Reviews tagging 'Death'

Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enríquez

42 reviews

lovingly_unkempt's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Perfectly unsettling and dark! I love Enriquez’s imagination brought to life in this collection of short stories. It was great to read a climactic collection of short stories that quickened in horror and pace as you made your way to the end. I found myself completely enthralled when in public spaces that I would forget about my surroundings. That’s how you know it’s great writing! 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

niiinerrr's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

joeraine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

ve_roni_cah00's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Blood

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Grief and Death of parent

bookish_morgan's review against another edition

I picked up this book for one story in particular - "The Refrigerator Cemetery." This story was intriguing and disturbing, but the ending was vague and anticlimactic. I skimmed through most of the other stories, but the cadence and content weren't as engrossing as I hoped for. I can see why other people may enjoy Enríquez's writing, and I might pick up one of her other books sometime, but this collection of short stories wasn't for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Racism

anjnryn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Fatphobia

Minor: Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

not_another_ana's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

2.25

El tiempo, esa monstruosidad aplastante. El tiempo, lo único que no se podía parar y que ni siquiera se sentía.

Última colección de cuentos cortos de Mariana Enríquez que debo admitir que no me gustó tanto como las anteriores. Los relatos se me hicieron muy largos, dispersos, no me dieron miedo. Siento que faltó edición en general a todos los cuentos, vida, pasión, algo. Una decepción.

• Mis muertos tristes: Fantasmas dejados por crímenes violentos acosan a los habitantes de una urbanización, 3/5
• Los pájaros de la noche: Una joven teme convertirse en pájaro, 2/5
• La desgracia en la cara: Una aflicción misteriosa e inexplicable afecta a mujeres de una misma familia, 2,5/5
• Julie: La prima de la protagonista afirma que tiene sexo con fantasmas, 2/5
• Metamorfosis: Después de una operación para remover un mioma la protagonista decide conservar el tumor, 2/5
• Un lugar solead para gente sombría: Una reportera va a Los Ángeles a conocer un culto fundado alrededor de una muerte violenta y confronta fantasmas de su pasado, el más aburrido de todos, 1/5
• Los himnos de las hienas: Cuando visitan un antiguo centro de tortura una pareja es confrontada por un pasado aterrador, 3/5
• Diferentes colores hechos de lágrimas: Una tienda de ropa vintage recibe unas piezas que afectan violentamente a quien las use, 3/5
• La mujer que sufre: Por un espejo en su apartamento la protagonista observa a una mujer que agoniza, 3/5
• Cementerio de heladeras: De niña la protagonista cometió un crimen que la atormenta y que ahora debe encubrir, 3/5
• Un artista local: De vacaciones en un pueblo en decadencia una pareja conocerá al artista que ha cambiado a los locales, 3/5
• Ojos negros: Un encuentro con unos chicos extraños y perturbadores cambiará la vida de tres voluntarios de manera violenta, el mejor de toda la colección y el único realmente terrorífico, 4/5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Death of parent, and Classism

sofiastar's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was a very mixed bag for me. While a few of the stories were compelling and a lot of the writing solid, I just didn't enjoy this that much.

I'm not sure if it was some of the subject matter at hand - these are all fairly dark stories, obviously - or if this just wasn't the right time to pick this one up, but I found myself not wanting to read it most of the time and basically forced myself through. Which is a shame because, even if the stories didn't work for me, it was clear many of these authors are fantastic writers.  🤷‍♀️

On a side note, the cover art is stunning. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, and Gore

Moderate: Grief

something_anya's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Even I, a self-proclaimed scardy cat/ninny, enjoyed this book, although the stories did get more tense and scary as you went along. Had to fully skip over the short stories involving harming/dead animals, and couldn’t give it a full 4 stars because of the imagery/storylines involving animal harm. 

*slaps knees* Welp, off to read something not terrifying, like watching cartoons after a scary movie so you can sleep at night. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Rape, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

bookish_afrolatina's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is the first book I’ve read by Mariana Enriquez! Each story pulled me in and ended in just the right place. They were a great mixture of paranormal, slice of life, and thrilling. I think I’m going to give her novels a try now!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Death of parent