Reviews

The Iliac Crest by Cristina Rivera Garza

novellie's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

findingbetterdays's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

beau_mdb's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense

5.0

renegadecosmos's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

1.5

itsgiuliabtw's review

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4.0

i’m speechless. a mesmerising read. i have a feeling this book and its words will be stuck in my head for months and months.

tmquam's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

patroclusbro's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

“I say the same thing to you: I don’t know if I am or am not Amparo Dávila,” she continued. “But her name reminds me of something from beyond memory.”
I closed my eyes to better listen to her.
"It comes from before. A mineral world, without a doubt. A vegetal world. It comes from the ocean, don’t you see? From a day filled with sun. From a phrase.” She lowered thevolume of her voice. “He’s going to kill himself,” she whispered.
I saw the twilight from the other end of my retinas, in some hidden chamber within my brain. I heard the phrase, and its echo.
He’s going to kill himself. A strange sweetness pervaded my body."

A lyrical, short novel filled with eerie, quiet, suffocating horror.

A story about all the different types of disappearance, heartbreak, desire, the sea - and loss of identity, reality, consciousness. A main character who gets increasingly disoriented and the women who surround him (or her?). Inevitability and leaping emotions.

Something for fans of Shani Mootoo's "Polar Vortex", Sándor Márai's "Embers" and Alia Trabucco Zarán's "The Remainder".

kncody's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

leila's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious

4.0

To put it simply I know I will never read anything like this again. It’s a slightly difficult read but I think it would be a disservice to not challenge myself.

If you aren’t at all familiar with Amparo Dávila‘s work, definitely read the translator’s note. Some parts of the book were a treat in that respect :) and even if you are, still read the translator’s note imo, it was very illuminating for me

rosielazar1's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0