Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Anita de Monte Laughs Last

I really really enjoyed this book, and I LOVED Anita de Monte. She was bold and fierce and unapologetic, in life and in death. The little tricks that she would play gave me life. I love how Anita and Raquel’s worlds merged in the end and found myself getting emotional about the conclusion of the book.

I do not understand much about art, so I found myself getting lost in some of the longer art-based themes and descriptions throughout the book, but I loved the themes and conversations on identity and what it means to take up space. Such a beautiful book.

Content Warnings

pinuspinea's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Content Warnings

katiebugdpm's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

0.25

as well written and engaging as this book is, it is deeply uncomfortable to read. while I understand this book sets out to tackle some heavy topics, there were times when it felt slimy, the way she wrote. what made it worse was the utter lack of care the author has for the subject.
Anita de Monte is based off a real life artist named Ana Mendieta- a women mentioned only vaguely in the dedication (just called 'Ana'). Ana Mendieta was a Cuban artist with (essentially) the same life as the fictional Anita, who has a living family that has spoken out regarding her treatment in the book. Like Anita, Ana Mendieta was murdered by her artist husband, also thrown out of a 34th story window. A husband who was also aquitted. Had this book not been as disrespectful and exploitative towards Ana and her family, it would have earned 2 or 2.5 stars (due to how uncomfortable it was to read, and how excessive some of the misogyny/DV/racism was). For more information about Ana, here is an article that can be found in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/02/style/ana-mendieta-family-estate.html

Content Warnings