Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

4 reviews

fiz23_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, Grief, Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Self harm, Body horror, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Ableism

quillreads's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Review:

Our Share of Night is the first book by Mariana Enriquez that I have read. Although the plot and the story (mostly) kept my interest throughout its 500+ pages, I struggled to feel emotionally invested in the story. The horror element of the story, while certainly objectively horrifying, failed to scare me. At most, I felt slightly unnerved. The story is well-crafted and comes together nicely, but it did not need to be as long as it is. 

 

The book explores themes of family/generational trauma, relationships, PTSD, war, queer love, and violence. Personally, I did not find the way the story handles these topics to be particularly insightful or original, and I think the book struggles under the weight of all the themes and issues it touches upon. However, I could definitely see someone else connecting to this story on a deeper level than I did, especially if they have a personal connection to the setting or topics.

 

Some of the representation of physical disability struck me as a bit insensitive, but as an able-bodied person I do not feel qualified to speak on that. One thing I do feel qualified to object to, however, is the unnecessary and problematic representation of two individuals who undergo sex changes. These characters are described as undergoing these procedures in order to better worship the god of Darkness, an evil demon, and the narrator notes that people would freak out if they knew how the Order (the demonic cult in the story) had infiltrated the NHS. Given how trans health care is under attack, any portrayal of these procedures as being related to demonic worship is inherently problematic—but what makes me especially angry is that these characters are literally of no importance to the story whatsoever. These characters are briefly mentioned, only to die shortly after their introduction. 

 

 

The Run-Down: 

You will probably like Our Share of Night if:

·      You have a personal connection to the story’s setting or its themes

 

You might not like Our Share of Night if:

·      You don’t want to read a really dark book (please read the content warnings! This book is not for the faint of heart)

·      You dislike morally questionable main characters

 

A Film like Our Share of Night:

Hereditary, directed by Ari Aster (2018). Similarities between these two pieces of media include:

·      Intense horror plotlines that explore grief, family inheritance, and generational trauma

·      Demon cults and possession

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Terminal illness, Torture, War, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Ableism, Blood, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Mental illness

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Animal death, Classism, Infidelity, Alcohol, Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Car accident, Infertility, Addiction, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

misterwonders's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Transphobia

olivesolivesolivess23's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-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

4.5

An extremely unsettling supernatural epic set amidst the backdrop of the dictadura in Argentina. 

With its evocative and imaginative writing soaked with visceral images of gore and violence, this is a very challenging and difficult read. 

However, Enriquez’s masterful storytelling and characterisation make  OSON a really compelling and impactful book to immerse yourself in. 

I really enjoyed the multi character perspectives and the intersections between them. Definitely will reread again at a later date! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Slavery, Gore, Homophobia, Genocide, Grief, Sexual content, War, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Torture, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Ableism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail