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nathegz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Review:
Our Share of Night is the first book by Mariana Enriquez that I have read. Although the plot and the story (mostly) kept my interest throughout its 500+ pages, I struggled to feel emotionally invested in the story. The horror element of the story, while certainly objectively horrifying, failed to scare me. At most, I felt slightly unnerved. The story is well-crafted and comes together nicely, but it did not need to be as long as it is.
The book explores themes of family/generational trauma, relationships, PTSD, war, queer love, and violence. Personally, I did not find the way the story handles these topics to be particularly insightful or original, and I think the book struggles under the weight of all the themes and issues it touches upon. However, I could definitely see someone else connecting to this story on a deeper level than I did, especially if they have a personal connection to the setting or topics.
Some of the representation of physical disability struck me as a bit insensitive, but as an able-bodied person I do not feel qualified to speak on that. One thing I do feel qualified to object to, however, is the unnecessary and problematic representation of two individuals who undergo sex changes. These characters are described as undergoing these procedures in order to better worship the god of Darkness, an evil demon, and the narrator notes that people would freak out if they knew how the Order (the demonic cult in the story) had infiltrated the NHS. Given how trans health care is under attack, any portrayal of these procedures as being related to demonic worship is inherently problematic—but what makes me especially angry is that these characters are literally of no importance to the story whatsoever. These characters are briefly mentioned, only to die shortly after their introduction.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Our Share of Night if:
· You have a personal connection to the story’s setting or its themes
You might not like Our Share of Night if:
· You don’t want to read a really dark book (please read the content warnings! This book is not for the faint of heart)
· You dislike morally questionable main characters
A Film like Our Share of Night:
Hereditary, directed by Ari Aster (2018). Similarities between these two pieces of media include:
· Intense horror plotlines that explore grief, family inheritance, and generational trauma
· Demon cults and possession
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, Car accident, Abortion, and Pregnancy
sierra_cucinelli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-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
4.5
Hard to know where to start with this one… it’s more like a 4.5 rating. It’s an intense read, with unimaginable cruelty- imagined. Politics and cults aside… this is a story about generational trauma and how we often hurt the ones we love while trying to protect them from the pain we know. Lots left to unpack.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Hard to know where to start with this one… it’s more like a 4.5 rating. It’s an intense read, with unimaginable cruelty- imagined. Politics and cults aside… this is a story about generational trauma and how we often hurt the ones we love while trying to protect them from the pain we know. Lots left to unpack.rhadden's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
One of the most exciting and interesting books I've ever read. Taking place throughout the 20th century, primarily in Argentina, this massive horror epic tells the story of a family torn apart by a demon-summoning cult. Steeped in true Argetinian history and cultural trauma; dictatorships, natural disasters, the AIDS crisis, workers rights activism, class struggles, etc. etc. this is a brutal and enthralling family saga of inherited trauma that has infected my thoughts and has not let go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
savvylit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Our Share of Night is a masterpiece of slow-burn intrigue and horror. This novel has everything: demons, millionaires obsessed with immortality, human sacrifices, toxic family members, polyamory, lifelong friendships, portals, poetry, and colonial mansions in the jungle. Each of these features is then set against the backdrop of the bloodiest and most disturbing era in Argentina's recent history, the so-called Dirty War.
At 600 pages, Our Share of Night is definitely the longest horror novel I have ever read. At first, this fact seemed like a detriment. The novel is also slow-paced and I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for it all to come together. Eventually, though, I settled into the rhythm and skill of Enriquez's writing and McDowell's translation.
The central focus of Our Share of Night is the father-son relationship between Juan and Gaspar. Juan is a disabled medium whose entire life is controlled by a cult known as the Order. Gaspar, his son, is an inheritor not only of the Order's prestigious bloodline but also of Juan's ability to connect with the spirit world. Hoping to protect Gaspar, Juan stops him from developing skills as a medium. Juan is seductive, repulsive, and frustrating. Gaspar is sweet and loyal and a victim of his father's dark moods and the Order's disturbing world.
In addition to Gaspar & Juan, the supporting cast of characters are well-developed and interesting, too. Gaspar's childhood friends Pablo, Vicky, and Adela are each delightful. Their strong lifelong friendship is realistic and empathetic. Two more excellent secondary characters are Tali and Stephen. I wish we had been gifted more of Tali in this novel. A priestess of the Saint of Death, she has the most fascinating life.
Overall, I'd highly recommend Our Share of Night to anyone willing to invest their time in a world of dark magic and complicated characters.
A big thank you to @netgalley and @hogarthbooks for the advanced digital copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
At 600 pages, Our Share of Night is definitely the longest horror novel I have ever read. At first, this fact seemed like a detriment. The novel is also slow-paced and I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for it all to come together. Eventually, though, I settled into the rhythm and skill of Enriquez's writing and McDowell's translation.
The central focus of Our Share of Night is the father-son relationship between Juan and Gaspar. Juan is a disabled medium whose entire life is controlled by a cult known as the Order. Gaspar, his son, is an inheritor not only of the Order's prestigious bloodline but also of Juan's ability to connect with the spirit world. Hoping to protect Gaspar, Juan stops him from developing skills as a medium. Juan is seductive, repulsive, and frustrating. Gaspar is sweet and loyal and a victim of his father's dark moods and the Order's disturbing world.
In addition to Gaspar & Juan, the supporting cast of characters are well-developed and interesting, too. Gaspar's childhood friends Pablo, Vicky, and Adela are each delightful. Their strong lifelong friendship is realistic and empathetic. Two more excellent secondary characters are Tali and Stephen. I wish we had been gifted more of Tali in this novel. A priestess of the Saint of Death, she has the most fascinating life.
Overall, I'd highly recommend Our Share of Night to anyone willing to invest their time in a world of dark magic and complicated characters.
A big thank you to @netgalley and @hogarthbooks for the advanced digital copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
isbnthinkingaboutbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
For the most part… I would say that I really enjoyed this? Heavy emphasis on the question mark because I didn’t enjoy it this book as a whole, but in pieces. And for me this pieces were stand outs, are what saved this story.
There is A LOT of unnecessary backstory and tangent storylines, shifts in pacing, jumping between flashbacks and present with multiple POV snippets that, while yes, they provide some additional context to characters and parts of the main plot, they don’t really matter to the first two sections of this book (250 or so pages) and the last twenty pages.
That said, this easily could have been half the length and really impactful and effective. For a second, I thought the start of part 3 was going somewhere interesting, but by section 2 it’s clear we’re shifting gears and we’ve completely lost the main character and changed stories. While it’s cool to have some of that backstory it’s got absolutely nothing to do with how the story ends and basically parts 3-5 (making up 80% of the book) are filler content with no real purpose.
I will say there’s one part in the middle that’s relevant to the end, and even so it’s only a handful of pages. Everything else, unimportant.
The mysterious, dark, and challenging fast paced nature of the first two sections is more exciting than the ending, I was underwhelmed. If you make it to the end and can look past the middle sections, the best part about it is that the story does come together and everything that Juan had planned for Gaspar comes full circle so there is a sense of closure. Given how large this book is and how much time it takes the reader to get through, having closure by the end for both Juan and Gaspar is nice.
This is definitely not for everyone. While I can say for the most party I enjoyed it, I don’t know that I’d recommend it to anyone to read. The pacing and shift in story line reminds me of Imaginary Friend, which is really hard to get through and redundant by the end.
thank you Random House for this ARC, courtesy of Netgalley. Publication date for “Our Share of Night” is Feb 7, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
olivesolivesolivess23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An extremely unsettling supernatural epic set amidst the backdrop of the dictadura in Argentina.
With its evocative and imaginative writing soaked with visceral images of gore and violence, this is a very challenging and difficult read.
However, Enriquez’s masterful storytelling and characterisation make OSON a really compelling and impactful book to immerse yourself in.
I really enjoyed the multi character perspectives and the intersections between them. Definitely will reread again at a later date!
With its evocative and imaginative writing soaked with visceral images of gore and violence, this is a very challenging and difficult read.
However, Enriquez’s masterful storytelling and characterisation make OSON a really compelling and impactful book to immerse yourself in.
I really enjoyed the multi character perspectives and the intersections between them. Definitely will reread again at a later date!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
clara_mai's review against another edition
5.0
Only 20 days into 2023 and I might already have found my favourite book of the year?! At least it's going to be hard for anything to top this masterpiece of a novel. Mariana Enriquez, whom I'd wanted to read from for years, has created an incredible epic with this, a work that blends elements of horror, fantasy, cult story, coming-of-age and Argentine history and politics.
Her writing is very beautiful and captivating, in great parts due to her wonderful and terrifying imagery that fits this story perfectly. The wonderful translation into the English version I read was done by Megan McDowell. The non-linear but very purposeful order of the six parts that the book is divided into as well as the different perspectives they are told from amplifies the tension and creates unexpected moments of realization.
The characters are so well-developed, they are real and flawed and therefore the things that happen to them have a strong emotional impact. I instantly fell in love with this book from the first part that introduces us to Juan and his son Gaspar as we follow them on a roadtrip where a certain darkness already shines through, but oh boy, I couldn't have expected what was to come.
This is a story that goes to very sinister and violent places. Mariana Enriquez manages to link this violence practiced by a cult to that which was done to people under the military junta in Argentine, during which around 30.000 people "disappeared". There is commentary on class, the cultishness of the wealthy English families in Argentina and how they exploited lower class and Indigenous people without consequence.
This is also a very queer piece of literature with multiple gay and bisexual characters of different generations.
All of these elements are effortlessly woven into this darkly gleaming tale. So do yourself a favour and pick up Our Share of Night!
Her writing is very beautiful and captivating, in great parts due to her wonderful and terrifying imagery that fits this story perfectly. The wonderful translation into the English version I read was done by Megan McDowell. The non-linear but very purposeful order of the six parts that the book is divided into as well as the different perspectives they are told from amplifies the tension and creates unexpected moments of realization.
The characters are so well-developed, they are real and flawed and therefore the things that happen to them have a strong emotional impact. I instantly fell in love with this book from the first part that introduces us to Juan and his son Gaspar as we follow them on a roadtrip where a certain darkness already shines through, but oh boy, I couldn't have expected what was to come.
This is a story that goes to very sinister and violent places. Mariana Enriquez manages to link this violence practiced by a cult to that which was done to people under the military junta in Argentine, during which around 30.000 people "disappeared". There is commentary on class, the cultishness of the wealthy English families in Argentina and how they exploited lower class and Indigenous people without consequence.
This is also a very queer piece of literature with multiple gay and bisexual characters of different generations.
All of these elements are effortlessly woven into this darkly gleaming tale. So do yourself a favour and pick up Our Share of Night!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
laindarko2's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Drug use, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Abandonment
carriepond's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Deeply unsettling and, at times, nearly unfathomable in its grotesque violence, Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez is an epic horror masterpiece that explores an incredible range of themes-- colonialism, capitalism, inherited family trauma, and the corrupting influences of power and wealth.
The novel is divided into what I would consider four main parts, spanning nearly four decades between the 1960s and late 1990s, with most of the plot focusing on the years just before and just after Argentina’s switch from a military dictatorship to a democracy. The first part opens with what I would consider our two main protagonists, Juan and his then-six-year-old son Gaspar, on a trip to the family home of his wife, Rosario, who died unexpectedly and suspiciously. Juan is a medium for a cult called The Order, which worships a violent god they call The Darkness in hopes of being granted immortality. The Order has chapters throughout the world, including the Argentian chapter, which is controlled by Rosario's family, who basically bought Juan when he was a child. Juan has been used and abused by the family for decades, and at the beginning of the novel, we learn that Juan is trying to do everything in his power to keep Gaspar, who has started to demonstrate the same abilities, from befalling the same fate. From there, the novel moves forward in time to when Gaspar is around twelve years old, then back in time to when Juan and Rosario were teenagers and young adults, and then forward again, ending when Gaspar is around the same age-- early twenties.
This is the first I've read of Enriquez, and what an incredible introduction. This book is immense in all senses of the word-- it's more than 600 pages, it acts as an allegory in so many different respects, and each part almost acts as a different kind of horror novel. In Part I, we are introduced to this violent cult, and see first-hand The Darkness, which is a real supernatural entity that enacts violence on the cult members. Part III, which is the second major part, focuses on Gaspar and his preteen friends and their obsession with a creepy house in the neighborhood. Part IV, which takes place in London and gives us a lot more insight into the cult's history and operations, has kind of a dark academia feel to it. And then the last part ties everything together, with elements of everything that precedes it.
Enriquez weaves together so much, so expertly. The whole time I was reading, I could see all these plot threads, and I was so eager to see how they would all come together, but then there would also be plot points that I thought were done, only to have Enriquez circle back and bring something back in a way that I couldn't have imagined, which was really cool. She also covers so much ground with the themes the novel explores, political and personal. At its core, though, this novel really focused on the powerful and wealthy, and the lengths they were willing to go to maintain that power, and the vulnerable who were exploited and harmed as a result. And we also see the ways that the vulnerable also perpetuate harm and trauma on each other. Juan and Gaspar's relationship is really compelling--it's dysfunctional and traumatic in so many ways, even though Juan thinks of himself as doing whatever it takes to save Gaspar, even if that includes inflicting harm and abuse on him.
I think fans of horror and fans of literary fiction that explores themes like political violence and colonialism will find a lot to appreciate in this novel. But seriously, do some research on content warnings before reading so you can make an informed decision on whether you're up for it. Because some of what I read in this one is probably going to haunt me forever.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
The novel is divided into what I would consider four main parts, spanning nearly four decades between the 1960s and late 1990s, with most of the plot focusing on the years just before and just after Argentina’s switch from a military dictatorship to a democracy. The first part opens with what I would consider our two main protagonists, Juan and his then-six-year-old son Gaspar, on a trip to the family home of his wife, Rosario, who died unexpectedly and suspiciously. Juan is a medium for a cult called The Order, which worships a violent god they call The Darkness in hopes of being granted immortality. The Order has chapters throughout the world, including the Argentian chapter, which is controlled by Rosario's family, who basically bought Juan when he was a child. Juan has been used and abused by the family for decades, and at the beginning of the novel, we learn that Juan is trying to do everything in his power to keep Gaspar, who has started to demonstrate the same abilities, from befalling the same fate. From there, the novel moves forward in time to when Gaspar is around twelve years old, then back in time to when Juan and Rosario were teenagers and young adults, and then forward again, ending when Gaspar is around the same age-- early twenties.
This is the first I've read of Enriquez, and what an incredible introduction. This book is immense in all senses of the word-- it's more than 600 pages, it acts as an allegory in so many different respects, and each part almost acts as a different kind of horror novel. In Part I, we are introduced to this violent cult, and see first-hand The Darkness, which is a real supernatural entity that enacts violence on the cult members. Part III, which is the second major part, focuses on Gaspar and his preteen friends and their obsession with a creepy house in the neighborhood. Part IV, which takes place in London and gives us a lot more insight into the cult's history and operations, has kind of a dark academia feel to it. And then the last part ties everything together, with elements of everything that precedes it.
Enriquez weaves together so much, so expertly. The whole time I was reading, I could see all these plot threads, and I was so eager to see how they would all come together, but then there would also be plot points that I thought were done, only to have Enriquez circle back and bring something back in a way that I couldn't have imagined, which was really cool. She also covers so much ground with the themes the novel explores, political and personal. At its core, though, this novel really focused on the powerful and wealthy, and the lengths they were willing to go to maintain that power, and the vulnerable who were exploited and harmed as a result. And we also see the ways that the vulnerable also perpetuate harm and trauma on each other. Juan and Gaspar's relationship is really compelling--it's dysfunctional and traumatic in so many ways, even though Juan thinks of himself as doing whatever it takes to save Gaspar, even if that includes inflicting harm and abuse on him.
I think fans of horror and fans of literary fiction that explores themes like political violence and colonialism will find a lot to appreciate in this novel. But seriously, do some research on content warnings before reading so you can make an informed decision on whether you're up for it. Because some of what I read in this one is probably going to haunt me forever.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape, Police brutality, and War