Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Un lugar soleado para gente sombría

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enríquez

11 reviews

m_buchanan's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This is my first Mariana Enriquez book. And boy was it a ride! So much of these stories were about the social condition of Argentina, and how women view themselves or others view them in this world, all wrapped in warped, horrific, edge of your seat stories. Honestly, these stories are hard to fully describe, but they pull at you. They make you think of the human condition, especially women, and who we are in this world.

If you are a fan of Kelly Link, or even Kate Atkinson’s short stories, you will enjoy this book. If you can’t suspend your need for perfect arcs and tropes played out as expected, and sit with the uncertainty of a story’s end, this book is not for you. But if you can, you will see the many rich layers Enriquez has crafted here, in such few pages.

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unboxedjack's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Mariana Enriquez is a master at the unsettling. The collection of stories in A Sunny Place for Shady People all give that trill of horror any good book of the genre will offer, but with poignant takes on sexism, queer relationships, generational/historical trauma, colonialism, and classism. These stories, set in Argentina, offer a wide scope of perspectives and characters, each deeply developed and captivating. At times Enriquez's prose gets in the way of story, but that's easily excusable for the atmosphere it presents. Thanks to NetGalley and Granta Publications for an ARC of this collection.

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zhazhadiamond's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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shellballenger's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.25

Type of read: Commuter Read

What made me pick it up: One of the TN R.E.A.D.s prompts for October is to read a book by a Hispanic or Latinx author. The title and cover art drew me in.

Overall rating: I struggled with this one. I didn't find the stories to be all that entertaining and I had to keep reminding myself to put this one on to listen (I read as an audiobook). I'm not sure if there's something missing in the translation (I read an English translation) or if I just wasn't getting into the content. Some stories were better than others in my opinion, but many of them just seemed like random diary entries of overly imaginative individuals. Maybe I expect more scare and thrill from my thriller/horrors, but this wasn't it for me. I probably wouldn't recommend it, but I'm glad I was exposed to some different authors from who I usually read.

Reader's Note: 'A Sunny Place for Shady People' includes multiple stories that include themes of sex, sexual assault, rape, death, dying, torture, dismemberment, supernatural activity, general assault, and witchcraft.

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javafenn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book is a translation but honestly didn’t feel like it. I loved the spooky stories and often found myself craving more form the stories or more of a resolution only because they sometimes ended on a mystery, as a spooky story would. I LOVED listening to stories of Argentines, specifically women. It was interesting to get some of the folklore mixed into the tales. The story of the boy trapped in the fridge was especially haunting. I also really liked the story of the ghosts who haunt a neighborhood. The story of the woman who loses her face was my favorite and least favorite at the same time. The idea that generational trauma can present like is does in the story is terrifying and beautiful. It’s a sad, sad story.

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