ava_lanche's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Hailing from impoverished slums, trafficked children haunt the streets; raped and murdered girls reappear in silence; mothers curse their daughters; girls are possessed and scarred yet no one believes them. Crushed rib cages and torn entrails – anatomical obsessions turn bloody. Here, what is not said is the most powerful.
As with most collections of stories, some pieces are stronger than others. Many of these stories feel a little... unfinished. Some endings are unsatisfactory, which is such a shame, as most of the premises are unusually creative and thought-provoking.
However, "The Well", "Where Are You, Dear Heart?" and "Rambla Triste" were definite highlights. I also liked "The Cart" and "The Kids Who Come Back".
The stories work well together, and create a Buenos Aires that is filled with danger – physical, mental and paranormal. The poisons of the city has taken on a ghostly shape, and the repercussions are felt mostly by the women, whether it's their bodies or their minds that are marked by violence, and whether the sins are committed by people or by ghosts.
Graphic: Transphobia, Self harm, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Body horror, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Murder, Medical trauma, Death, Alcoholism, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Gore, and Excrement
elenamiles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Suicide, Death, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Child death, Medical trauma, Murder, and Violence
mayze's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Addiction, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, and Suicide attempt
orlabutler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Classism, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicide, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Drug use, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child death, Gore, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Addiction, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Trafficking, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, and Incest
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
‘She longed for summer to be the last, and she spent more and more time in the lookout tower, where she could b barely hear the whisper of the living, which she knew how to imitate so well, but could not comprehend.’
SPOILERS-
Kids who come back- kids who’ve disappeared return but not really human
Meat- teen girlies eat their dead idol
The lookout- ghosty wants sad girl in the tower to replace her
Angelita unearthen- lonely ghost baby comes to haunt her relative cause she was left behind
Our lady of the quarry- fuck u smart girl im gonna pray u and ur hot boyfriend get eaten alive by rabid dogs
The cart- neighbourhood chase away homeless man and theyre all cursed but one family isn’t affected
The well- girl grows up fearless, becomes terrified as her mother and sister delay their fears onto her, she lives on misery, but is too afraid to throw herself down the well
Rambla triste- woman visits friend in barcelona who tells her the streets are full of ghost children who wont let anyone leave
Where are you dear heart- girlypop has a heartbeat irregularity fetish but her boyfriends doesnt mind to much if he dies cause she wants to her his heart beat get more and more problematic
No birthdays or baptisms- guy hired to film things asked to film girl having seizures in which she claims ‘he’ makes her do things
The dangers of smoking in bed- her neighbour was paralysed and smoked in bed till she caught fire and died, girly pokes holes in her sheets with cigarette, the ceiling looks like stars, and smokes out the moths
Back when we talked to the dead- teen girls talking to spirits duh they start to leave mid convo, say they don’t trust one of the girls, one girls brother comes in but it was not her brother
Graphic: Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Trafficking
emimli's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Classism, Body horror, Ableism, Gore, Violence, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Chronic illness, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Excrement, Child death, Child abuse, Car accident, Addiction, and Pedophilia
sygritte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
badspringbye's review
2.0
- angelita unearthed - the rotting baby’s bone ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- our lady of the quarry - teenage insecurities & lust ⭐️
- the cart - suspected curse from the poor old man ⭐️
- the well - nightmares & the woman & the witch & evils & sacrifice & betrayal ⭐️
- rambla triste - rotting smell of the ‘police city’; there was a shift. political matters mixed with horror stories based on true events? sick & twisted & I enjoyed this the most ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- the lookout - ? ⭐️
- where are you, dear heart? - lust again; jane eyre; heartbeat obsession ⭐️⭐️
- meat - musician and his album; cannibalism case ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- no birthdays or baptisms - furrowed brows while I was reading the whole thing. thought it was just a disgusting porn but the open(?) ending left me confused and wanting to know more who was the ‘he’ ⭐️⭐️
- kids who come back - missing kids ⭐️
- the dangers of smoking in bed - ? ⭐️
- back when we talked to the dead - scanned/mostly skipped because ouija plot wasn’t interesting at all ⭐️
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
avareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Ratings for the individual stories (rating is the average):
Angelita Unearthed: 4/5
Our Lady of the Quarry: 5/5
The Cart: 3/5
The Well: 5/5
Rambla Triste: 3/5
The Lookout: 3/5
Where Are You, Dear Heart: 4/5
Meat: 4/5
No Birthdays or Baptisms: 4/5
Kids Who Come Back: 5/5
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: 3/5
Back When We Talked to the Dead: 3/5
Graphic: Body shaming, Body horror, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, Violence, Self harm, Child abuse, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Gore, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Rape, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Child death
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Pedophilia
mcribsy13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Chronic illness, Excrement, Mental illness, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Kidnapping, Self harm, and Sexual content