A review by gellyreads
The Houseguest: And Other Stories by Amparo Dávila
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moses and Gaspar 3/5. Meh. Cats are dicks. But it was kind of funny.
The Houseguest 5/5. I love women killing! This is a story that should be taught! Really gave me Jackson Hitchcock vibes.
Fragment of a Diary 3/5. Men are gross. I know that's the point, and that should make me like it more, but I struggled to connect to it.
The Cell 3/5. Huh? I struggled to connect to this one.
Musique Concrete 5/5. Holy moly! This made me say "OMG" out loud as I was reading. My favorite in this collection!
Haute Cuisine 3/5. I am dumb and it was creepy. What are they eating? I had to make my partner read it to tell me it was lobster. But it haunted me.
Oscar 4/5. Creepy, but good ending. Less memorable than others in this collection, but a bit more fun.
End of a Struggle 5/5. Again, felt like this one was a bit less memorable than others, but it was really well written. It was chaotic and def Vertigo inspired.
Tina Reyes 5/5. This is the perfect portrayal of female terror. My second favorite in this collection.
The Breakfast 5/5. The ending got me. I love the tension and the setting. You also can sense the family dynamics pretty well from this glimpse of their life.
The Last Summer 2/5. I struggled to follow and care about the characters in this one. My least favorite of this collection.
The Funeral 4/5. This was kind of beautiful and kind of predictable, and a little bit reminiscent of "Struggle" to me, but enjoyable nonetheless.
The Houseguest 5/5. I love women killing! This is a story that should be taught! Really gave me Jackson Hitchcock vibes.
Fragment of a Diary 3/5. Men are gross. I know that's the point, and that should make me like it more, but I struggled to connect to it.
The Cell 3/5. Huh? I struggled to connect to this one.
Musique Concrete 5/5. Holy moly! This made me say "OMG" out loud as I was reading. My favorite in this collection!
Haute Cuisine 3/5. I am dumb and it was creepy. What are they eating? I had to make my partner read it to tell me it was lobster. But it haunted me.
Oscar 4/5. Creepy, but good ending. Less memorable than others in this collection, but a bit more fun.
End of a Struggle 5/5. Again, felt like this one was a bit less memorable than others, but it was really well written. It was chaotic and def Vertigo inspired.
Tina Reyes 5/5. This is the perfect portrayal of female terror. My second favorite in this collection.
The Breakfast 5/5. The ending got me. I love the tension and the setting. You also can sense the family dynamics pretty well from this glimpse of their life.
The Last Summer 2/5. I struggled to follow and care about the characters in this one. My least favorite of this collection.
The Funeral 4/5. This was kind of beautiful and kind of predictable, and a little bit reminiscent of "Struggle" to me, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Violence, and Stalking