Scan barcode
ameltdown's review against another edition
5.0
Left me wanting more (in a good way)
So many of the stories made me wish there was a continuation to the story. Would definitely recommend and i hope the author returns to some of the stories later on.
So many of the stories made me wish there was a continuation to the story. Would definitely recommend and i hope the author returns to some of the stories later on.
rleigh78's review against another edition
5.0
In the introduction to Laura Diaz de Arce’s Monstrosity, she acknowledges that in our society, being “too much” is often seen as being monstrous. She also dedicates the book to anyone who fits this exact description, but also concedes that instead maybe this world is simply not enough. These words mirror the standards to which women are all too often held. Monstrosity is unapologetically female. Almost all of the main characters are women, and even though almost all of them are monsters it needs to be stated that nearly none of them are monstrous.
Monstrosity is divided into three parts: “Hominum,” “Mutatio,” and “Monstrum.” There are definite themes to each section, with “Hominum” containing mostly human monsters. I found myself relating strongly (should I admit this?) to the characters in the first two stories, “Without Him (and Him, and Him) There is No Me” and “Three Beats Per Measure.” These two stories could very well be combined into one and at least for me, it would not feel off or out of place in any way. “Without Him” is a strong nod to sexual identity – as women, we aren’t encouraged to enjoy or like sex. Look at the comment section of any social post mentioning sex workers or sites such as OnlyFans and you’ll see scores of men berating the same women to which they masturbate for daring to put themselves out there, for capitalizing rather than letting someone else do it. “Three Beats” is pure rage, which women are also not supposed to express or experience. Frankly, I absolutely delighted in the extent that I related to these two women and I retract my previous about whether to admit it. The last story in this first part is called “La Bruja Y El Vendedor or How Eduardo Found His Heart” is a straight up fairy tale that seamlessly weaves Spanish with English. Don’t be afraid of this if you don’t speak or understand Spanish, there are translation apps online for you to use. It enhances the story’s atmosphere, and if you skip this story because you don’t want to do the work then you don’t deserve this story.
The stories in the second part, “Mutatio,” are otherworldly – literally. Every single one of these could be expanded into at least a novella. “Plum Moon” was the most intriguing for me, once again weaving a thread of rage into a science fiction setting. “Change” is a fantasy tale with a ton of subtle hints to a pretty mysterious backstory that I’d like to see more of. “A Promise” is a sadly optimistic tale of a world gone bad and what we’re leaving for future generations.
Monstrosity’s final section, “Monstrum,” is pure sex. Lots of sex, with plenty of death and violence thrown in. This last part also has the most actual real monsters. There’s a sexy succubus bookseller in “Hardcover, Softcover,” a creature just looking out for her child and trying to keep her head above water while making a living. The beings in “Mandibles” are a quartet of sisters also just trying to feed themselves and live their lives. I’m not sure what exactly they are – when reading it, I immediately considered them Lamia, but I could be and am most likely not correct. The sex machine in “The West Hamberline Bordello Opens at Five” is an actual sex robot, although not always just used for sex.
These twelve stories will probably read differently for different genders. I am a woman, so I’m not certain how a man will interpret any of them. I fear they may read them and immediately feel defensive, and that’s unfortunate because these are very good stories that share some very interesting perspectives. I read an e-book edition, and I caught one spelling error that looks like it may have simply been a case of a synonym being used in place of the intended word. Had there been more errors, I probably would have dropped a star. Considering that in the last story I wrote I misspelled a word I definitely know how to spell, I’m more than willing to overlook a spelling error.
There are frightening stories here not solely because they’re scary or because bad things happen to people, but because in some of them you will be forced to look at yourself maybe a little differently. Laura Diaz de Arce is not an author whose name you’ll come across often, but I’d like to see more from her, and hers is a voice that definitely deserves to be heard.
Monstrosity is divided into three parts: “Hominum,” “Mutatio,” and “Monstrum.” There are definite themes to each section, with “Hominum” containing mostly human monsters. I found myself relating strongly (should I admit this?) to the characters in the first two stories, “Without Him (and Him, and Him) There is No Me” and “Three Beats Per Measure.” These two stories could very well be combined into one and at least for me, it would not feel off or out of place in any way. “Without Him” is a strong nod to sexual identity – as women, we aren’t encouraged to enjoy or like sex. Look at the comment section of any social post mentioning sex workers or sites such as OnlyFans and you’ll see scores of men berating the same women to which they masturbate for daring to put themselves out there, for capitalizing rather than letting someone else do it. “Three Beats” is pure rage, which women are also not supposed to express or experience. Frankly, I absolutely delighted in the extent that I related to these two women and I retract my previous about whether to admit it. The last story in this first part is called “La Bruja Y El Vendedor or How Eduardo Found His Heart” is a straight up fairy tale that seamlessly weaves Spanish with English. Don’t be afraid of this if you don’t speak or understand Spanish, there are translation apps online for you to use. It enhances the story’s atmosphere, and if you skip this story because you don’t want to do the work then you don’t deserve this story.
The stories in the second part, “Mutatio,” are otherworldly – literally. Every single one of these could be expanded into at least a novella. “Plum Moon” was the most intriguing for me, once again weaving a thread of rage into a science fiction setting. “Change” is a fantasy tale with a ton of subtle hints to a pretty mysterious backstory that I’d like to see more of. “A Promise” is a sadly optimistic tale of a world gone bad and what we’re leaving for future generations.
Monstrosity’s final section, “Monstrum,” is pure sex. Lots of sex, with plenty of death and violence thrown in. This last part also has the most actual real monsters. There’s a sexy succubus bookseller in “Hardcover, Softcover,” a creature just looking out for her child and trying to keep her head above water while making a living. The beings in “Mandibles” are a quartet of sisters also just trying to feed themselves and live their lives. I’m not sure what exactly they are – when reading it, I immediately considered them Lamia, but I could be and am most likely not correct. The sex machine in “The West Hamberline Bordello Opens at Five” is an actual sex robot, although not always just used for sex.
These twelve stories will probably read differently for different genders. I am a woman, so I’m not certain how a man will interpret any of them. I fear they may read them and immediately feel defensive, and that’s unfortunate because these are very good stories that share some very interesting perspectives. I read an e-book edition, and I caught one spelling error that looks like it may have simply been a case of a synonym being used in place of the intended word. Had there been more errors, I probably would have dropped a star. Considering that in the last story I wrote I misspelled a word I definitely know how to spell, I’m more than willing to overlook a spelling error.
There are frightening stories here not solely because they’re scary or because bad things happen to people, but because in some of them you will be forced to look at yourself maybe a little differently. Laura Diaz de Arce is not an author whose name you’ll come across often, but I’d like to see more from her, and hers is a voice that definitely deserves to be heard.
nicobellfiction's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
5.0
Monstrosity is filled with delicious short story morsels that combines wit, horror, science fiction, and feminism. The collection is divided into three parts: hominum, mutatio, and monstrum. Each section contains four gripping stories guaranteed to connect with readers.
In hominum, we meet a woman who morphs into the perfect partner for her various boyfriends, a lady who seeks therapy to quench her anger, an addict, and a love story written in Spanglish. Mutatio focuses on body horror and mutations including a story of a young woman fleeing an abusive stepfather, a goddess finding her place on Earth, a science fiction story of an explorer seeking a better planet and future for her family, and another scifi tale of space exploration and mining. The final section monstrum tells the story of a young woman lost on a hike, a group of sisters with a secret, an AI sexbot, and a mysterious bookstore owner just trying to take care of her child in a small town.
With a largely female cast, there is a strong wave of female empowerment through these stories as well as memorable strong-willed characters with dark secrets. There are graphic moments of disturbing images balanced with beautiful imagery and insight into human behavior. Readers of various age, gender, and life experiences will interpret these stories completely differently. For me, I sympathized with the raw anger and frustration felt by the woman protagonists trying to navigate a demanding and often unfair society. The stories of mothers protecting and sacrificing for their children will resonate with many readers. This would make a great book club selection as I imagine the discussion would include a lot of rich and eye-opening insight.
I got a free copy for review.
In hominum, we meet a woman who morphs into the perfect partner for her various boyfriends, a lady who seeks therapy to quench her anger, an addict, and a love story written in Spanglish. Mutatio focuses on body horror and mutations including a story of a young woman fleeing an abusive stepfather, a goddess finding her place on Earth, a science fiction story of an explorer seeking a better planet and future for her family, and another scifi tale of space exploration and mining. The final section monstrum tells the story of a young woman lost on a hike, a group of sisters with a secret, an AI sexbot, and a mysterious bookstore owner just trying to take care of her child in a small town.
With a largely female cast, there is a strong wave of female empowerment through these stories as well as memorable strong-willed characters with dark secrets. There are graphic moments of disturbing images balanced with beautiful imagery and insight into human behavior. Readers of various age, gender, and life experiences will interpret these stories completely differently. For me, I sympathized with the raw anger and frustration felt by the woman protagonists trying to navigate a demanding and often unfair society. The stories of mothers protecting and sacrificing for their children will resonate with many readers. This would make a great book club selection as I imagine the discussion would include a lot of rich and eye-opening insight.
I got a free copy for review.
tiffanymichellebrown's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best collections I've read this year! Gritty, disastrous, and featuring a hefty sprinkling of dark fairy tales and lore, these stories knocked the breath out of me.
margaretadelle's review
5.0
**I was sent an ecopy by the author for review**
While the cover makes the book seem mostly horror, the genres of the stories range from the scary to the sci-fi, with some Chilean folklore mixed in. Admittedly, "How Eduardo Found His Heart" was a bit difficult for me to read, as it was in "Spanglish." But the gist was still heartwarming. The last two stories are tied for my favorite. There's the tale of an android prostitute gaining sentience and one with an ancient succubus trying to raise a preteen daughter and fight conservative city ordinances.
I also loved how much worldbuilding the author can fit into small stories. Sci-fi can be difficult enough to pull off in full novels, but she can create whole worlds in a couple thousand words. If you love the weird and the absurd, this is the perfect read.
While the cover makes the book seem mostly horror, the genres of the stories range from the scary to the sci-fi, with some Chilean folklore mixed in. Admittedly, "How Eduardo Found His Heart" was a bit difficult for me to read, as it was in "Spanglish." But the gist was still heartwarming. The last two stories are tied for my favorite. There's the tale of an android prostitute gaining sentience and one with an ancient succubus trying to raise a preteen daughter and fight conservative city ordinances.
I also loved how much worldbuilding the author can fit into small stories. Sci-fi can be difficult enough to pull off in full novels, but she can create whole worlds in a couple thousand words. If you love the weird and the absurd, this is the perfect read.
More...