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rhadden's review against another edition
- 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
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
theshrew's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, and Gaslighting
savvylit's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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
- 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
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!
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
laindarko2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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
- 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
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!
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
beu_94's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
torismazarine's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Suicide, Vomit, Cannibalism, Alcohol, and Colonisation