You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
dark
"You have something of mine, I passed on something of me to you, and hopefully it isn't cursed. I don't know if I can leave you something that isn't dirty, that isn't dark, our share of night."
An aristocratic cult willing to exploit underclasses and disappear Indigenous youth, against the violent historical backdrop of Argentinian dictatorship. In an effort to achieve immortality, they commune with a mystical, hungry force through the medium they find in each generation, a human being with powers that can only be enacted through strain and sacrifice. I was interested in the premise, though I might need to read more about South American storytelling traditions and political history to recognize all their influences.
The latest medium Juan makes a pact with the supernatural to protect his son Gaspar. The book is certainly a page turner, shocking and grotesque in moments. There were also touching scenes of care and intimacy in the paternal relationship at the heart of the story. Only I struggle to get behind narratives that revolve around angry taciturn men having to isolate themselves to protect their loved ones. Similarly, violence that turns out to be necessary to protect Gaspar feels like juvenile storytelling, and Juan feels too much like a romanticized hero for someone who sometimes hits his son just in frustration.
I can see the draw to a story that skips around its timeline, what that can do in terms of uncovering family legacies and secrets, but I do think some of the plot points were too obvious to return to--did not need to be so explicitly or repeatedly laid out on the page, could have been edited more elegantly. I would have particularly appreciated a lighter touch when it came to Juan's plan given fantasy/horror already tends to get bogged down in exposition. There may also be too much of a mix for me when it comes to perspectival shifts (third-person to first to found archival footage) and time span coverage (concentrated trips vs years) each chapter, even if these distinctly written chapters are tied together thoughtfully.
An aristocratic cult willing to exploit underclasses and disappear Indigenous youth, against the violent historical backdrop of Argentinian dictatorship. In an effort to achieve immortality, they commune with a mystical, hungry force through the medium they find in each generation, a human being with powers that can only be enacted through strain and sacrifice. I was interested in the premise, though I might need to read more about South American storytelling traditions and political history to recognize all their influences.
The latest medium Juan makes a pact with the supernatural to protect his son Gaspar. The book is certainly a page turner, shocking and grotesque in moments. There were also touching scenes of care and intimacy in the paternal relationship at the heart of the story. Only I struggle to get behind narratives that revolve around angry taciturn men having to isolate themselves to protect their loved ones. Similarly, violence that turns out to be necessary to protect Gaspar feels like juvenile storytelling, and Juan feels too much like a romanticized hero for someone who sometimes hits his son just in frustration.
I can see the draw to a story that skips around its timeline, what that can do in terms of uncovering family legacies and secrets, but I do think some of the plot points were too obvious to return to--did not need to be so explicitly or repeatedly laid out on the page, could have been edited more elegantly. I would have particularly appreciated a lighter touch when it came to Juan's plan given fantasy/horror already tends to get bogged down in exposition. There may also be too much of a mix for me when it comes to perspectival shifts (third-person to first to found archival footage) and time span coverage (concentrated trips vs years) each chapter, even if these distinctly written chapters are tied together thoughtfully.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I was really interested in the story, but it was TOOOO LOOOONGGG....
I think it could have been shortened about 5 hours (of the audiobook) without much hardship. I understand althea author's desire for depth, but each vignette could have been its own novella. Yeesh. Took 2 tries but I finally got through it!
I think it could have been shortened about 5 hours (of the audiobook) without much hardship. I understand althea author's desire for depth, but each vignette could have been its own novella. Yeesh. Took 2 tries but I finally got through it!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
This book is long—and not just in page count. At nearly 600 pages, it felt like a never-ending loop of grief, trauma, and… mundane errands. For a novel marketed as “literary horror,” the horror element is extremely sparse and buried under layers of everyday drudgery. There are glimmers of something dark and compelling here, but the pacing is glacial and most of the story only really coheres in the final 50 or so pages.
The prose is beautiful at times, and Enriquez does a great job capturing a heavy, unsettling atmosphere. But the actual plot is stretched so thin it’s hard to stay invested. It’s like being promised a haunted house tour and spending five hours in the driveway reading family medical records.
If you’re expecting a horror novel in any traditional sense—terror, suspense, even just tension—lower your expectations. This is “horror” in the same way a flickering lightbulb in a sad room is horror. If that’s your thing, great. If not, maybe skip this one.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
slow-paced
Wow.
I loved this story. I dont know the last time I read 600 pages in 3 days...but I needed to know what was going to happen. I give this a 4 because of one reason alone, and I am not in the market of spoiling so I will keep it short...the ending is beyond abrupt. I needed, I wanted more. I actually left the read flabbergasted by the force of exit but otherwise I adored this novel.
Should you read it? Absolutely yes. Trigger warnings are necessary as it hits on some touchy topics but does so in a very admirable way. I cannot wait to read more by Enriquez.
I loved this story. I dont know the last time I read 600 pages in 3 days...but I needed to know what was going to happen. I give this a 4 because of one reason alone, and I am not in the market of spoiling so I will keep it short...the ending is beyond abrupt. I needed, I wanted more. I actually left the read flabbergasted by the force of exit but otherwise I adored this novel.
Should you read it? Absolutely yes. Trigger warnings are necessary as it hits on some touchy topics but does so in a very admirable way. I cannot wait to read more by Enriquez.