Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

122 reviews

kari_f's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

I’ve recently been reading Argentinian magical realism, and Mariana Enriquez is a must-read author in this subgenre! Dark and disturbing with serious cult and occult vibes, this book isn’t for the faint of heart. There is body horror, familial abuse, torture, gaslighting, and a whole lot of misuse of power. The primary characters are layered and well-developed, and it was interesting to see different perspectives of each of them through each other’s eyes at different points in their lives.

I really liked that the book dives into some very heavy topics, including social commentary on how those in power treat the bodies and livelihoods of others as disposable. Indigenous people, citizens living in poverty, and other marginalized populations are commodities in the eyes of the powerful, and this plays out in several ways through the book. We also get so much insight into Argentinian political events, social dynamics, and nationwide tragedies that occur during the timelines represented. 

The book is quite long, and more than once I had the feeling that this should have been a duology instead of one book. The build up was extensive, and then the ending felt really rushed. There were also some parts that definitely made me feel uncomfortable or squeamish. That being said, I overall enjoyed it and would absolutely love to see a short story anthology taking place in this world so we could see more stories and perspectives concerning the Darkness and the mediums who reach out to it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Colonisation

Moderate: Self harm and Sexual content

infinitezest's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Much like the claw with golden nails on the front cover, this terrifying story grips you and refuses to let you go - I feel marked.
This is one of the darkest novels I’ve experienced. Its villains are exceedingly twisted and its evil is truly revolting and repugnant. Fortunately, though, the kids trying to survive these horrors are richly drawn and so easy to root for.
The ending felt a bit rushed and I had hoped for resolution to some loose ends, but overall this was such a compelling, propulsive, and imaginative story that none of that matters much. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author’s work.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma

yajairat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? N/A

4.0

Took me an abnormally long time to finish this, but don't think that I would have been as engrossed if I didn't take my time with it. So many things this novel touched upon, from its use of supernatural horror elements, the backdrop of Argentina's dictatorship, LGBTQIA characters living at the height of the AIDS epidemic, all interwoven well. What is going to stick with me is its theme of family and familial abuse, especially in regards to Juan and Gaspar's relationship. What do we make of this father/son duo, where abuse is committed in the name of love? I think I'll be pondering that for a bit before coming to a conclusion. 

 Only gripe is I felt the ending to be a little rushed, but still satisfying. Overall, a solid read for this fall season.

"We have children so that we can continue on, they are our immortality."

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

libraryoflanelle's review against another edition

This is the third book from Mariana Enríquez and Megan McDowell that I have picked up this year. Enríquez has been on my TBR for a number of years and is so incredibly loved by so many, which is why I gave her multiple shots, but I have to admit her books are just really not for me. 

 

After reading ‘The Dangers of Smoking in Bed’ and enjoying the writing but having many issues with it (T slur, inappropriate enslavement reference, fatfobia etc.) I tried again with ‘A Sunny Place for Shady People’ which I had to DNF after forcing my way through an incredibly ableist, sanist and fatphobic story. But alas, I tried again, this time with a 700+ page full novel in the hopes that third time would be the charm. I also already owned this book physically and had heard great things so I figured I’d give it a shot. Alas, third time was not in fact the charm. I DNF’d this one around 23%. 

 

I am all for a cult centred story and am not one to shy away from the horror genre in the slightest. But even within the first 80 pages, I picked up on at least one fatphobic description of person quoted as ‘ugly’ and multiple references to child abuse at the hands of the main character (who I presume we would be spending the whole book with)! That’s a big nope from me! This continued ramping up until I finally called it quits at the end of the first chapter… I couldn’t help but feel that the cult connotations around child abuse were merely for shock factor… According to some other spoiler reviews it gets A LOT worse, so it’s a definite no from me! 

 

I will also say that truly very little plot actually happened in the first 168 PAGE LONG chapter so for that reason alone I’m calling it with this 700+ page book. 

 

I cannot recommend this book and I am afraid this is the end of the road for me and Mariana Enríquez. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Death of parent

9brightshiners's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is an intense, extremely violent, and challenging story that spans decades. While often horrifying, this is an extraordinarily well written novel. Gut punching monstrosities live alongside moments of aching loveliness. Families are lost, found, fled from, and reunited. History and living mythology play out on a grand scale. Our Share of Night is unforgettable, for better and worse.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Confinement, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Deportation

There are frequent, very graphic descriptions of abusing, torturing, and murdering children throughout the book. There is violence, gore, and blood as well as graphic injuries both accidental and on purpose that are caused by supernatural entities and humans. State violence, kidnappings, and deportations are mentioned throughout the book. In one instance a mass grave is exhumed and studied by forensic archaeologists. There is prejudice, mistreatment, and violence against women, Africans, indigenous South Americans, and frequent use of the f-slur related to homosexuality as well as ableism and one use of the related r-slur. This book deals with period realistic violence but there is also a great deal of abuse, violence, torture, and gore associated with occult rituals specific to the fictional secret society. Also of note: the AIDS epidemic is depicted in this novel.

elho's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Impressively woven story, but too slow for my liking.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, and Suicide attempt

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I didn’t want this book to end. It was so enthralling that I wanted to keep reading about these people struggling in this world of horror and evil. It was gory and terrifying, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. 

I haven’t read a book in ages - even fabulous books - where I lose track of time, but I was completely absorbed in the story. The characters are compelling, especially Juan - he seems sympathetic in the section told from his perspective but he’s a monstrous father to Gaspar. The vile grandmother and her sister are the most frightening of all. 

The author conjures a world where magic and the horrors of Argentina’s dirty war are intertwined. By using the supernatural, she’s able to describe the terror of that period so it’s easy to imagine how awful it was for those targeted by the military junta. 

This book is definitely not for everyone. It’s violent and vivid and visceral. It’s extraordinary. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

snacklord's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Murder

e_asw_97's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Alcohol

school_for_scandal's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Honestly could have used another 50 pages. Man, what a ride.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail