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Holy Tequila!: A Magical Adventure Under the Mexican Sun
A dirty mortgage broker is on a one way run to Mexico to end his life. But when he is swindled into buying a dilapidated distillery in Tequila, his plans may have to change. His life is suddenly overtaken by characters both magical and mundane - An ageless hero of the Mexican revolution, who fights astride an otherworldly old steed; a purveyor of sacred piss named Pepe; an East Indian artist escaping a bleak life in the United States who finds himself perpetually mistaken for a native Mexican; the gorgeous daughter of a Mafioso who is on the run from her own father, and most importantly, the Apostles - an ascetic group of twelve men who live in the agave fields, doing only the sacred duty God has called upon them to do, the work of doing no work. Magic, mayhem, mystery and murder ensue at the little rustic hacienda in the hills of Tequila.
334 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 2, 2015
This book was clever, and very funny and bizarre-- with a level of magical realism that has always been of interest to me, so I had fun jumping into this world of Gardner's in Holy Tequila!
While none of the characters particularly stood out as -likeable-, they were all very well developed, deep and interesting and curious, and it kept me more than interested. The story is fun and definitely different than what I normally read, which was a nice change!
I thought it as great, and I enjoyed it! I got this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
While none of the characters particularly stood out as -likeable-, they were all very well developed, deep and interesting and curious, and it kept me more than interested. The story is fun and definitely different than what I normally read, which was a nice change!
I thought it as great, and I enjoyed it! I got this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
October 2, 2014
I loved reading this book. Funny and interesting, it possesssed a natural flow and rhythm. The story line moved the plot toward a suspenseful ending. My only question is, where might I find a bottle of this magical elixir? Perhaps the author would be so kind as to brew us up a batch. But seriously, Holy Tequila is a fun novel that is easy to read and well worth the time! I will eagerly await the author's next story.
August 16, 2017
Holy Tequila! is colorful and has an imaginative premise. Between the intriguing plot and the author's knack for vivid description, the book is a quick enough read.
However, while the plot and cast of characters piqued my interest, I found the execution of the story forced, poorly developed, and excessive.
Though I am hardly a stranger to the occasional curse word, I grimaced throughout the entire first chapter and frequently throughout the remainder of the book. At one point, there was a curse word on every single line on the page. I wouldn't mind if it contributed to the story, but instead it reminded me of a twelve year old who just learned how to drop an f-bomb. Gratuitous.
Additionally, the multiple slights against the Bush administration were just one example of how the author tried to make some sort of statement that seemed incongruous with the novel's purpose. The flippant political remarks, as well as a few of the other generalizations made in the book, appeared snide and ill-suited for this sort of tale. It's not an Ayn Rand novel.
The book's greatest weakness is the complete lack of character development. The author would spend entire chapters introducing a character, only to mention them in passing for multiple subsequent chapters. Then, at the end, the character is a completely different and evolved person. There is no transparency into the character's evolution. I wish the author had shown rather than told us of the characters' growth.
**Spoilers Ahead**
Frank is a horribly self-centered character who, after a single interaction with his new employees, apparently changes so much that he is an entirely new person. Suddenly Frank wants to pay his workers a living wage, harbor an abused woman, forgive his hateful ex-wife, etc, but the author does not truly illustrate this gradual change of heart, but rather simply asserts that it has happened. Similarly, Graciela and Sanjay have a mutual crush consisting solely of stolen glances and shared cups of tea or coffee or breakfast or something for the majority of the book. Suddenly, in one of the final chapters, he's calling her "My love" and offering to lay his life down for her...Huh? I think we're missing some crucial relationship development there. Googly eyes does not a love story make. The two most static and single-dimensional characters in the book are hardly believable as passionate lovers.
Finally, the author simply attempts too much without enough explanation. El Capitan is another character who is introduced in great detail, and then largely ignored for...80% of the book. If the author wants to minimize this character's role, that's fine, but then suddenly learning about Capitan's love affair with his desert flower at the end of the book seemed irrelevant and poorly incorporated. I scratched my head when, in the ending, we find out the character was a ghost the WHOLE TIME. It made no sense, contributed nothing to the story, and was completely out of place for such a minor character. It read like a terrible punchline.
And as enjoyable as the battle scene was to read, it seemed like a cliche ending thrust upon the reader for the sake of a tidy ending, rather than a believable progression of events.
The stilted writing, flat characters, and cheesy and out-of-place scenarios almost make me wonder if the author was writing this with a screenplay in mind. Overall I felt the book had too many ideas and not enough gradual development of those ideas. I enjoy a fantastic adventure and magical tale, but too many of Holy Tequila's plots, characters, and elements simply didn't come together in a believable way.
**I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and am grateful for the opportunity to express my honest opinions.**
However, while the plot and cast of characters piqued my interest, I found the execution of the story forced, poorly developed, and excessive.
Though I am hardly a stranger to the occasional curse word, I grimaced throughout the entire first chapter and frequently throughout the remainder of the book. At one point, there was a curse word on every single line on the page. I wouldn't mind if it contributed to the story, but instead it reminded me of a twelve year old who just learned how to drop an f-bomb. Gratuitous.
Additionally, the multiple slights against the Bush administration were just one example of how the author tried to make some sort of statement that seemed incongruous with the novel's purpose. The flippant political remarks, as well as a few of the other generalizations made in the book, appeared snide and ill-suited for this sort of tale. It's not an Ayn Rand novel.
The book's greatest weakness is the complete lack of character development. The author would spend entire chapters introducing a character, only to mention them in passing for multiple subsequent chapters. Then, at the end, the character is a completely different and evolved person. There is no transparency into the character's evolution. I wish the author had shown rather than told us of the characters' growth.
**Spoilers Ahead**
Frank is a horribly self-centered character who, after a single interaction with his new employees, apparently changes so much that he is an entirely new person. Suddenly Frank wants to pay his workers a living wage, harbor an abused woman, forgive his hateful ex-wife, etc, but the author does not truly illustrate this gradual change of heart, but rather simply asserts that it has happened. Similarly, Graciela and Sanjay have a mutual crush consisting solely of stolen glances and shared cups of tea or coffee or breakfast or something for the majority of the book. Suddenly, in one of the final chapters, he's calling her "My love" and offering to lay his life down for her...Huh? I think we're missing some crucial relationship development there. Googly eyes does not a love story make. The two most static and single-dimensional characters in the book are hardly believable as passionate lovers.
Finally, the author simply attempts too much without enough explanation. El Capitan is another character who is introduced in great detail, and then largely ignored for...80% of the book. If the author wants to minimize this character's role, that's fine, but then suddenly learning about Capitan's love affair with his desert flower at the end of the book seemed irrelevant and poorly incorporated. I scratched my head when, in the ending, we find out the character was a ghost the WHOLE TIME. It made no sense, contributed nothing to the story, and was completely out of place for such a minor character. It read like a terrible punchline.
And as enjoyable as the battle scene was to read, it seemed like a cliche ending thrust upon the reader for the sake of a tidy ending, rather than a believable progression of events.
The stilted writing, flat characters, and cheesy and out-of-place scenarios almost make me wonder if the author was writing this with a screenplay in mind. Overall I felt the book had too many ideas and not enough gradual development of those ideas. I enjoy a fantastic adventure and magical tale, but too many of Holy Tequila's plots, characters, and elements simply didn't come together in a believable way.
**I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and am grateful for the opportunity to express my honest opinions.**
February 29, 2016
It really didn't take me 2 years to finish this book - I lost it for a year. I found it underneath my seat in the car. With that being said, it was a slow moving read. The characters are memorable and appealing, all but the woman Graciela as she is known. Her character needed more depth. It didn't start moving along until the halfway point. So, yes, it probably took 4 months to read the first half. The last half, I was excited to read it, eager to see where it went. It was an 'Adventure' for everyone involved, but I think it really needed a little more kick.
October 30, 2014
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
From the beginning of the book, I was hooked. The main character starts off as a shady character, and eventually finds himself in a unique situation in Mexico. The characters are well written and hilarious to read about. I found myself constantly reading passages out loud to someone because they were just too funny not to share.
I can see myself reading this book again. And I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read.
From the beginning of the book, I was hooked. The main character starts off as a shady character, and eventually finds himself in a unique situation in Mexico. The characters are well written and hilarious to read about. I found myself constantly reading passages out loud to someone because they were just too funny not to share.
I can see myself reading this book again. And I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read.
August 26, 2014
This book was very confusing. The time(past and present) keeps hopping around. By chapter 13 when all the character story lines seem to have converged and you can follow along, it jumps back.
I didn't find the characters very likable. They all seem to be trying to get over on someone.
Even though characters and story are tongue-in-cheek, it does not reflect well on Americans or Mexicans.
I didn't find the characters very likable. They all seem to be trying to get over on someone.
Even though characters and story are tongue-in-cheek, it does not reflect well on Americans or Mexicans.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews