The Santa Muerte: The Origins, History, and Secrets of the Mexican Folk Saint Paperback – May 1, 2016

“Enter … a skeletal figure dressed like a Catholic saint … raised to the altars without … permission.”This ungodly-short book is really more an intensive article about an unholy saint and the movement based upon her called, The Unholy Death. One should know this before purchasing. About the lack of length, I mean. Still, I think it is worth the reasonable price of admission. Santa Muerte is a kind of folk saint, if you keep in mind that most those folks are pretty bad. Gustavo Vázquez Lozano, the author of this short but fascinating piece about Santa Muerte, offers the reader a preview glimpse prior to organizing and presenting his beguiling but disturbing information in several chapters. Hard to do in only 30+ pages, but also kind of fun. Bibles sometimes come this way as well. Short, but with chapters.Despite its foreshortened length, The Santa Muerte is surprisingly comprehensive. Gustavo Vázquez Lozano is both erudite and clear. His writing is cogent and precise, highly journalistic in both arrangement and informative punch. This makes for easy but enlightening reading about a subject sure to garner expanding interest, including a budding desire to stay tuned. After all, a somewhat demonic saint possessing such a variety of deprecatory names, with a highly sketchy following spreading like a virus, is a force to be reckoned with and therefore someone to understand better. As for the cult itself, at one point in his revelations the author succinctly summarizes its most defining trait:“Who cares about theological consistency?”

Obviously there is more than is apparent behind this cult. A lot of opportunistic leaders are trying to reap (no pun intended) benefits from this "saint" as this books makes clear, but it is undeniable that for many people there's something appealing too. I like the psychological approach that the book takes on the subject. From the interviews, it seems that no two people agree on why they should follow the White Lady.

Informative BUT you need an electron microscope to read this incredibly small print.

Giving 4 stars because the print is very small. It would be nice to have had the print be at least 12 type... Looks like the content may be good but be aware if you issues with small print.

Worshipping Death?When life gives you few opportunities, Death may seem the best alternative. Saint Muerte, a.k.a the Skinny or the White Girl, is a Saint with whom you can bargain. You bargain for revenge, for love, for health, for criminal activity or for a quick, painless death offering candy, candles or American money.She's not recognized by the Catholic Church. Police have alternately worshipped at or destroyed her shrines.But She is interesting.

I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot about Santa Muerte lately and I was interested in learning more. This book is fully of quick and easy information for those looking for it. Read this in one sitting and would recommend.

This booklet is a negatively biased criticism of both the folk saint her believers. Save your money.

Absolutely strange how something as weird as this can become a symbol of worship. This is a short but informative read on the "cult" of Santa Muerte. No other recourse but to call it a cult. Well worth reading since it might sometime impact areas here as it has in Mexico, like the sacrifices of the children and a women.