Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Shiflett had a good idea on his hands but blew it with clichéd dialog, one-dimensional/all too archetypal characters (Roman the unwilling hero, Mila the conflicted love interest, Jay the villain, Otto the drunk buddy, Sanchez the corrupt cop, Alberto the kind soul), Mila's nonsensical mood swings and Roman's willingness to forgive her at every turn (including infidelity), his liberal-to-a-fault/holier-than-thou attitude, un-witty one-liners, and B-movie/tough guy climax (RE: clichés).
Though over twenty years old, Roman oftentimes acts like a fifteen year old - mouthing off at every turn; caring more about his libido than the town and lives that are being destroyed around him. During more mature moments he shoulders all of the guilt (call it "white" or "liberal"), but still refuses to act.
Shiflett's portrayal of women is quite disturbing. They're all either 1) angry (Hilda, the Indians), 2) sluts/whores (the transvestites), or 3) children/childlike (Sweetness, Consuelo). Or, in the case of Mila, all three.
Some lines give the impression that Shiflett is attempting to prove how young and hip he (thinks he) is, but, in the end, he falls flat on his face every time. ("This Jay jerk was becoming a bad case of static cling." "We put the Kama Sutra to shame.")
The one saving grace of this book is the beautifully written prose. Shiflett's descriptions of this small Mexican village truly invoke the imagination, leaving one to hope that his second book continues on with the prose and improves on the dialog.
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