Saint Death is a dark and gritty read but very relevant in the times that we are living in. It’s enticing and the writing is strong. I wasn’t a fan of all the religious overtones, but the story is still worth reading.

Phenomenal story of how the drug trade affects the poorest people of Mexico. It’s tragic story of friendship and death. I found it a powerful and moving story.

The story in this book, about a young man named Arturo is just a backdrop for the author to explain the political situation on the Texas/Mexico border. He uses his main character, who lives in abject poverty and has an old friend who becomes involved in the drug trade to explain the drug trade. The main character's mother worked for a maquiladora, a Mexican sweatshop owned by Americans,which is explained in the book as well. The story of Arturo is the story of many poor people in Mexico whose lives are ruled by those who have money and power. The book is quite political.

It’s very hard to review this book because I WANTED to love it the way I loved Blood Red Snow White and while I think that Saint Death is every bit as well-written as Blood Red Snow White, I didn’t enjoy it as much. I think that the problem truly stems from me – I am a very squeamish kind of reader, and this book is at times quite painfully explicit. We’re talking torture and all manner or horrendous acts of violence being described on these pages, and I just couldn’t handle it.

The prose is exquisite, as I’m coming to expect from anything Sedgwick writes, and I think that the storyline is very compelling, but for me this one just didn’t hit a home run. I found myself cringing and often trying to read through my fingers because I had to cover my face. The atrocities in this book are hard to swallow, made worse because I know that they are the sorts of things that happen regularly in parts of the world, including in Mexico. Drug cartels are no joke.

I love that this book tackles such a large and pressing issue in our modern day, and that it isn’t afraid to dive right in to the ugly underbelly of cartel life, but I don’t think I could bear to re-read this one. It’s just too sad! Don’t come here looking for a happy ending, because at best you’re going to get an incredibly bittersweet one that will leave your heart aching and your pulse racing from the suspense leading up to the final pages.

If you are looking for a realistic portrayal of drug cartels, gambling, and gang-life, this is definitely a great choice for you. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you that this is a sad and gruesome story. It will tear you apart. Is it worth it? Yes. Will it hurt? YES.

What are you waiting for?

Rating: 4/5 stars

Normally, I read Marcus Sedgwick’s books because they sound fantastic, and then I am disappointed. Saint Death did not go that way, and I’m so glad. I know that I’m biased towards stories regarding Hispanic culture because I’ve spent over half my life studying Spanish, but I just have to say how much I LOVED this book. It was gritty and well written. I felt like I was there. The characters were interesting and I cared about them, even though they were obviously making mistakes. It was easy for the reader, as an outsider, to think, “Oh, don’t do that!” but had the reader been in the characters’ places, the reader probably would have done the same thing. Just when I thought that I understood everything, a twist would come up and change it all. Finally, the ending was sad, but I still knew that it had to be that way. However, I didn’t understand why this book was in the teen section. I’m assuming that the main characters were teens, but I don’t remember reading their ages. If they were indeed teens, they had to deal with so much at such a young age. Again, a lot of that had to do with the choices, but given the circumstances, what else could they have done? In a word, amazing.

Wow. This book is brilliant. It is beyond brilliant. It is topical, relevant, important, and I think everyone should read it.

Marcus Sedgwick never ceases to amaze me. I find his books immensely powerful, and each very unique. This book was no different. I found it deeply moving and affecting, and a book that shouldn't be restricted to just younger readers, I believe people of all ages would find this book amazing. Marcus, you have yet again delivered a book that will stick in my mind for a VERY long time!

Absolute dynamite, this book. Sedgwick has crafted a lean and very dark novel about life on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez and it feels completely authentic. Harrowing stuff. I will recommend this to all of my colleagues and every mature teen that comes into my branch. It's fantastic and I loved it.

I fell in love with Marcus Sedgwick's writing while reading The Ghosts of Heaven, a novel I found to be brilliantly structured, perfectly executed, and gorgeously written. Having read two other books of his since then, he has become one of the few authors whose work I will request without even looking at the synopsis. His stories to me are stunning in what they accomplish, whether it is a Cold War parable, a turn-of-the-century Parisian murder mystery, or his latest about narcoseconomics. No matter the topic or the era at hand, he captures human struggle and sacrifice so well that you ache to read it, and yet his prose is so beautiful that you cannot stop reading. It is a worthwhile conundrum and should not deter you from reading any novel by Mr. Sedgwick.

Saint Death has the added benefit of being timely in its subject matter. Taking place in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico on the border with Texas, it exposes the very real dangers and hardships that come with living in a city ruled by gangs and drug cartels. The constant fear and the unimaginable poverty are grim reminders that just beyond our borders there are people with no hope and no future. Mr. Sedgwick never sugarcoats the truth no matter how poetic his writing, and there are scenes of such brutality that will turn readers' stomachs. For all of that, his unflinching portrayal of Arturo, as well as the emotional turmoil he faces while trying to help a loved one, remains pure and honest.

The fact is that he is able to transport you to such a place, where you become so immersed in the story that real and fictional life blur, is a testament to Mr. Sedgwick's ability to build a story. As Arturo fights for his life against a very short deadline, adrenaline races through your system. The dust and sewage fill your nostrils, and the constant backdrop of gunfire assaults your ears. Arturo's fear tastes metallic and bitter in your mouth, and his impotence to make any sort of difference is yours. Mr. Sedgwick does this without commentary and without politics. He puts you in Arturo's story and lets you see for yourself.

Saint Death is the type of novel that should be mandatory if we are ever going to become more empathetic to the world outside the U.S. borders. In a real way, it shows how U.S. policies have real and very negative effects on our neighbors to the south, and it shows the desperation that drives people to cross the border in spite of the risks. What I found most interesting is that it also shows the fear that prevents people from ever leaving such dire straits. Arturo's world may seem the stuff of movies under anyone else's pen, but under Mr. Sedgwick's, it is a world that is as real as if you were there. That is the most chilling thing of all.

Arturo is a teen living in Mexico...so close to the U.S. border that he can see America from his home. So close that he could simply walk across the border through a gap in the fence if he gathered up the courage. He has lived his entire life in poverty, watching American businessmen set up factories in Mexico so they can get rich and use cheap labor. In an attempt to help a friend escape to the freedom that America has to offer, Arturo finds himself entangled with the drug cartels and desperately fighting to save his life.

First of all, I ADORE Marcus Sedgwick. I absolutely love his writing style and how he presents his stories. His writing is always very unique and beautiful in a very subtle way. Unfortunately, however, Saint Death did not live up to my expectations. Sedgwick embarked on quite an undertaking with this book, and I think he fell a little short of his goal. I still really enjoyed it, but it is definitely not one of my favorites and I think a lot of people may have trouble enjoying it.

There is actually not much I can tell you about Saint Death that isn't a spoiler, so I can't discuss the plot very much. Something that I did really enjoy about the book was the relevance to our current society and culture. Sedgwick took on the lofty task of discussing immigration issues that we hear debates about daily. There were multiple facts and statistics that were included about things such as drug cartels, immigration, and maquiladoras. I found that totally fascinating, but I don't know if many people will. Most people aren't looking for a sociological exposé when they pick up a YA novel. I am, but I will be the first to admit that I am not the norm.

Another difficulty with Saint Death is the writing style. I say "difficulty" because I don't want to call it a problem or issue; the writing itself is not a problem, but it may cause some readers to avoid the book or have problems connecting with it. The writing is more akin to an adult narrative than a YA novel, which may dissuade some readers. I didn't even realize that it was a YA story until I was almost finished with the book, when I noticed a note about a YA marketing campaign on the back of the ARC. I didn't realize that Arturo was supposed to be a teenager because the age of the characters was mentioned only once toward the end of the book.

If you are looking for a typical YA book, you are probably not going to find what you are looking for with Saint Death. This book is current, important, and beautifully written, but I fear that many people will shy away from it. The characters were difficult to connect to and there was very little action, making the book feel slow and boring at times. If you are interested in current affairs, this is definitely a book that you need to pick up, but if you are looking for something more action-packed, maybe try one of Marcus Sedgwick's other works. It is quite unfortunate that this book missed the mark with its target audience, because it deals with a topic that we could all be more informed about.

As it turns out, this is just not my cup of tea...from the writing style to the setting, I just found it too depressing. But, it's Marcus Sedgwick, so I will definitely buy it for the Library.

This is the best book I’ve read all year. I mean it completely blew my mind and tore my heart out. Saint Death is a perfect book. It has a relatable character, somewhat experimental prose, and a stunning/devastating ending.

Saint Death is a short book, but it pulls you in from the first page. Starting off introducing the setting with the body of an unknown girl, and moving into introducing the main character Arturo. As a character, Arturo is a perfect blend of good friend and struggling human. His desire is to help, but he’s also angry and hurt. He gets pulled into a turn of events that shouldn’t happen to anyone, but they do and he deals with them as best as any human can.

Through Arturo’s story Sedgwick speaks to the truth of what happens on the US/Mexican border.

“It is a wall that is being built. And these are the bricks in the wall: the drug gangs, the police of Mexico and of America, MIGRA, the DEA, the governments and politicians of these two countries. Then there are the biggest bricks of all. Companies; these giant corporations that are more powerful than anything, more powerful even than the countries where they operate. The maquiladoras here; they pay no taxes. None. They pay wages so low that even a job still means living on the poverty line. ¿And why does this happen? Our leaders; they tell us that this capitalism of theirs will save the world; that it will create jobs so that everyone will get richer. ¡It’s a lie! ¿How can there be a consumer society when its workers do not earn enough to consume anything?”

Saint Death is a book I 100% recommend to anyone and everyone, you’ll not be disappointed by it.

Having finished this book a few days ago I have finally separated it in my mind from Marcus Sedgwick backlog of (generally speaking) dark, fantasy, thrillers (in saying that "She is not invisible is none of these but is still amazing) and seen it for what it is."Saint Death" looks into the life of Arturo and Faustino who has landed himself in trouble with his gang. Trouble that once found will cost him his life. This book is an interesting look into a life of friendship, greed, crimes and blind faith. It is currently available to buy.

Sedgwick knocks it out of the park again! Loved this.

This is an intriguing book - one about life inside the harsh life of Mexico. It is being marketed (at least somewhat) as a young adult book. It just doesn't seem like that is the audience that will get the most from this book.

This was a very interesting book. It was very serious and not really a book to read for fun, if that makes sense. The tone of this book very intense and I feel like it’s more a of an educational read than something to read to relax. This book almost felt like the author’s commentary on current events than a fictional story. And I really didn’t mind that. It was very thought provoking.
I really loved the writing style and I’m definitely interested in the author’s other books because of the writing style. I really appreciated the diversity of the characters and how much Mexican culture it brought to the table. The entire book is very relevant and I really liked seeing a perspective that I haven’t seen before. I was very emotionally invested in the characters and even though I had a hard time relating to them, I still really liked them.
Overall, this was a really interesting, thought provoking read and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a book outside of the norm.

So for some reason (a reason not supported by the book summary in any way), I had this expectation that Santa Muerte was going to be an actual character in this. You know…some dark supernatural presence behind the evil that men do.

Well, she ended up being just a symbol.

But I wasn’t actually disappointed. Though symbolic of the unique mix of darkness, despair, and hope (though an ever so hopeless sort of hope) of the border cities, Santa Muerte does play an important role here.

Although the hero of our story is Arturo, the story is bigger than one young man. Saint Death is a story of Mexico. It’s a story of the lost girls of Juarez. Of the immigrants who die trying to escape for the US in search of a better, safer life. It’s a story of the drug cartels and the men and women who lose their souls to them.

It’s also a story of America. Of Americans who support the cartels and who sit in clean houses or drive shiny cars directly across a border fence and somehow can’t see the people dying scant feet in front of them.

It’s not a pretty story, but it’s a powerful one.

Saint Death isn’t supernatural. The White Lady doesn’t come and grant wishes or seek revenge. The book is grim, sad, and from where I sit on my comfy couch, with a snack and some soft music playing the background, it is a supremely uncomfortable read.

Read this one.