regans's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
m_mentu's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
trishalah_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Body horror
mad_maeven's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
andthenweread's review against another edition
2.0
this book sounded interesting and had overwhelmingly positive reviews, but i had a lot of issues with it.
firstly, the pacing was off. the majority of the plot moved very slowly and it seemed like the writing was purposefully dense and withholding information from the reader.
secondly, there were too many minor characters who became interchangeable and none of them were particularly compelling. even the two protagonists, gaspar and juan, had a complicated dynamic and interesting moments, but i never felt i fully understood their relationship or their motivations.
finally, this book was just too long. i generally love long novels, but this one dragged on and i felt like much of it could have been cut. the plot payoffs in the last few sections came too late, and by around the 400-page mark i was so ready to be done. the "queer subplots and themes" described in the blurb didn't go anywhere either, and a lot of the descriptive body horror elements seemed like mere shock value.
overall, this book was a letdown for me and i don't think i'll be reading more from this author in the future.
firstly, the pacing was off. the majority of the plot moved very slowly and it seemed like the writing was purposefully dense and withholding information from the reader.
secondly, there were too many minor characters who became interchangeable and none of them were particularly compelling. even the two protagonists, gaspar and juan, had a complicated dynamic and interesting moments, but i never felt i fully understood their relationship or their motivations.
finally, this book was just too long. i generally love long novels, but this one dragged on and i felt like much of it could have been cut. the plot payoffs in the last few sections came too late, and by around the 400-page mark i was so ready to be done. the "queer subplots and themes" described in the blurb didn't go anywhere either, and a lot of the descriptive body horror elements seemed like mere shock value.
overall, this book was a letdown for me and i don't think i'll be reading more from this author in the future.
noel_b's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
5.0
This is a slow, atmospheric book about extremely fucked up family relationships. And a death cult
Enriquez is so good at capturing the voice of different people from different places, eras, economic classes. Even the most monstrous characters feel pathetically human.
Even the most human character carry a monstrous threat
Enriquez is so good at capturing the voice of different people from different places, eras, economic classes. Even the most monstrous characters feel pathetically human.
Even the most human character carry a monstrous threat
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
hannahleoni's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ghostkid36's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
katiewhiteley's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75