resurrected cleanup man for Death's sprawling bureaucracy faces a phantom pachyderm, doll-collecting sorceresses and his own ghoulish bosses. Gordo, the old Cubano that watches over the graveyards and sleeping children of Brooklyn, stirs and lights another Malaguena. Down the midnight streets of New York, a whole invisible universe churns to life in Daniel Jose Older's debut collection of ghost noir.
140 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2012
40 people are currently reading
1516 people want to read
About the author
Daniel José Older
117 books1,960 followersDaniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
December 9, 2016
Life, death, struggle, whatever: It’s complicated, laden with strife and disagreements, regret, poisoned hearts and betrayals. We’re all survivors of something. And nothing helps all that muck disappear into the ether, at least momentarily, like truly wailing on some deserving fool of a soul-sucking phantom.
Please, please don’t let my star-rating trick you into thinking that this was not a good book! I loved, loved, loved the writing in this collection of stories that focus on Carlos and his friends and colleagues who work for the Council of the Dead and act like a night watch over the Bronx and its most vulnerable inhabitants. No, the writing was gorgeous. The problem I had with the book is simply that paranormal/urban fantasy doesn’t excite me much. So, despite my love of Carlos and Gordo there were only two stories that really grabbed my attention: the title story Salsa Nocturna and a story a little later in the book called Magdalena.
Salsa Nocturna introduces us to the character of Gordo, an old man who watches over the abandoned children at an overnight centre.
It’s called a non-profit but everyone at the office is obviously making a killing. The kids are called minority and emotionally challenged, but there’s a lot more of them and they show a lot more emotions than the staff. It’s a care facility, but the windows are barred.
Gordo is a gentle giant who loves music, life, and a sense of humor:
I always take my high blood pressure pills with a side of bacon or sausage, you know, for balance.
…
“Gordo,” Janey says, puffing her way up the last steps to where I stand chuckling. They call me Gordo because I am gigantic in the old world of rhumba and salsa, a legend. Also, because I am fat.
…
Untold stores of ferocious grace remain in these old bones, however hidden beneath lard and cholesterol.
He keeps watch over the kids, even though never envisaged this to be his calling.
I’m not bragging but even teenagers like me. They don’t admit it most of the time, but I can tell. They’re just like overgrown, hairy five year olds anyway. Also, notoriously poor small talkers.
And it’s not just thugs and hypothermia that he keeps at bay for them, he also tries to help them heal from the ghosts of their past, any way he can. He’s a musician by profession and through Gordo’s eyes we get to see some of the more sensitive side of the night life:
It was a mambo, but laced with the saddest melody I’ve ever heard – some unholy union of Mozart, Coltrane and Perez Prado that seemed to speak of many drunken nights and whispered promises. It tore into me, devoured me and pieced me back together a brand new man.
Of course, there are also real ghosts and ghoulies, some of which are posing a threat:
The thing ate a hipster. Hipster is what they call these new-fangled white people that’ve been moving onto the block – the ones with the tight pants and big glasses.
The other character I loved, and who came to shine in the story Magdalena, was Carlos. Carlos is introduced in the first story as a tough guy who is somewhat undead or unliving or near dead and who is an agent with the council of the dead. Later on in the stories, we learn more about the characters and they become rounded individuals – did I mention the writing was gorgeous?
As an agent, he patrols the streets and has to put up with his share of ghosts, monsters, shape-shifters and politics:
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, death isn’t the great equalizer it’s made out to be. Layers of hierarchy remain, interlaced by the tangled webs of power and privilege. The dead, after all, are human, and what could be more human than an unnecessarily oppressive bureaucracy at the end all be all of existence?
The more I read about Carlos, the less he became this rough-and-ready tough guy. The more of his story was revealed, the more vulnerable he became, the more he became a human being – even though he was dead. And that is what I loved most about Older’s stories: he managed to tell truths (or perceived truths) through the medium (haha!) of a paranormal environment. But the thing is, that the paranormal veneer really was only for show and the stories themselves were as realistic and hard-hitting as if Older had chosen to write in a genre-that did not rely on the supernatural as a gimmick or point of interest. For me the book would have worked better if the paranormal element had been left out, but, of course, I do realise that this is Older’s chosen genre, so I can only applaud him on managing to completely draw me into a genre that I usually avoid.
I was a pretty devout atheist in life. That night in the prop dock was probably the one prayer I could put my name to. Since I died I’m not so sure. Hard to deny that there’s something else out there when you are that something else. Cane, on the other hand, was a true believer all through life and still hangs out in the back of some church in Inglewood on Sunday mornings, smoking his hand rolled cigarettes and trying not to get mistaken for the Holy Spirit. He says every soul is like a tiny shard of glass that reflects God. He says when you’re dead, you’re just a soul, and the reflection is even stronger, not muddled by all that flesh and blood and living people shit.
Please, please don’t let my star-rating trick you into thinking that this was not a good book! I loved, loved, loved the writing in this collection of stories that focus on Carlos and his friends and colleagues who work for the Council of the Dead and act like a night watch over the Bronx and its most vulnerable inhabitants. No, the writing was gorgeous. The problem I had with the book is simply that paranormal/urban fantasy doesn’t excite me much. So, despite my love of Carlos and Gordo there were only two stories that really grabbed my attention: the title story Salsa Nocturna and a story a little later in the book called Magdalena.
Salsa Nocturna introduces us to the character of Gordo, an old man who watches over the abandoned children at an overnight centre.
It’s called a non-profit but everyone at the office is obviously making a killing. The kids are called minority and emotionally challenged, but there’s a lot more of them and they show a lot more emotions than the staff. It’s a care facility, but the windows are barred.
Gordo is a gentle giant who loves music, life, and a sense of humor:
I always take my high blood pressure pills with a side of bacon or sausage, you know, for balance.
…
“Gordo,” Janey says, puffing her way up the last steps to where I stand chuckling. They call me Gordo because I am gigantic in the old world of rhumba and salsa, a legend. Also, because I am fat.
…
Untold stores of ferocious grace remain in these old bones, however hidden beneath lard and cholesterol.
He keeps watch over the kids, even though never envisaged this to be his calling.
I’m not bragging but even teenagers like me. They don’t admit it most of the time, but I can tell. They’re just like overgrown, hairy five year olds anyway. Also, notoriously poor small talkers.
And it’s not just thugs and hypothermia that he keeps at bay for them, he also tries to help them heal from the ghosts of their past, any way he can. He’s a musician by profession and through Gordo’s eyes we get to see some of the more sensitive side of the night life:
It was a mambo, but laced with the saddest melody I’ve ever heard – some unholy union of Mozart, Coltrane and Perez Prado that seemed to speak of many drunken nights and whispered promises. It tore into me, devoured me and pieced me back together a brand new man.
Of course, there are also real ghosts and ghoulies, some of which are posing a threat:
The thing ate a hipster. Hipster is what they call these new-fangled white people that’ve been moving onto the block – the ones with the tight pants and big glasses.
The other character I loved, and who came to shine in the story Magdalena, was Carlos. Carlos is introduced in the first story as a tough guy who is somewhat undead or unliving or near dead and who is an agent with the council of the dead. Later on in the stories, we learn more about the characters and they become rounded individuals – did I mention the writing was gorgeous?
As an agent, he patrols the streets and has to put up with his share of ghosts, monsters, shape-shifters and politics:
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, death isn’t the great equalizer it’s made out to be. Layers of hierarchy remain, interlaced by the tangled webs of power and privilege. The dead, after all, are human, and what could be more human than an unnecessarily oppressive bureaucracy at the end all be all of existence?
The more I read about Carlos, the less he became this rough-and-ready tough guy. The more of his story was revealed, the more vulnerable he became, the more he became a human being – even though he was dead. And that is what I loved most about Older’s stories: he managed to tell truths (or perceived truths) through the medium (haha!) of a paranormal environment. But the thing is, that the paranormal veneer really was only for show and the stories themselves were as realistic and hard-hitting as if Older had chosen to write in a genre-that did not rely on the supernatural as a gimmick or point of interest. For me the book would have worked better if the paranormal element had been left out, but, of course, I do realise that this is Older’s chosen genre, so I can only applaud him on managing to completely draw me into a genre that I usually avoid.
I was a pretty devout atheist in life. That night in the prop dock was probably the one prayer I could put my name to. Since I died I’m not so sure. Hard to deny that there’s something else out there when you are that something else. Cane, on the other hand, was a true believer all through life and still hangs out in the back of some church in Inglewood on Sunday mornings, smoking his hand rolled cigarettes and trying not to get mistaken for the Holy Spirit. He says every soul is like a tiny shard of glass that reflects God. He says when you’re dead, you’re just a soul, and the reflection is even stronger, not muddled by all that flesh and blood and living people shit.
January 9, 2014
This is the first time that I've read a series of stories taking place in NYC written by an author who lives, and experiences the same New York that I grew up in. Normally, the New York City that's portrayed in literature is through the eyes of the white artists that come here, seeping into neighborhoods as they're being gentrified, as the poor (and people of color) are being pushed out. It's a subject of rage for a lot of us who have lived here all of our lives, who have seen the rich result of the diversity of this city. It stands in stark contrast to the white washing of gentrified neighborhoods, with prices raised so high, that people are forced out of their homes, and out of view.
It's very rare to read a book where the people who belong to this city, the real New Yorkers, the workers, the Hispanics, aren't little more than marginal characters whose only role is to support the white male leads.
It was great to read my mother's language,written by someone who also spoke it, and not as a tourist. To laugh at the humor that I recognized so well, and so refreshing to see brown and black people portrayed without stupid stereotypes which are rampant in science fiction and fantasy novels these days (see City of Bones). This is a collection of ghost stories that are rooted in very real traditions.
The book addresses issues of gentrification, and racism while still telling us some very touching stories. There were some stories that lagged for me, but I believe that this was because there were other stories that I loved so much and wished they would have gone on forever. This book is a gem, and I highly recommend it to others.
It's very rare to read a book where the people who belong to this city, the real New Yorkers, the workers, the Hispanics, aren't little more than marginal characters whose only role is to support the white male leads.
It was great to read my mother's language,written by someone who also spoke it, and not as a tourist. To laugh at the humor that I recognized so well, and so refreshing to see brown and black people portrayed without stupid stereotypes which are rampant in science fiction and fantasy novels these days (see City of Bones). This is a collection of ghost stories that are rooted in very real traditions.
The book addresses issues of gentrification, and racism while still telling us some very touching stories. There were some stories that lagged for me, but I believe that this was because there were other stories that I loved so much and wished they would have gone on forever. This book is a gem, and I highly recommend it to others.
Read
February 19, 2019A very good story collection. I particularly liked the way the stories interlocked, so people could go from being narrators to supporting characters to passing mentions, and vice versa. Well-structured stories told in a lovely strong voice with incredible texture and flavour (and a lot of diversity: fat, lesbians, and nonbinary characters all take central stage and white characters are very explicitly told they get to be the sidekick, ahaha). A really readable, enjoyable collection which now makes me want to go get the novels.
May 26, 2017
If I had known these were ghost stories I might not have bought the book, but that would have been a mistake on my part. The casual presence and activity of the dead in this vision of New York is not horror-movie spooky, rather a fascinating fantasy layer of the city built up from elements of histories and folklore. Also, both the living and the dead and those in between seem involved if not immersed in Lartin@ cultures of New York. These elements produce a world that’s dark, both macabre and homely like the sweet soothing darkness under the covers, and at times sad, frustrating, angering, heartening, in all the real ways.
February 12, 2014
Voice, Voice, VOICE! If you want to understand what a writer's voice is, read Daniel Jose Older's Salsa Nocturna and consider yourself schooled. I held off reading the book for awhile because I don't do horror or creepy. But that is not what this collection is. Salsa Nocturna is a metaphor for life. It's a scratch that has to be itched. It's a scab, and as one of my favorite lines from the book states, "... a scar isn't about the injury, it's about the healing." We either walk everyday life alive or dead (both inside and out). Then there are those who die and live a little each day.
These are ghost stories. Ghosts of our past, our histories, our failures, our wants and desires, what could have been, what should have been, and, unfortunately, what will never be. Carlos, the central character in this collection, struggles as he straddles both worlds - METAPHOR!!! He battles demons of the past - both literally and figuratively, while gathering what some might consider a small army, but I consider, family. At the core of these stories are the themes family and lineage. The question of who we are, and where we came from, and, most importantly, who do we serve, and not necessarily why are we here. The idea of servitude is explored in many of the stories (especially in terms of the NYC Council of the Dead).
One of my favorite stories in this collection, "Skin Like Porcelain Death", has some layers to it. In it, a young man struggles with manhood and how it's obtained, and defined, and explored. I love Jimmy's retelling of his horrifying experience. It's real, raw and HONEST! There is more than innocence at stake when it comes to sex, and Older explores the complexities of becoming a man, and woman, in this story.
One might also call these love stories. Not the mushy, stare into my eyes kind, but the sacrifices and fears that comes when you love from your core and trust from your heart. Gordo loves his son and his soon to be daughter-in-law Janey unconditionally. Janey loves her Aunt Cici, and Cici's love for Hyacinth spans centuries. Carlos and Riley have each other's back - no matter what. Jimmy is just down right loveable. This is what love is, this is what we call family.
While I enjoyed the complexity and realness of most of the characters, I did feel that Janey was not as fleshed out as the rest. I wanted to "feel" why Gordo trusted her so much and why everyone falls in love with her so easily. I also think there's more to Aunt Cici that felt left off the table. I did enjoy the juxtaposition of Krys's hard exterior and badass-ness to her inner need to save others - especially Magdalena.
Salsa Nocturna would make a great TV series or movie (maybe then, we can learn how Carlos became Carlos). This should also be added to high school reading lists. It would not only spark interest in reading, but get kids discussing crucial social and historical aspects of everyday life (sex, immigration, law enforcement, justice, technology, etc.).
These are ghost stories. Ghosts of our past, our histories, our failures, our wants and desires, what could have been, what should have been, and, unfortunately, what will never be. Carlos, the central character in this collection, struggles as he straddles both worlds - METAPHOR!!! He battles demons of the past - both literally and figuratively, while gathering what some might consider a small army, but I consider, family. At the core of these stories are the themes family and lineage. The question of who we are, and where we came from, and, most importantly, who do we serve, and not necessarily why are we here. The idea of servitude is explored in many of the stories (especially in terms of the NYC Council of the Dead).
One of my favorite stories in this collection, "Skin Like Porcelain Death", has some layers to it. In it, a young man struggles with manhood and how it's obtained, and defined, and explored. I love Jimmy's retelling of his horrifying experience. It's real, raw and HONEST! There is more than innocence at stake when it comes to sex, and Older explores the complexities of becoming a man, and woman, in this story.
One might also call these love stories. Not the mushy, stare into my eyes kind, but the sacrifices and fears that comes when you love from your core and trust from your heart. Gordo loves his son and his soon to be daughter-in-law Janey unconditionally. Janey loves her Aunt Cici, and Cici's love for Hyacinth spans centuries. Carlos and Riley have each other's back - no matter what. Jimmy is just down right loveable. This is what love is, this is what we call family.
While I enjoyed the complexity and realness of most of the characters, I did feel that Janey was not as fleshed out as the rest. I wanted to "feel" why Gordo trusted her so much and why everyone falls in love with her so easily. I also think there's more to Aunt Cici that felt left off the table. I did enjoy the juxtaposition of Krys's hard exterior and badass-ness to her inner need to save others - especially Magdalena.
Salsa Nocturna would make a great TV series or movie (maybe then, we can learn how Carlos became Carlos). This should also be added to high school reading lists. It would not only spark interest in reading, but get kids discussing crucial social and historical aspects of everyday life (sex, immigration, law enforcement, justice, technology, etc.).
October 2, 2020
The already interesting world created in the two preceding novels in the series is opened up further in the short stories in this enjoyable collection. We follow Carlos in some of the stories, increasingly pissed off by the Council of the Dead’s shenanigans. We also meet other characters, a few of whom will figure in the final Bone Rumba book, I understand. (I particularly like the little inclusions of Shadowshaper people or things in these Bone Rumba stories, and how both sets of characters live in the same New York.)
I love the city in the Bone Rumba series, with its many ghosts, and all the BIPoC dealing with ghosts and nasties. This feels like a real, lived-in place, and sadly, I have only one book left to read in this series.
I love the city in the Bone Rumba series, with its many ghosts, and all the BIPoC dealing with ghosts and nasties. This feels like a real, lived-in place, and sadly, I have only one book left to read in this series.
August 4, 2020
3.5 stars
My reviews are probably going to suck for the foreseeable future. That said, I enjoyed this. I liked the tongue-in-cheek humor and getting to see POVs of more characters. I continue to wish Older were better at distinguishing the voices for the POV characters though.
My reviews are probably going to suck for the foreseeable future. That said, I enjoyed this. I liked the tongue-in-cheek humor and getting to see POVs of more characters. I continue to wish Older were better at distinguishing the voices for the POV characters though.
July 16, 2012
I only gave this a 4 because I didn't want it to end! I have so many questions and unresolved feelings! But I tweeted the author and he's already working on a sequel, YAY!
March 17, 2017
Very good collection of interconnected stories about a half-dead guy who works for the NYC Council of the Dead, solving problems when the living and the dead intersect. Apparently, if you're planning to read Half-Resurrection Blues, it's helpful to read this collection first.
June 11, 2012
I'd like to start off by saying that I received this book as an advanced reader copy through goodread's givaways system, so I'd like to give my thanks to goodreads for the opportunity and to Crossed Genres Publications for sending me this copy from the US all the way to Romania.
I'd also like to mention that the number of books I've read in English (as opposed to translations in my mother tongue) is quite small, so I do apologize if I seem overly enthusiastic about some of the things I'll talk about in this review.
Now, if I were to summarize what this book is about from a standoff-ish point of view, I would say that Salsa Nocturna is a story made up of several (somewhat) intertwining events (or short stories) taking place in a New York City that, unknowingly to most of the living, is also shared by the dead and other supernatural beings and who's main character is a half-dead agent/detective who cracks up several otherworldly cases.
However, standoff-ish is too safe for my taste, so I'd like to go through some of the more tasty details that really bring the music to this "salsa".
And I really meant it when I said music. To me, every one of these single stories is like a cool tune that starts off in a steady, melancholic and low key rhythm of a blues, then jazzes up the mood with some well placed beats and chords and finally goes all funky, wrecking tear-jerking havoc. It’s not all the same, of course. Each story has it’s own distinct song.
Carlos is our main guy - he's a puerto rican, ex-brown, now gray-skinned, half-dead, ice-cool, rock-steady, street-savvy and, to my surprise, a bit love-struck (out) agent working for the Council of the Dead (COD), an organisation that supposedly keeps tabs on the affairs of the former living. Carlos is the guy who gets sent out on the nastier jobs that require skill and finesse and that one thing that none of the floatsy see-through ghosts in the COD have - an actual tangible presence in the world of the living. Each and every time I was reading his monologue passages, I always got that vibe you get when watching a noir movie where the detective is walking around some dark alleys, talking about his deepest, darkest feelings.
Around him revolves a cast of well shaped characters, some dead, such as his ghostly partner, the kind of guy that always makes bad jokes that everyone loves, a gun-wielding teenager girl who's the top hunter of the COD (who also wields a spirit shattering bazooka!) and some living characters as well, like a huge cuban to whom children, both alive and not, get strangely attached to, or a kid who got mixed up with a soul sucking granny and ended up being able to see the dead. I won’t say anything more about them because i really don’t want to ruin your getting to know them, but trust me when i say this, every bit of info the author feeds you about the characters is like a drop of honey in an otherwise very tasty dessert.
Aside from the cool mood and cool characters, there’s one last and perhaps most important treat that Daniel J. Older brings to his work and what i am referring to is, of course, the skillfully written dialogue. Because of it, his characters come alive in ways i didn’t think existed. You can practically see them talking to each other, you can hear what they are saying and the way they are saying it, you can notice their specific accents. You’re just there, in the middle of it all. It’s what caught my attention ever since the beginning and what kept me glued to it till the end.
But speaking of the end, there is one thing that I really did not like about Salsa Nocturna. The buildup of the combined stories is extraordinary, but it’s just that. Just the buildup. There’s no conclusion to it. There’s no final chapter. There’s no end. The story simply stops when the real action was just about to start.
Even so, it’s still a well worth read, but unless the story will be finished in the future, all i’m left with is the feeling that it could have been grand.
I'd also like to mention that the number of books I've read in English (as opposed to translations in my mother tongue) is quite small, so I do apologize if I seem overly enthusiastic about some of the things I'll talk about in this review.
Now, if I were to summarize what this book is about from a standoff-ish point of view, I would say that Salsa Nocturna is a story made up of several (somewhat) intertwining events (or short stories) taking place in a New York City that, unknowingly to most of the living, is also shared by the dead and other supernatural beings and who's main character is a half-dead agent/detective who cracks up several otherworldly cases.
However, standoff-ish is too safe for my taste, so I'd like to go through some of the more tasty details that really bring the music to this "salsa".
And I really meant it when I said music. To me, every one of these single stories is like a cool tune that starts off in a steady, melancholic and low key rhythm of a blues, then jazzes up the mood with some well placed beats and chords and finally goes all funky, wrecking tear-jerking havoc. It’s not all the same, of course. Each story has it’s own distinct song.
Carlos is our main guy - he's a puerto rican, ex-brown, now gray-skinned, half-dead, ice-cool, rock-steady, street-savvy and, to my surprise, a bit love-struck (out) agent working for the Council of the Dead (COD), an organisation that supposedly keeps tabs on the affairs of the former living. Carlos is the guy who gets sent out on the nastier jobs that require skill and finesse and that one thing that none of the floatsy see-through ghosts in the COD have - an actual tangible presence in the world of the living. Each and every time I was reading his monologue passages, I always got that vibe you get when watching a noir movie where the detective is walking around some dark alleys, talking about his deepest, darkest feelings.
Around him revolves a cast of well shaped characters, some dead, such as his ghostly partner, the kind of guy that always makes bad jokes that everyone loves, a gun-wielding teenager girl who's the top hunter of the COD (who also wields a spirit shattering bazooka!) and some living characters as well, like a huge cuban to whom children, both alive and not, get strangely attached to, or a kid who got mixed up with a soul sucking granny and ended up being able to see the dead. I won’t say anything more about them because i really don’t want to ruin your getting to know them, but trust me when i say this, every bit of info the author feeds you about the characters is like a drop of honey in an otherwise very tasty dessert.
Aside from the cool mood and cool characters, there’s one last and perhaps most important treat that Daniel J. Older brings to his work and what i am referring to is, of course, the skillfully written dialogue. Because of it, his characters come alive in ways i didn’t think existed. You can practically see them talking to each other, you can hear what they are saying and the way they are saying it, you can notice their specific accents. You’re just there, in the middle of it all. It’s what caught my attention ever since the beginning and what kept me glued to it till the end.
But speaking of the end, there is one thing that I really did not like about Salsa Nocturna. The buildup of the combined stories is extraordinary, but it’s just that. Just the buildup. There’s no conclusion to it. There’s no final chapter. There’s no end. The story simply stops when the real action was just about to start.
Even so, it’s still a well worth read, but unless the story will be finished in the future, all i’m left with is the feeling that it could have been grand.
October 16, 2015
After reading
Half-Resurrection Blues
, I was very interested in Salsa Nocturna, which promised even more stories set in that world, many of them starring Carlos Delacruz. And it delivered! Like the half-dead, half-alive Carlos himself, Salsa Nocturna straddles the line between short story collection and link novel, becoming more than the sum of its parts.
Having read Daniel José Older's novel, I came at this book with more knowledge of the world and its workings than the original readers (who may have come at the novel the same way), but it doesn't matter, as the stories give enough background for you to be able to follow, and you get some of the exposition multiple times (which, surprisingly, was not annoying since it was usually brief and unobtrusive, though it made me wonder how well each story would stand on its own). This is a Brooklyn where the dead are everywhere, usually in ghost form, and Carlos Delacruz is the one man who's neither dead nor alive, in service to the Council of the Dead. He's not a fan of their creepy, translucent asses, but what's a half-resurrected man to do? They send him on missions, he ain't afraid of no ghosts, job well done. Then there's Gordo—so nicknamed for obvious reasons, he'll tell you—who is 100% living but finds himself doing some ghostbusting of his own. Both of these recurring protagonists have their own voice and style, and they're fun to follow. Even better, sometimes supporting characters orbiting them get a side story, and we get to see them from someone else's POV.
To read Older's stories is to be swept away in the dance of his language, casual and cutting, reminding me of Junot Diaz with its "I didn't know you were allowed to write like this and win awards" flair and untranslated Spanish (and even better, the occasional dissection of the sound of Spanish words and their superiority to their English counterparts). It's only appropriate given the music and dancing that surround his work (SALSA Nocturna, Bone Street RUMBA, Midnight Taxi TANGO, I am sensing a theme here) that his words take on that same energy. They transport you completely to his vision of the city, with all the sights, sounds, and smells therein, and he believes in his world so strongly that you believe all of the various types of dead things he throws at you. Occasionally things have to be explained in gory detail, but for the most part, he expects you to just go with it and it works. I did find that the stories got a bit repetitive after a while, as they rarely wavered from the simple "Here's a dead thing, go find the dead thing, kill the dead thing" formula (and often the dead thing was dispatched with minimal conflict, making it more of a rousing adventure than a mystery or thriller), but I appreciated the continuity between stories, as new characters joined the team or some cases had lasting consequences. The final story feels like the climax of a novel; I loved that it featured most of the characters we'd met throughout the book.
Whether you've read Half-Resurrection Blues or not, Salsa Nocturna is an entertaining jaunt in Older's Brooklyn, which is mostly populated with people of color and people of no color because they're dead.
Having read Daniel José Older's novel, I came at this book with more knowledge of the world and its workings than the original readers (who may have come at the novel the same way), but it doesn't matter, as the stories give enough background for you to be able to follow, and you get some of the exposition multiple times (which, surprisingly, was not annoying since it was usually brief and unobtrusive, though it made me wonder how well each story would stand on its own). This is a Brooklyn where the dead are everywhere, usually in ghost form, and Carlos Delacruz is the one man who's neither dead nor alive, in service to the Council of the Dead. He's not a fan of their creepy, translucent asses, but what's a half-resurrected man to do? They send him on missions, he ain't afraid of no ghosts, job well done. Then there's Gordo—so nicknamed for obvious reasons, he'll tell you—who is 100% living but finds himself doing some ghostbusting of his own. Both of these recurring protagonists have their own voice and style, and they're fun to follow. Even better, sometimes supporting characters orbiting them get a side story, and we get to see them from someone else's POV.
To read Older's stories is to be swept away in the dance of his language, casual and cutting, reminding me of Junot Diaz with its "I didn't know you were allowed to write like this and win awards" flair and untranslated Spanish (and even better, the occasional dissection of the sound of Spanish words and their superiority to their English counterparts). It's only appropriate given the music and dancing that surround his work (SALSA Nocturna, Bone Street RUMBA, Midnight Taxi TANGO, I am sensing a theme here) that his words take on that same energy. They transport you completely to his vision of the city, with all the sights, sounds, and smells therein, and he believes in his world so strongly that you believe all of the various types of dead things he throws at you. Occasionally things have to be explained in gory detail, but for the most part, he expects you to just go with it and it works. I did find that the stories got a bit repetitive after a while, as they rarely wavered from the simple "Here's a dead thing, go find the dead thing, kill the dead thing" formula (and often the dead thing was dispatched with minimal conflict, making it more of a rousing adventure than a mystery or thriller), but I appreciated the continuity between stories, as new characters joined the team or some cases had lasting consequences. The final story feels like the climax of a novel; I loved that it featured most of the characters we'd met throughout the book.
Whether you've read Half-Resurrection Blues or not, Salsa Nocturna is an entertaining jaunt in Older's Brooklyn, which is mostly populated with people of color and people of no color because they're dead.
May 22, 2012
I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
These interlocking paranormal short stories revolve around a unique cast of mostly-Hispanic characters including Carlos, a half-dead detective working for the Council of the Dead, and Gordo, a rotund musician. The characters are colorful and lifelike, even if many of them are dead (or in the case of Carlos, half-dead). The dialogue is brilliant. Older has an obvious ear for accents and speech, as I felt like I was truly listening to these people talk.
This is a New York City where ghosts are everywhere. The Council is not to be trusted. Mythical creatures can float from one realm to the next. Shenanigans ensue.
With most short story anthologies, the works and authors are diverse. That's not the case here. Each story builds on the previous, creating loose continuity. The danger with this is that it starts to feel like a novel, but here there was no climax, no resolution. I enjoyed the stories but I felt like they built up to something that never came to pass. I read the last story (which was the only one in the book I had read before, in a previous Crossed Genres anthology) and thought, "That's it?" I had to remind myself that they were short stories, not meant to tie together in a completely cohesive way, and yet the ending still felt flat to me.
That should be to the author's credit--his stories were so good, I wanted something more. And with a world as culturally rich as this, there is a lot more potential. Older is an author to look for in the future.
These interlocking paranormal short stories revolve around a unique cast of mostly-Hispanic characters including Carlos, a half-dead detective working for the Council of the Dead, and Gordo, a rotund musician. The characters are colorful and lifelike, even if many of them are dead (or in the case of Carlos, half-dead). The dialogue is brilliant. Older has an obvious ear for accents and speech, as I felt like I was truly listening to these people talk.
This is a New York City where ghosts are everywhere. The Council is not to be trusted. Mythical creatures can float from one realm to the next. Shenanigans ensue.
With most short story anthologies, the works and authors are diverse. That's not the case here. Each story builds on the previous, creating loose continuity. The danger with this is that it starts to feel like a novel, but here there was no climax, no resolution. I enjoyed the stories but I felt like they built up to something that never came to pass. I read the last story (which was the only one in the book I had read before, in a previous Crossed Genres anthology) and thought, "That's it?" I had to remind myself that they were short stories, not meant to tie together in a completely cohesive way, and yet the ending still felt flat to me.
That should be to the author's credit--his stories were so good, I wanted something more. And with a world as culturally rich as this, there is a lot more potential. Older is an author to look for in the future.
March 26, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it.
I really love the concept. Somewhat alive and dead at the same time.
I love the sense of humour. I can’t get over the Ghost Elephant 😂
Thank you Michelle for recommending this 💛
“Tonight, for the first time since I died, I feel alive.”
I really love the concept. Somewhat alive and dead at the same time.
I love the sense of humour. I can’t get over the Ghost Elephant 😂
Thank you Michelle for recommending this 💛
“Tonight, for the first time since I died, I feel alive.”
May 25, 2022
Super duper recommend this book. Awesome world building, full of humor and bursting with life.
September 14, 2014
This book is the best introduction into the genre of urban fantasy any reader could have.
It is clear that Daniel himself has his feet planted steadily (no shade to Carlos- get the book to get it) on both sides of the world of the living and that of the dead. He ushers us into the world of Salsa Nocturna so realistically and seamlessly that I was left feeling like this was the norm. The best part about the way the writer tells his stories is that while there are the usual ghostly characters who have unfinished business and who seek to cause mischief or harm to those of us who are living, he also writes about those who seek to do good, to bring justice to the living who are leading unjust lives and those who just want to be present among us because they want to maintain a connection with life. He makes the afterlife seem less scary. I was comforted by so many of these stories.
I was drawn in by the characters before I even got back stories and when their snippets of their histories were shared, I was even more captivated. Let me be honest, I was not in love with all of them- some are on my list of Permanent Side Eye Recipients and I'm not talking about the clear villains of each story.
I live-tweeted my thoughts while reading the first few stories because I was in a world of bewilderment when I read about Carlos' and Gordo's approach to the spirit world. I would not be in a crew with these two men because their idea of recreation did not align with mine and I was super okay with that. Skin Like Porcelain Death is that "WHAT THE HELL?! OH HELL NO!! NAA! BIND IT, LORD!" story for me. And as you continue reading, you realize that these stories are all actually linked to each other somehow, making this so much more than what you thought it would be at the beginning. The book became more than just a collection of stories put together to make me gasp and squirm and throw my hands in the air in judgmental frustration. At some point, before I even noticed, the stories began sticking to me- they connected. Protected Entity and Red Feather and Bone are my favourites, if I have to choose. They took me through a roller coaster of emotions for which I was grateful after reading. My favourite quote comes from The Collector (which you can read or listen for free here) but I'll leave you to guess what it is.
Another one of the best features of his writing is that each story had a believable and necessary ending. Necessary, to me, in that the characters sometimes get what they want and when they don't, it serves to carry the larger picture along in such a wonderful way, the reader is left satisfied. The ending of the book leaves you wanting more without having a cliffhanger. Story lines are resolved while possibilities for other story lines are masterfully created.
The one downfall of this book for me is the fact that there was not even one Jamaican present. All this duppy talk and not one of my people enter the mix? No sah. Do better, Mr. Older. But I won't hold this against him too much as I'm sure he will indeed do better with his future books.
I recommend getting your own copy of this book. You'll be glad you did.
And the best part of all- there will be more! Daniel José Older has written the PREQUEL to Salsa Nocturna called Half Resurrection Blues and it's available for pre-order now and will be out January 2015 (that's in just a few months! Eek!)
It is clear that Daniel himself has his feet planted steadily (no shade to Carlos- get the book to get it) on both sides of the world of the living and that of the dead. He ushers us into the world of Salsa Nocturna so realistically and seamlessly that I was left feeling like this was the norm. The best part about the way the writer tells his stories is that while there are the usual ghostly characters who have unfinished business and who seek to cause mischief or harm to those of us who are living, he also writes about those who seek to do good, to bring justice to the living who are leading unjust lives and those who just want to be present among us because they want to maintain a connection with life. He makes the afterlife seem less scary. I was comforted by so many of these stories.
I was drawn in by the characters before I even got back stories and when their snippets of their histories were shared, I was even more captivated. Let me be honest, I was not in love with all of them- some are on my list of Permanent Side Eye Recipients and I'm not talking about the clear villains of each story.
I live-tweeted my thoughts while reading the first few stories because I was in a world of bewilderment when I read about Carlos' and Gordo's approach to the spirit world. I would not be in a crew with these two men because their idea of recreation did not align with mine and I was super okay with that. Skin Like Porcelain Death is that "WHAT THE HELL?! OH HELL NO!! NAA! BIND IT, LORD!" story for me. And as you continue reading, you realize that these stories are all actually linked to each other somehow, making this so much more than what you thought it would be at the beginning. The book became more than just a collection of stories put together to make me gasp and squirm and throw my hands in the air in judgmental frustration. At some point, before I even noticed, the stories began sticking to me- they connected. Protected Entity and Red Feather and Bone are my favourites, if I have to choose. They took me through a roller coaster of emotions for which I was grateful after reading. My favourite quote comes from The Collector (which you can read or listen for free here) but I'll leave you to guess what it is.
Another one of the best features of his writing is that each story had a believable and necessary ending. Necessary, to me, in that the characters sometimes get what they want and when they don't, it serves to carry the larger picture along in such a wonderful way, the reader is left satisfied. The ending of the book leaves you wanting more without having a cliffhanger. Story lines are resolved while possibilities for other story lines are masterfully created.
The one downfall of this book for me is the fact that there was not even one Jamaican present. All this duppy talk and not one of my people enter the mix? No sah. Do better, Mr. Older. But I won't hold this against him too much as I'm sure he will indeed do better with his future books.
I recommend getting your own copy of this book. You'll be glad you did.
And the best part of all- there will be more! Daniel José Older has written the PREQUEL to Salsa Nocturna called Half Resurrection Blues and it's available for pre-order now and will be out January 2015 (that's in just a few months! Eek!)
August 24, 2015
A series of short stories all focused on a central cast of characters - people and/or ghosts and/or others bordering on the supernatural, all of them in New York. Some of them interact with one another; others do not. Most of them are trying to fight evil or misguided supernatural entities. All of them have pretty heavy-handed sarcasm and irreverence while they do it. Think of a great cop story and cross it with a story about ghost hunters, set to a Latin rhythm, and you've nearly got it.
I positively adored this book. It is weird and spooky and funny. There's mystery and intrigue and supernatural beings you never really understand. There's creepy dolls and really creepy child ghosts and freedom fighters and brujas and a floating lady intentionally creating enmity and chaos in her neighborhood. And a mammoth. Can't forget about the mammoth. I believe I've heard that the next book Older had published is a novel about these folks; I am definitely all in for a long story involving them.
I positively adored this book. It is weird and spooky and funny. There's mystery and intrigue and supernatural beings you never really understand. There's creepy dolls and really creepy child ghosts and freedom fighters and brujas and a floating lady intentionally creating enmity and chaos in her neighborhood. And a mammoth. Can't forget about the mammoth. I believe I've heard that the next book Older had published is a novel about these folks; I am definitely all in for a long story involving them.
July 1, 2013
One of the best story collections I've ever read. I don't usually read horror, sci-fi, or fantasy, but these stories are about love, culture, and the fight to do good in more than one world. I was captivated by the full and robust characters in each story. The themes were intelligent and challenging without being over-bearing. This is a book it'll be hard to stop once you start. Do yourself a favor and carve out an afternoon to dig in.
August 23, 2012
While I didn't always find myself longing to get back to reading (probably a personal thing having to do with short stories), I was always glad when I was reading it. The author's use of language and voice, mixed with an interesting premise explored from several directions, made each story good (and a few that gave me the tingles).
September 22, 2012
I got this as a reward from the crossed genres Kickstarter and am very glad I did, since it's unlikely I would have found it otherwise (a discussion for another day).
A beautiful mesh of interlinked short stories about love, loss and being - or feeling - invisible and alienated. All through the medium of urban ghost stories. Thoroughly recommended.
A beautiful mesh of interlinked short stories about love, loss and being - or feeling - invisible and alienated. All through the medium of urban ghost stories. Thoroughly recommended.
October 3, 2012
magic meets the detective story meets the undead meets racial trauma in the wilds of New York City. These linked stories are told from multiple points of view but always return to the point of view of Carlos half-undead spiritual detective. If you're looking for heroic people of color, here they are. Funny as hell, and lyrical.
April 19, 2015
It's been a long time since a book was so good that it made me stay up practically all night just to finish it. This is such a book. Older's pen is sick and the stories are full of charm, laughter, other-worldliness and characters so real, you'll swear you've met them before even though they are ghosts, half-dead people, witches and such. I absolutely adore this collection of stories.
February 2, 2015
I absolutely loved this collection. I got it on audio and the author did an amazing job narrating.
I was immediately sucked into the world and I began to connect with the characters. I am now on to the novel Half Resurrection Blues.
Fans of Urban Fantasy need to read these stories.
I was immediately sucked into the world and I began to connect with the characters. I am now on to the novel Half Resurrection Blues.
Fans of Urban Fantasy need to read these stories.
December 22, 2015
Daniel José Older wins 2015 in my book -- I read Half Resurrection Blues, Shadowshaper and listened to Salsa Nocturna and they were all absolutely OUTSTANDING. Anxiously awaiting all future works.
March 19, 2015
Ok, so... I've been trying to diversify my reading by trying out books by authors of color, women, and genres I have not previously enjoyed. I found this book by listening to a podcast on bookriot that included some very interesting interviews with Mr. Older. He sounds enlightened with a great perspective on racial diversity and how to open a dialogue with readers about experiences outside of the one that they themselves inhabit. I was so impressed with the interview and his passionate character and the joy that came through in the discourse that I immediately kicked up this book to the top of my to read list.
I was very disheartened with this read. I just want to point out that I am very much a fan of speculative fiction, sci-fi, suspense, fantasy, and paranormal writing. This fits into that niche, but the book made me angry. I almost didn't finish it.
I'm not sure if the protagonist of many of these stories (Carlos) is supposed to relate Mr. Older's beliefs or experiences, or if he is even supposed to be likable. That being said, I find Carlos to be a bit misogynistic, a bit heterocentric, and filled with a machismo-worshipping grandstanding presence that turns me off to the otherwise innovative stories in this collection.
The dialect and dialogue alone would be a very strong aspect of Salsa Nocturna if the stories did not repeatedly rely on sexual humor (and metaphor) to fill the gaps between plot-points. Also most of the characters speak with the same (successfully written) dialect and voice. The problem is that by adapting this one strong characteristic into all of his characters, they lose their own individual voices and personality (it seems as if everyone uses terms like 'homie' that just don't feel authentic to each particular character's experience). And despite having some interesting world-building techniques, the fixation on sex and similes comparing just about anything to lovers really turned me off to the writing.
Two out of the three non-straight characters (or at least the three that the topic arises with) specifically deny that they are "gay." And while one of them becomes a somewhat primary character, I feel like Older picked the easy choice by focusing on the heavy-set butch lesbian (who is a great character, but, again, has a less distinct voice than she should). Additionally, at least one of the women in the same-sex relationship has been exposed to sexual violence, which may imply causation for why she is with a woman (another unfortunate stereotype...many women just like women... and have experienced zero sexual trauma...)? The (potentially) gay Benjamin character seems to have taken on an important role from the mystical story-teller Hyacinth (Cici's siter), but he is both in denial (if he's gay at all) and also feels like a dropped thread. This is problematic. If you are going to diversify the characters in your book to included GLBT people, please attempt to make them three dimensional. Latino/Hispanic people already get a bad rep for their homophobia and self-hate/self-shame due to an over-emphasis of machismo among men, and these characters (in combination with Carlos's obsession with being "manly") only reinforces this stereotype.
I understand that Older's world-building will continue with his future books, but I find his characters almost so intentionally offensive and so similar in voice that I'm just not interested in seeing if they are supposed to grow out of their more juvenile senses of humor and stunted worldviews.
I would like to pause here to also note that every female character seems to be overly sexualized and often objectified. The only ones that are not happen to be either old women or "big-boned" lesbians. Conveniently, these are the women who have active roles in these stories and show the most agency. It seems that women in this collection are in either the attractive camp or the character camp. Janey seems to straddle the line... but unsuccessfully. She is continually objectified while having no story of her own in the collection (though she appears on ghost-hunts near the end of the collection).
I will say that I found Gordo and Krys both interesting and fun to read. Gordo also feels like, perhaps, he should have been the focal character of these stories. The book would have been much more thoughtful and effective in my opinion. Carlos is just that unlikable (and doesn't seem to grow even though the stories appear to be chronological).
I really really wanted to enjoy Older's stories, and maybe a 1 rating seems harsh because the writing has some great moments, but to speak towards diversity in interviews and then pump your protagonist full of macho swagger and surround him with people are almost identical to him while shaming those who are not is just sooo disappointing to me.
I believe the word "faggotry" is used in one instance in this book. I think it was a joke or maybe from a 'villain' character? But there was nobody there to protest or they simply did not care about that sort of marginalization.
Another botched opportunity for Older is when the protagonist ruminates VERY briefly on the idea that (paraphrased) "there is nothing that marginalizes marginalized groups more than a sympathetic white person." To encourage reading diversely and engaging and building of inter-racial solidarity, I'm pretty sure that you want to encourage conversation. Carlos is so quick to judge in all instances in this book that no conversations can ever begin. It is a fact that white people can not empathize with marginalized groups. But if the incorrect response to racial conversations is sympathy, perhaps Carlos should ruminate on the correct response instead? It seems that Carlos only responds to flirtation and anger. Racial discourse in this book seems very much stunted by the first-person POV of a character who is unwilling to try. It feels like he has given up. And for a character who is passionately moved when he sees the possibility for ghosts and humans to coexist in harmony (because they are the two disparate worlds he belongs to), he sure doesn't seem to be able to find a middle-ground racially.
This is all fine except that Carlos doesn't seem to be struggling with this. He seems to see it as inevitable, only reacting and inviting anger and violence. Unfortunately, the tone does not seem to imply that he's in error.
What does this say about diversity?
I was very disheartened with this read. I just want to point out that I am very much a fan of speculative fiction, sci-fi, suspense, fantasy, and paranormal writing. This fits into that niche, but the book made me angry. I almost didn't finish it.
I'm not sure if the protagonist of many of these stories (Carlos) is supposed to relate Mr. Older's beliefs or experiences, or if he is even supposed to be likable. That being said, I find Carlos to be a bit misogynistic, a bit heterocentric, and filled with a machismo-worshipping grandstanding presence that turns me off to the otherwise innovative stories in this collection.
The dialect and dialogue alone would be a very strong aspect of Salsa Nocturna if the stories did not repeatedly rely on sexual humor (and metaphor) to fill the gaps between plot-points. Also most of the characters speak with the same (successfully written) dialect and voice. The problem is that by adapting this one strong characteristic into all of his characters, they lose their own individual voices and personality (it seems as if everyone uses terms like 'homie' that just don't feel authentic to each particular character's experience). And despite having some interesting world-building techniques, the fixation on sex and similes comparing just about anything to lovers really turned me off to the writing.
Two out of the three non-straight characters (or at least the three that the topic arises with) specifically deny that they are "gay." And while one of them becomes a somewhat primary character, I feel like Older picked the easy choice by focusing on the heavy-set butch lesbian (who is a great character, but, again, has a less distinct voice than she should). Additionally, at least one of the women in the same-sex relationship has been exposed to sexual violence, which may imply causation for why she is with a woman (another unfortunate stereotype...many women just like women... and have experienced zero sexual trauma...)? The (potentially) gay Benjamin character seems to have taken on an important role from the mystical story-teller Hyacinth (Cici's siter), but he is both in denial (if he's gay at all) and also feels like a dropped thread. This is problematic. If you are going to diversify the characters in your book to included GLBT people, please attempt to make them three dimensional. Latino/Hispanic people already get a bad rep for their homophobia and self-hate/self-shame due to an over-emphasis of machismo among men, and these characters (in combination with Carlos's obsession with being "manly") only reinforces this stereotype.
I understand that Older's world-building will continue with his future books, but I find his characters almost so intentionally offensive and so similar in voice that I'm just not interested in seeing if they are supposed to grow out of their more juvenile senses of humor and stunted worldviews.
I would like to pause here to also note that every female character seems to be overly sexualized and often objectified. The only ones that are not happen to be either old women or "big-boned" lesbians. Conveniently, these are the women who have active roles in these stories and show the most agency. It seems that women in this collection are in either the attractive camp or the character camp. Janey seems to straddle the line... but unsuccessfully. She is continually objectified while having no story of her own in the collection (though she appears on ghost-hunts near the end of the collection).
I will say that I found Gordo and Krys both interesting and fun to read. Gordo also feels like, perhaps, he should have been the focal character of these stories. The book would have been much more thoughtful and effective in my opinion. Carlos is just that unlikable (and doesn't seem to grow even though the stories appear to be chronological).
I really really wanted to enjoy Older's stories, and maybe a 1 rating seems harsh because the writing has some great moments, but to speak towards diversity in interviews and then pump your protagonist full of macho swagger and surround him with people are almost identical to him while shaming those who are not is just sooo disappointing to me.
I believe the word "faggotry" is used in one instance in this book. I think it was a joke or maybe from a 'villain' character? But there was nobody there to protest or they simply did not care about that sort of marginalization.
Another botched opportunity for Older is when the protagonist ruminates VERY briefly on the idea that (paraphrased) "there is nothing that marginalizes marginalized groups more than a sympathetic white person." To encourage reading diversely and engaging and building of inter-racial solidarity, I'm pretty sure that you want to encourage conversation. Carlos is so quick to judge in all instances in this book that no conversations can ever begin. It is a fact that white people can not empathize with marginalized groups. But if the incorrect response to racial conversations is sympathy, perhaps Carlos should ruminate on the correct response instead? It seems that Carlos only responds to flirtation and anger. Racial discourse in this book seems very much stunted by the first-person POV of a character who is unwilling to try. It feels like he has given up. And for a character who is passionately moved when he sees the possibility for ghosts and humans to coexist in harmony (because they are the two disparate worlds he belongs to), he sure doesn't seem to be able to find a middle-ground racially.
This is all fine except that Carlos doesn't seem to be struggling with this. He seems to see it as inevitable, only reacting and inviting anger and violence. Unfortunately, the tone does not seem to imply that he's in error.
What does this say about diversity?
June 7, 2017
I loved it, like I love all the Bone Street Rumba series. But I do wish I had realized that it was 2.5 in the series and therefore had read it in order. Completely my fault for not paying attention. still super enjoyable.
October 11, 2019
A set of short stories set in the fantasy world of the Bone Street Rumba series.
May 22, 2014
I didn’t win this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer. I won it as a backer of Crossed Genres’ Long Hidden kickstarter!
I love winning free books, especially books as good as Salsa Nocturna.
Salsa Nocturna is a collection of supernatural noir short stories written by Daniel José Older. Characters and locations overlap (they all take place in New York City), but you can read any of them and feel grounded in each tale’s part of the circle. But read them all and more things click into place.
I’m not sure where to start with how great these stories are. Older’s writing is gorgeous and true. In the best stories in this collection, Older’s words have a magical cadence to them.
Older also has a way with characterization. I ended up loving everyone he introduced me to, especially Carlos, the half-dead Puerto Rican soulcatcher who’s the focus of several of the stories. And Gordo, a musician who can see the dead. Oh, and Cici, an old woman with many stories. Yeah, I could go on, but you should meet all these people. They’re awesome. (Okay, I didn’t love the bad guys, but they felt real to me.)
He even made me love New York City a bit, which is a pretty big accomplishment. I’ve never been a fan.
My favorite stories in the mix are many. “Tenderfoot” introduces us to Carlos and has such a joyful ending I cheered when it came. “Skin Like Porcelain Death” might be the scariest of the bunch but I find dolls as creepy as clowns, so that’s where I’m coming from. “Protected Entity” is creepy, too, and dark, as Carlos goes about tracking down a serial killer who’s murdering children of color in what’s now a white part of Harlem. “Red Feather and Bone” is brilliant. I’m in the midst of reading Toni Morrison’s Beloved, which added another layer of resonance when I read Older’s story for a second time. “Forgive Me My Tangents” is adorable, bringing together two of these wonderful characters and creating possibilities for them.
I’ll admit, there are some stories in Salsa Nocturna that I didn’t like as well. “Magdelena,” for example, felt a little rushed (although I love Krys), and “Love Is A Fucking River” left me on the shore, although I love the cab driver. Your mileage may vary, of course.
And then we have that cover: a beautiful image that hints at the magic inside. Saddi Khali created it.
So pretty, inside and out. Read this!
I love winning free books, especially books as good as Salsa Nocturna.
Salsa Nocturna is a collection of supernatural noir short stories written by Daniel José Older. Characters and locations overlap (they all take place in New York City), but you can read any of them and feel grounded in each tale’s part of the circle. But read them all and more things click into place.
I’m not sure where to start with how great these stories are. Older’s writing is gorgeous and true. In the best stories in this collection, Older’s words have a magical cadence to them.
Older also has a way with characterization. I ended up loving everyone he introduced me to, especially Carlos, the half-dead Puerto Rican soulcatcher who’s the focus of several of the stories. And Gordo, a musician who can see the dead. Oh, and Cici, an old woman with many stories. Yeah, I could go on, but you should meet all these people. They’re awesome. (Okay, I didn’t love the bad guys, but they felt real to me.)
He even made me love New York City a bit, which is a pretty big accomplishment. I’ve never been a fan.
My favorite stories in the mix are many. “Tenderfoot” introduces us to Carlos and has such a joyful ending I cheered when it came. “Skin Like Porcelain Death” might be the scariest of the bunch but I find dolls as creepy as clowns, so that’s where I’m coming from. “Protected Entity” is creepy, too, and dark, as Carlos goes about tracking down a serial killer who’s murdering children of color in what’s now a white part of Harlem. “Red Feather and Bone” is brilliant. I’m in the midst of reading Toni Morrison’s Beloved, which added another layer of resonance when I read Older’s story for a second time. “Forgive Me My Tangents” is adorable, bringing together two of these wonderful characters and creating possibilities for them.
I’ll admit, there are some stories in Salsa Nocturna that I didn’t like as well. “Magdelena,” for example, felt a little rushed (although I love Krys), and “Love Is A Fucking River” left me on the shore, although I love the cab driver. Your mileage may vary, of course.
And then we have that cover: a beautiful image that hints at the magic inside. Saddi Khali created it.
So pretty, inside and out. Read this!
August 4, 2020
This was such a great collection of stories. Just before I started reading this book, I was thinking about short stories and series books and thinking that it would be great to combine the two. Daniel Jose Older did exactly this.
All the stories are told in first person, and it's not always easy to tell when the narrator is male, female, young, old, alive, dead, or half dead. Carlos and Gordo are two of the more prominent characters and I'm a little in love with both of them.
Carlos is half dead who sometimes has to be the hit man for the Dead side, but he's a little rebellious. With the help of his living and ghost friends, he does the right thing.
Gordo is an overweight mellow dude who takes what life deals him with good humor and easy acceptance. He loves music, kids, and can see ghosts. He takes none of these for granted.
This small book of connected short stories is fantastic genre fiction. So fantastic, dare I say, it is literary: poetic, humble, musical, spiritual, and deep. It deserves to be studied both for its ethnic/cultural perspective and NYC grit.
So much imagery! From the story, "Salsa Nocturna": "I could now make it out definitively to be a melody; a lonely, minor key melody, beautiful like a girl with one eye standing outside a graveyard."
Mix that in with frank, sometimes crude, language, throw in some ghosts just trying to get by (and some who are are far too ambitious for comfort), family, community, race relations, politics... I can't possibly give this great book the clever review it deserves. All I can say is I loved it and I can't wait to read more about these characters.
(Disclosure: I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.)
All the stories are told in first person, and it's not always easy to tell when the narrator is male, female, young, old, alive, dead, or half dead. Carlos and Gordo are two of the more prominent characters and I'm a little in love with both of them.
Carlos is half dead who sometimes has to be the hit man for the Dead side, but he's a little rebellious. With the help of his living and ghost friends, he does the right thing.
Gordo is an overweight mellow dude who takes what life deals him with good humor and easy acceptance. He loves music, kids, and can see ghosts. He takes none of these for granted.
This small book of connected short stories is fantastic genre fiction. So fantastic, dare I say, it is literary: poetic, humble, musical, spiritual, and deep. It deserves to be studied both for its ethnic/cultural perspective and NYC grit.
So much imagery! From the story, "Salsa Nocturna": "I could now make it out definitively to be a melody; a lonely, minor key melody, beautiful like a girl with one eye standing outside a graveyard."
Mix that in with frank, sometimes crude, language, throw in some ghosts just trying to get by (and some who are are far too ambitious for comfort), family, community, race relations, politics... I can't possibly give this great book the clever review it deserves. All I can say is I loved it and I can't wait to read more about these characters.
(Disclosure: I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.)
August 28, 2012
What started out as a literary mission fueled by lust for an extremely beautiful author became an adventure of other worldly proportions that I never would have imagined! Salsa Nocturna is the most entertaining and “laugh-out-loud funny” book I have read this year. Daniel Jose Older has done an amazing job of leading a typically uninformed reader, like me, through an intricate maze of hilarious post-death, street-level antics and shenanigans all the while doing a remarkable job of subliminally engaging in some serious (and much needed) dialogue on cultural competency. He blends perfectly the modern hilarity that is the African-American and Latino inner-city experience with a glimpse into the past traditions that kept our ancestors connected to the spiritual realm of their forefathers for countless generations. Salsa Nocturna left me hungry for more of Older’s hilarious, emotional, sexy, thought provoking and riveting storytelling. I encourage anyone who is remotely interested in the spiritual to pick this book up and read it! I know this first offering shall definitely not be his last and I wait for more from him with an eager anticipation and a thousand years of support.
May 31, 2013
Fiction that dances.
It is no surprise that Older, a musician, writes fiction that dances. The cadences of his dialogue and the rhythm with which he paces the action in each of the pieces in this remarkable short story collection are the hallmark of someone who knows when to check the beat, when to riff in solo, and when to cut loose so we, as readers, can bust a move along with his characters.
I'm not a New Yorker, so I don't know if the city Older depicts is genuine, but it sure feels that way. By the very nature of the stories' genre -- ghost noir -- it also feels very filmic, with NYC's quintessence layered in visuals, dialogue and soundtrack that are each fascinating. I love this about Older's work, which I first encountered when we were published together in an issue of Crossed Genres some two or three years ago.
I like most of Older's deftly drawn characters, but I do have a marked preference for those of a little more "age," like Gordo and CiCi, whose narratives give hints of deep wells of experience. While I don't like every story in the collection equally (I've got my favorites and I'm sticking to them :P) I think Older's work is remarkably consistent in quality and execution. Even before Salsa Nocturna he was a writer whose work I sought out, now, even more so.
It is no surprise that Older, a musician, writes fiction that dances. The cadences of his dialogue and the rhythm with which he paces the action in each of the pieces in this remarkable short story collection are the hallmark of someone who knows when to check the beat, when to riff in solo, and when to cut loose so we, as readers, can bust a move along with his characters.
I'm not a New Yorker, so I don't know if the city Older depicts is genuine, but it sure feels that way. By the very nature of the stories' genre -- ghost noir -- it also feels very filmic, with NYC's quintessence layered in visuals, dialogue and soundtrack that are each fascinating. I love this about Older's work, which I first encountered when we were published together in an issue of Crossed Genres some two or three years ago.
I like most of Older's deftly drawn characters, but I do have a marked preference for those of a little more "age," like Gordo and CiCi, whose narratives give hints of deep wells of experience. While I don't like every story in the collection equally (I've got my favorites and I'm sticking to them :P) I think Older's work is remarkably consistent in quality and execution. Even before Salsa Nocturna he was a writer whose work I sought out, now, even more so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews