A review by mcrespo
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

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

3.25

i really loved the way that córdova explored themes of loss and love in this novel. the desperate attempts to cling on to something that is no longer there, and the way that the grieving party and the person that they've projected their grief onto all suffer as a consequence of not being able to let go was really moving and emotional. this book felt less like a horror novel, and more emotional and heavy. unfortunately, i thought that with the narration changes, there were such huge jumps in the novel that felt understated or perhaps not as well fleshed out as i would have liked. overall, i just wanted more from this novel. i craved more character development, more accountability, more communication, and much more healing, and i left not completely satisfied. i just yearned for more, but perhaps the meaning lies in the absence of all of this. i still think that this book is a wonderful pick, but it could have been so much stronger if there was more character development and reflection.  
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