deepakchecks's review against another edition
5.0
In this collection, the Argentinian author Mariana Enriquez writes horror beautifully. Placing most of her stories in and around Buenos Aires, she has written one of the best short story collections I have read, where pretty much all worked for me.
In Angelita unearthed , the narrator's Grandmother's sister had died in infancy and her bones were buried in the house yard. Years later, the great aunt (Angelita) comes to visit her in the form of a child with decaying flesh and apparently it happened because her bones were unearthed for building a swimming pool. In what I consider the best story of this collection, Our Lady of the quarry , a group of girls have a crush on Diego, but he adores the flat-assed Sylvia and this creates resentment amongst the girls. One day during their swimming encounters in the quarry, Diego and Sylvia play a mean joke on the girls and this makes Nathalia was so angry that she seeks vengeance on them from the Virgin at the quarry.
In The Cart , a homeless person dragging a cart is shooed away by the people in the neighborhood, his cart gets confiscated all because he shat on the curb. The neighborhood gets cursed, bad luck falls upon its residents all except one who made a kind gesture to the homeless person that day. The Well tells the story of Josefina, who along with her granny, mom and sister go to visit a witch in Corrientes and this event changes her forever. She starts feeling unwell and is psychologically affected, which persists for years and she eventually learns that it happened because of her past visit to the witch and The Well at her front yard, not to mention her mother's and granny's treachery.
Rambla Triste is set-up in crowded Barcelona which is filled with wierd people and Sofia who has come to visit encounters a rotten stench which her friend says is from the ghosts of children who were dead or went missing. The lookout tells the story of The lady upstairs who had occupies the hotel and takes different forms to scare the inhabitants. Elina, an emotionally affected person stays at the hotel and The Lady Upstairs plots to trap Elina at the hotel, which might probably secure her freedom.
Where are you, dear heart? is a heart-fetish tale. The narrator gets orgasm by listening to heart beats; apparently there is an online group for such fetishes and she finds a person with a special 4-step heart beat, befriends him, experiments with him thus increasing her lust to dangerous levels. In Meat , Santiago Espina, a rock singer with a huge female following composes the song 'meat' and then commits suicide. Following his guide, his 2 fans (Espinosas), Julieta and Mariela dig his grave and eat him.
In No Birthdays or Baptisms , the narrator befriends Nico, who has a camera, but doesn't want to do Birthdays or baptism, instead he works for people with wierd needs, such as pedophiles and people with fetishes, until he comes across the teen Marcela, whose antics he records. Kids who come back alludes to Argentina's dirty war and the Stolen Children . Children who have disappeared have started to come back, but they are not the same. Mechi at the archive office and Pedro, a journalist investigate the reappearing children but as the true nature of the children are revealed the city is scared.
Dangers of smoking in bed is shortest story of the lot and is a very simple form of horror. Paula, living a solitary life in an apartment, learns that a neighboring apartment had caught fire and a paralyzed old woman died. Probably inspired with the news, Paula then goes on to make a tent in her bed, killing moths with her smoke and starts making small burn holes in the sheet, determined to not stop until she can see the stars. Back when we talked to the dead also appears to be another reference to the dirty war. In this story, using Ouija board, 5 friends attempt to talk to the dead, mostly to find what happened to Juliata's parents who had disappeared one day. Apparently, one among them bothered the spirits and the spirits in turn play a prank on her.
A creepy, haunting collection of tales that is consistently unnerving.
In Angelita unearthed , the narrator's Grandmother's sister had died in infancy and her bones were buried in the house yard. Years later, the great aunt (Angelita) comes to visit her in the form of a child with decaying flesh and apparently it happened because her bones were unearthed for building a swimming pool. In what I consider the best story of this collection, Our Lady of the quarry , a group of girls have a crush on Diego, but he adores the flat-assed Sylvia and this creates resentment amongst the girls. One day during their swimming encounters in the quarry, Diego and Sylvia play a mean joke on the girls and this makes Nathalia was so angry that she seeks vengeance on them from the Virgin at the quarry.
In The Cart , a homeless person dragging a cart is shooed away by the people in the neighborhood, his cart gets confiscated all because he shat on the curb. The neighborhood gets cursed, bad luck falls upon its residents all except one who made a kind gesture to the homeless person that day. The Well tells the story of Josefina, who along with her granny, mom and sister go to visit a witch in Corrientes and this event changes her forever. She starts feeling unwell and is psychologically affected, which persists for years and she eventually learns that it happened because of her past visit to the witch and The Well at her front yard, not to mention her mother's and granny's treachery.
Rambla Triste is set-up in crowded Barcelona which is filled with wierd people and Sofia who has come to visit encounters a rotten stench which her friend says is from the ghosts of children who were dead or went missing. The lookout tells the story of The lady upstairs who had occupies the hotel and takes different forms to scare the inhabitants. Elina, an emotionally affected person stays at the hotel and The Lady Upstairs plots to trap Elina at the hotel, which might probably secure her freedom.
Where are you, dear heart? is a heart-fetish tale. The narrator gets orgasm by listening to heart beats; apparently there is an online group for such fetishes and she finds a person with a special 4-step heart beat, befriends him, experiments with him thus increasing her lust to dangerous levels. In Meat , Santiago Espina, a rock singer with a huge female following composes the song 'meat' and then commits suicide. Following his guide, his 2 fans (Espinosas), Julieta and Mariela dig his grave and eat him.
In No Birthdays or Baptisms , the narrator befriends Nico, who has a camera, but doesn't want to do Birthdays or baptism, instead he works for people with wierd needs, such as pedophiles and people with fetishes, until he comes across the teen Marcela, whose antics he records. Kids who come back alludes to Argentina's dirty war and the Stolen Children . Children who have disappeared have started to come back, but they are not the same. Mechi at the archive office and Pedro, a journalist investigate the reappearing children but as the true nature of the children are revealed the city is scared.
Dangers of smoking in bed is shortest story of the lot and is a very simple form of horror. Paula, living a solitary life in an apartment, learns that a neighboring apartment had caught fire and a paralyzed old woman died. Probably inspired with the news, Paula then goes on to make a tent in her bed, killing moths with her smoke and starts making small burn holes in the sheet, determined to not stop until she can see the stars. Back when we talked to the dead also appears to be another reference to the dirty war. In this story, using Ouija board, 5 friends attempt to talk to the dead, mostly to find what happened to Juliata's parents who had disappeared one day. Apparently, one among them bothered the spirits and the spirits in turn play a prank on her.
A creepy, haunting collection of tales that is consistently unnerving.
malloryyt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
jordannn23's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sorthe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3phe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The strangest, creepiest book i’ve ever read. It’s haunting yet amazing. So deeply disturbing that i couldn’t sleep properly after reading one of the stories yet i kept reading anyway. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who likes darker, creepier things that make you slightly nauseated.
coffeebird's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
I wasn’t into this one at all. The writing is boring and lacks descriptions needed to paint a scene. Stories felt only partially realized and then wrapped up too suddenly, in a way that seems meant to be profound but is instead frustrating for readers. It was a quick read so worth giving it a chance but I wanted so much more from this book.
jpn99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
allisonarth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Read this collexion 2x; twisted, frightening, normal until everything isn't; like Shirley Jackson on hallucinogens.