zoenosis's review against another edition
5.0
This was a big surprise, I absolutely loved this! Every story was at least a bit depraved and/or brutal, but all in very different ways. 'Crime' is much simpler in some stories, like working as a black market beautician, but overall still a lot of murder, rape and gore. Stories I particularly loved were 'The Last Passenger' (Ena Lucía Portela), 'The Scene' (Mylene Fernández Pintado), 'Murder, According to My Mother-in-Law' (Arturo Arango), 'The Dinner' (Carolina García-Aguilera), 'Johnny Ventura’s Seventh Try' (Pablo Medina) and 'Zenzizenzic' (the editor, Achy Obejas) -- though to be honest it is quite hard to pick favourites.
ladymirtazapine's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence
mel_burt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Antisemitism, and Incest
2treads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As with all the Noir series we've read, each and every story pulses with a knowledge that comes from having lived in and been steeped in a place and its history.
That said, the first two stories were heavy, almost as if they resisted being read, the premise of each was very interesting and that's why we continued reading, but they were written in a way that did not engage us.
However as we moved deeper into the collection, the sparks started flying, it was in the dialogue: sarcastic, snarky, humorous; the characters that were resigned, melodramatic, desperate; and the setting that seemed to come alive through the descriptions and existence in the particular political and socio-economic clime.
Definitely a collection in which lies a story for every reader.
TW: rape, sexual abuse of minors, murder.
That said, the first two stories were heavy, almost as if they resisted being read, the premise of each was very interesting and that's why we continued reading, but they were written in a way that did not engage us.
However as we moved deeper into the collection, the sparks started flying, it was in the dialogue: sarcastic, snarky, humorous; the characters that were resigned, melodramatic, desperate; and the setting that seemed to come alive through the descriptions and existence in the particular political and socio-economic clime.
Definitely a collection in which lies a story for every reader.
TW: rape, sexual abuse of minors, murder.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Murder, and Child abuse
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