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minimicropup's review against another edition
4.5
Oof, the feels. There’s all too real magic realism, heartbreaking life lessons, and a beautiful ending.
Energy: Intrepid. Vibrant. Raw.
Scene: 🇺🇸 🇨🇺 Set in Providence, Rhode Island (1990s), NYC (1970s-1980s) and Havana, Jaruco, and Varadero Cuba (1980s).
Perspective: In the 1980s, we follow an artist who meets an untimely end as their marriage unravels with perspective from their spouse. In the 1990s, we follow a graduate student questioning their world as they learn more about the spouse of the male artist whose work they are writing about.
🐕 Howls: I find post-death or beyond-the-grave perspectives difficult, but that’s just me!
🐩 Tail Wags: Raquel. Imperfect characters. The balance of show-not-tell commentary. Overall energy and thoughtfulness. The portrayal of how established art is dictated and how limiting and destructive that is.
🤔 Random Thoughts:
This is a book you’ll want to be in the headspace for. Even though I haven’t lived the character’s experiences and identities, it felt so relatable and understandable. There’s a wide span of commentary, but it never felt shallow or heavy-handed. I loved the symbolism of connecting across time and supporting the growth of each other’s spirits.
The exploration the 'man-child' and toxic gender roles was well done, too. I hated Jack, but I was glad we got his perspective because it gave us insight into how people like him justify their actions. This didn’t feel misandrist (not all men are jerks), and it explored the role of women in enabling these behaviours too.
----
🎬 Tale-Telling: Poetic and expressive but dense with long chapters.
🤓 Reader Role: Anita is talking to us directly and from beyond the grave. We are also tagging along with Raquel with a narrator who gives insight into her thoughts and actions.
🗺️ World-Building: Effortlessly 1990s and 1980s. Musical, too. This is a great book to read along with the songs listed.
🔥 Fuel: We know right away that Anita died, but there’s an unravelling mystery around how and what led to it. Will the truth be found out? Will her art survive? Raquel’s portion has relationship and coming-of-age suspense, and some research sleuthing.
📖 Cred: Hyper-realistic magical realism
🚙 Journey: Spending an afternoon lost in a book or movie, feeling all the feels.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Energy: Intrepid. Vibrant. Raw.
Scene: 🇺🇸 🇨🇺 Set in Providence, Rhode Island (1990s), NYC (1970s-1980s) and Havana, Jaruco, and Varadero Cuba (1980s).
Perspective: In the 1980s, we follow an artist who meets an untimely end as their marriage unravels with perspective from their spouse. In the 1990s, we follow a graduate student questioning their world as they learn more about the spouse of the male artist whose work they are writing about.
🐕 Howls: I find post-death or beyond-the-grave perspectives difficult, but that’s just me!
🐩 Tail Wags: Raquel. Imperfect characters. The balance of show-not-tell commentary. Overall energy and thoughtfulness. The portrayal of how established art is dictated and how limiting and destructive that is.
🤔 Random Thoughts:
This is a book you’ll want to be in the headspace for. Even though I haven’t lived the character’s experiences and identities, it felt so relatable and understandable. There’s a wide span of commentary, but it never felt shallow or heavy-handed. I loved the symbolism of connecting across time and supporting the growth of each other’s spirits.
The exploration the 'man-child' and toxic gender roles was well done, too. I hated Jack, but I was glad we got his perspective because it gave us insight into how people like him justify their actions. This didn’t feel misandrist (not all men are jerks), and it explored the role of women in enabling these behaviours too.
----
🎬 Tale-Telling: Poetic and expressive but dense with long chapters.
🤓 Reader Role: Anita is talking to us directly and from beyond the grave. We are also tagging along with Raquel with a narrator who gives insight into her thoughts and actions.
🗺️ World-Building: Effortlessly 1990s and 1980s. Musical, too. This is a great book to read along with the songs listed.
🔥 Fuel: We know right away that Anita died, but there’s an unravelling mystery around how and what led to it. Will the truth be found out? Will her art survive? Raquel’s portion has relationship and coming-of-age suspense, and some research sleuthing.
📖 Cred: Hyper-realistic magical realism
🚙 Journey: Spending an afternoon lost in a book or movie, feeling all the feels.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Seagulls. Salt-scented air. Honking traffic. Elevator music. Studio light. Polite laughter. Sand and ocean waves. Hip hop.
- Elements of magical realism and good-for-her revenge
- Literary fiction with new adult experiences and breaking free from patriarchal and White-normalized expectations
Content Heads-Up: Prejudice/bias (class, privilege, ancestry, race). Racism (systemic, relationships, academia). Domestic abuse (physical and verbal). Toxic masculinity. Suicide (implied, on page). Murder (on page). Death, life after death (on page). Bullying. Sexism, misogyny. Body shaming. Eating disorder (brief mention). Controlling relationships. Alcohol use (intoxication).
Rep: Cuban American. Puerto Rican. Latina, Lebanese, French, Black, and White Americans. Cisgender. Gay. Lesbian. Heterosexual. Diverse body sizes. Diverse skin colours. Santería.
📚 Format: Paperback
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Suicide
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Title: Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Theatrical • Electric • Haunting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After being captivated by Xóchitl González's writing in her debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, I immediately added Anita de Monte Laughs Last to my list of anticipated releases for 2024. I was graciously offered an ALC, which I tandem read with the book once it was released.
The audiobook, narrated by a full cast of Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez is absolutely fantastic. I would even venture to say the narration takes this book to the next level. The narrators really bring their characters to life and I could hear the emotion of the narrative in their voices. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and in a nonlinear fashion it was definitely easier for me to tandem read than listen alone.
The pacing starts out on the slow side, yet it builds steadily to a satisfying ending. I will admit to being slightly caught off guard by the ghost element, but somehow it fit perfectly into the narrative. There is ample commentary on race and womanhood and when the two stories start to converge the story gets stronger.
I don't know that I enjoyed this one as much as her debut, yet it was definitely worth my time. It's easy to imagine Anita de Monte Laughs Last transitioning to the big screen down the road. This book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it establishes Xóchitl González as a force in the literary world.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• art history
• strong female characters
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, death, murder, cursing, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, infidelity, mental illness, eating disorder, anorexia, body shaming, fatphobia
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit."
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Theatrical • Electric • Haunting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After being captivated by Xóchitl González's writing in her debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, I immediately added Anita de Monte Laughs Last to my list of anticipated releases for 2024. I was graciously offered an ALC, which I tandem read with the book once it was released.
The audiobook, narrated by a full cast of Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez is absolutely fantastic. I would even venture to say the narration takes this book to the next level. The narrators really bring their characters to life and I could hear the emotion of the narrative in their voices. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and in a nonlinear fashion it was definitely easier for me to tandem read than listen alone.
The pacing starts out on the slow side, yet it builds steadily to a satisfying ending. I will admit to being slightly caught off guard by the ghost element, but somehow it fit perfectly into the narrative. There is ample commentary on race and womanhood and when the two stories start to converge the story gets stronger.
I don't know that I enjoyed this one as much as her debut, yet it was definitely worth my time. It's easy to imagine Anita de Monte Laughs Last transitioning to the big screen down the road. This book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it establishes Xóchitl González as a force in the literary world.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• art history
• strong female characters
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, death, murder, cursing, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, infidelity, mental illness, eating disorder, anorexia, body shaming, fatphobia
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
anorexiaanxietee9's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Eating disorder, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
breanneporter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book, even more than Olga Dies Dreaming, which I also really enjoyed. Anita de Monte Laughs Last alternates between three perspectives over the course of nearly 20 years, following renowned artist/sculptor Jack Martin, his wife and up and coming Cuban-American artist (and titular character) Anita de Monte, and 20-year-old art history student Raquel Torro, who is navigating a new (but familiar) romantic relationship and a thesis on Jack Martin when she discovers the work of the forgotten Anita, who is still very much around to haunt those who have buried her and her work.
This novel has so much fantastic feminine rage and excellent critiques of patriarchy and white feminism. The majority of it is an incredibly frustrating and infuriating read, with moments of righteous revenge to counterbalance the overwhelming injustice and inequity that’s happening, but the title tells you what you need to know to keep reading. Anita and Raquel are both excellent characters, set up to have so many similarities while still having such distinct voices and personas that made them both feel so real. While I understand why we get Jack’s point of view, those were undoubtedly my least favorite chapters, as it’s hard to stomach being inside the self-righteous delusion of an evil and insecure man, but it certainly did only fuel my ire and my desire for justice. I do think that the characters of Claire and Margot were almost cartoonishly awful, (and I mean come on, that night was so bad that I can’t believe be Mavette could ever come back from it, her lack of action and support for Raquel) but I’m glad that the point was made (though these two didn’t get the justice they deserved in my mind!). I love how Xochitl Gonzalez writes about class and privilege and womanhood and I will always read whatever she writes!
This novel has so much fantastic feminine rage and excellent critiques of patriarchy and white feminism. The majority of it is an incredibly frustrating and infuriating read, with moments of righteous revenge to counterbalance the overwhelming injustice and inequity that’s happening, but the title tells you what you need to know to keep reading. Anita and Raquel are both excellent characters, set up to have so many similarities while still having such distinct voices and personas that made them both feel so real. While I understand why we get Jack’s point of view, those were undoubtedly my least favorite chapters, as it’s hard to stomach being inside the self-righteous delusion of an evil and insecure man, but it certainly did only fuel my ire and my desire for justice. I do think that the characters of Claire and Margot were almost cartoonishly awful, (and I mean come on, that night was so bad that I can’t believe be Mavette could ever come back from it, her lack of action and support for Raquel) but I’m glad that the point was made (though these two didn’t get the justice they deserved in my mind!). I love how Xochitl Gonzalez writes about class and privilege and womanhood and I will always read whatever she writes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Classism
katielong84's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Classism
martinj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, Sexism, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Sexual violence
lorettalucia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a gorgeous novel. The plotting and characterizations were impeccable. The critique or racism in halls of the elite—the Ivy League, Upper East Side shindigs, the Art Establishment—was incisive and pulled no punches. (Believe me, I’ve been the Brooklyn-reared “ethnic” female outsider in those rooms for most of my life.)
The prose is straightforward rather than flowery but Gonzalez’s ability to get straight to the root of an emotion, big or small, is brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
lauren_lovestoread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Yes, yes, yes!!!! I absolutely devoured and LOVED this powerful, rage-filled, sometimes snarky, feminist tale. Set in the ~art world~, told in multiple POVs over dual timelines (1980s/1990s), this novel explores so many universal themes: class, privilege, racism, power dynamics, gender roles, sexism, toxic masculinity, toxic relationships, the weaponization of culture… to name just a few.
Gonzalez flawlessly swings back and forth from artist Anita and her chaotic marriage to the abusive Jack to Raquel falling under the spell of fellow student Nick and entering an ever so subtly suffocating relationship with him (read: toxic, racist, controlling, rich, white fxxkboy). The nuances of what abuse and privilege look like are crafted so perfectly, it reads and feels like a story that we’ve all heard so many iterations of so many times, too many times, or perhaps unfortunately are personally familiar with.
Anita is at times unhinged and vengeful (which I love), but she is fundamentally what so many of us women are: seeking to be seen, heard, and appreciated in our own right.
This book made me laugh, made my blood pressure rise, made me punch the air in triumph. READ IT!!!!!!!
Gonzalez flawlessly swings back and forth from artist Anita and her chaotic marriage to the abusive Jack to Raquel falling under the spell of fellow student Nick and entering an ever so subtly suffocating relationship with him (read: toxic, racist, controlling, rich, white fxxkboy). The nuances of what abuse and privilege look like are crafted so perfectly, it reads and feels like a story that we’ve all heard so many iterations of so many times, too many times, or perhaps unfortunately are personally familiar with.
Anita is at times unhinged and vengeful (which I love), but she is fundamentally what so many of us women are: seeking to be seen, heard, and appreciated in our own right.
This book made me laugh, made my blood pressure rise, made me punch the air in triumph. READ IT!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
bibliomich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Following two parallel stories set a decade apart, Anita de Monte Laughs Last dives deep into the themes of art, ego, racism, classism, feminism, and love. And Xochitl Gonzalez does this with such brilliant wit that the book had me literally laughing out loud one second, and then dropping my mouth in astonishment in the next.
What I loved:
- The audiobook narration. If you can listen to this one, I highly recommend it. The book rotates between three different narrators, all of whom bring so much life and passion to the characters' voices.
- The characters: Anita de Monte is the queen of revenge, and I loved every second of it. Beyond the title character, though, Gonzalez has created a full cast of characters whom you love to love and/or love to hate.
- The way the author depicts the art world: I'll admit--I know nothing about the art world, art history, or art genres, but it didn't matter at all. Gonzalez swept me up into this world, and even though I was coming in with no prior knowledge, I felt like I understood it all. The elitism, the b.s., the racism--all of it was so well illustrated that I could see these scenes playing out in my mind as if I were standing there in those very galleries.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listener copy!
What I loved:
- The audiobook narration. If you can listen to this one, I highly recommend it. The book rotates between three different narrators, all of whom bring so much life and passion to the characters' voices.
- The characters: Anita de Monte is the queen of revenge, and I loved every second of it. Beyond the title character, though, Gonzalez has created a full cast of characters whom you love to love and/or love to hate.
- The way the author depicts the art world: I'll admit--I know nothing about the art world, art history, or art genres, but it didn't matter at all. Gonzalez swept me up into this world, and even though I was coming in with no prior knowledge, I felt like I understood it all. The elitism, the b.s., the racism--all of it was so well illustrated that I could see these scenes playing out in my mind as if I were standing there in those very galleries.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listener copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
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