minooboh's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, and Stalking
Minor: Police brutality
syinhui's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
While I liked the ambiguity and bizarreness of these short stories - and I don’t mind them being open-ended - it’s just that overall, it’s lackluster and pretty much forgettable.
“It’s not my imagination, it’s not a dream, it’s not my nerves as you call them, it’s a reality so terrifying that it’s driving me insane, it’s being so close to death that you start to feel its chill in your bones.”
It’s not as chilling as I thought it would be though. Strange and nightmarish? Yes. Very. But somehow nothing quite managed to unnerve me in a visceral way. The tension and air of mysticism dissipate towards the end of each story (because it’s always cut short!) leaving little to no impression. However, I do think that it perfectly captured the anguish that comes from the feeling of prolonged dissatisfaction and painful monotony of life, implacable despair – the remote hopelessness and helplessness that so afflicts the characters and severe paranoia of the unknown, pushing them to the brink of madness.
Giving this a bonus .50 stars for the cover which I find to be the most remarkable thing in this book. Also, I wasn't sorely disappointed. Actually, I quite liked a few of the stories: Musique Concrète and Oscar, mainly because their resolutions were a bit more satisfying than the others and Haute Cuisine was oddly funny (or is it just me?)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Infidelity, and Stalking
ohmyhazz's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Body horror, and Miscarriage
helenamichelle's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Murder, Body horror, and Death
savvylit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
The hype is true: Amparo Dávila was an absolute master at building dread. Her stories have often been compared to those of Shirley Jackson and that comparison is valid. Like Jackson, Dávila wrote stories that are rooted in real domestic scenes and something is just a little... off. That being said, Dávila's voice is still distinctly her own and deeply rooted in the culture of her native Mexico.
Each story in The Houseguest is a perfect example of psychological horror. Where Dávila shines the brightest, though, is in her ability to capture a very specific female fear of male obsession and violence. In several stories in this collection, the true domestic terror isn't mysterious but rather all too familiar: a former lover, an obsessed friend, a stranger on a bus. The latter story featuring the stranger on a bus is one I won't soon forget. That character's fear was so palpable that I instantly adopted it as my own.
Each story in The Houseguest is a perfect example of psychological horror. Where Dávila shines the brightest, though, is in her ability to capture a very specific female fear of male obsession and violence. In several stories in this collection, the true domestic terror isn't mysterious but rather all too familiar: a former lover, an obsessed friend, a stranger on a bus. The latter story featuring the stranger on a bus is one I won't soon forget. That character's fear was so palpable that I instantly adopted it as my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Infidelity, and Child abuse
nikachu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Murder
I would not recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with a mental illness, as it can be quite triggering.ekg's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
readsbyak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Violence and Suicidal thoughts
klor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
While the book has a good tone, I found it hard to go through it due to the slowness of it all. Maybe I'm just not used to the writing style but in a lot of the short stories, the scares and the feeling of dread feels almost juvenile but also not as engaging. I must say it does have some elements that are common in gothic literature or in works like Junji Ito's but at the end of the day, it just wasn't for me.
My favorite short here is Musique Concrete. I liked the narration a lot as well as the character progression and study.
My favorite short here is Musique Concrete. I liked the narration a lot as well as the character progression and study.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
venomousmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Murder, and Death
Minor: Confinement