I couldn't get into this book though the premise was interesting. Just felt flat somehow and it is hard for me to give up on a book

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

Set in the aftermath of Franco’s death, this is a mostly compelling and illuminating portrait of young people trying to find their way in a country that still has to come to terms with its Fascist past and in which Franco’s legacy is still alive and strong. Youthful rebellion is everywhere and when a fight turns ugly and a policeman is killed the four main protagonists are forced to flee their hometown and go on the road. It’s never very clear what they are hoping to find on their journey and in fact they often seem both aimless and disengaged. As a portrait of disaffected youth in a changing political landscape I found the book quite convincing, although I did find their self-destructive behaviour irritating at times. There are some tense moments, and some poignant ones, especially concerning the grandmother who has been abandoned. It’s an atmospheric portrayal of post-Franco Spain and I found it interesting from that point of view, but the narrative meanders rather too much and I didn’t care particularly for any of the protagonists.

This book's premise has originally intrigued me, but apparently not enough and it ended up sitting around on my kindle until now. And having read it, it's probably safe to say maybe it should have been left alone. This isn't to say it's a terrible book, far from it, there are some nice passages and I think the author did a terrific job of conveying the anarchistic zeitgeist of the post Franco Spain of the late 1970s. It's just that aside from the well described chaos, the story was much too thin for the page count and the characters just weren't interesting enough to substantiate the plot. Maybe it would have more appeal to a younger reader, someone for whom punk movement has some relevance. There's obviously an audience for this book, even New York Times gave it a favorable write up, it just really didn't work for me. Pages turned, but words didn't engage. In a way it reminded me of Flamethrowers, another well received book set in the 70s that despite able writing and striking cover didn't wow at all. Although this one was mercifully briefer. Thanks Netgalley.