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_nsamimi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
theengineerisreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The world might indeed be a cursed circle; the snake swallowed its tail and there could be no end, only an eternal ruination and endless devouring."
Diving into this book without any clue is my first mistake. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN better because this book creeped me out. (side note: I finished this at around 2AM)
I am not sure if I remember it right but I think this is the first time I read a gothic novel that delivered. Horror? Hell yeah! Fictional element with a sprinkle of mysterious deaths? Yas! A dash of romance? Of fucking course! But before that, here's what this book is all about.
When outgoing Noemi Taboada received a letter from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, asking for rescue, her father tasked her to visit the latter in El Triunfo.
But her cousin's family in-law is not the ones Noemi expected. The way the house and the Doyles appear, they are mysterious and secretive.
Eager to find out why Catalina sent her a letter with a haunting message, Naomi is set to unveil everything - from her cousin's mysteriously charming husband and to the hearsays about the Doyle's history.
Noemi is a likable character. I adore the way she sees every situation and how she does not easily back down. Noemi is cheery, fierce, playful, and knows how to flirt. It is also notable how adaptable she is bouncing from her merriment in Mexico City to the gloomy life in El Triunfo, Naomi showcased that she is definitely in the story to play.
The Doyles, on the other hand, are well-crafted in terms of being annoying. I acknowledge the fact that the Doyle are horrible creatures, not people, with the way they handled everything in and out of their family but reading their characters, especially libidinous Virgil and ingracious Florence, is just enjoyable. It's like reading fictional DDS but their loyalty is to their secret family power and not of you-know-who.
The pacing of the book is divided since the first half has a slow narration showing how Naomi adapts in her cousin's in-laws while the second half keeps on giving the answers to all my questions in a fast-paced manner.
I love the way how Silvia Moreno-Garcia engaged the reader by picking the right word to visualize the horrendous situation the character is in. The author's writing style is super convincing I keep on glancing on the walls to check if it's also beating.
Seriously, if you're looking for a read that will creep the fuck out of yourself and make you ask yourself, 'What the hell did I just read?' then this book is surely up your galley.
RATING: 4stars
P.S. This book changed the way I see mushrooms and it will be a long time before I eat them again.
Diving into this book without any clue is my first mistake. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN better because this book creeped me out. (side note: I finished this at around 2AM)
I am not sure if I remember it right but I think this is the first time I read a gothic novel that delivered. Horror? Hell yeah! Fictional element with a sprinkle of mysterious deaths? Yas! A dash of romance? Of fucking course! But before that, here's what this book is all about.
When outgoing Noemi Taboada received a letter from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, asking for rescue, her father tasked her to visit the latter in El Triunfo.
But her cousin's family in-law is not the ones Noemi expected. The way the house and the Doyles appear, they are mysterious and secretive.
Eager to find out why Catalina sent her a letter with a haunting message, Naomi is set to unveil everything - from her cousin's mysteriously charming husband and to the hearsays about the Doyle's history.
Noemi is a likable character. I adore the way she sees every situation and how she does not easily back down. Noemi is cheery, fierce, playful, and knows how to flirt. It is also notable how adaptable she is bouncing from her merriment in Mexico City to the gloomy life in El Triunfo, Naomi showcased that she is definitely in the story to play.
The Doyles, on the other hand, are well-crafted in terms of being annoying. I acknowledge the fact that the Doyle are horrible creatures, not people, with the way they handled everything in and out of their family but reading their characters, especially libidinous Virgil and ingracious Florence, is just enjoyable. It's like reading fictional DDS but their loyalty is to their secret family power and not of you-know-who.
The pacing of the book is divided since the first half has a slow narration showing how Naomi adapts in her cousin's in-laws while the second half keeps on giving the answers to all my questions in a fast-paced manner.
I love the way how Silvia Moreno-Garcia engaged the reader by picking the right word to visualize the horrendous situation the character is in. The author's writing style is super convincing I keep on glancing on the walls to check if it's also beating.
Seriously, if you're looking for a read that will creep the fuck out of yourself and make you ask yourself, 'What the hell did I just read?' then this book is surely up your galley.
RATING: 4stars
P.S. This book changed the way I see mushrooms and it will be a long time before I eat them again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Incest
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