Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Nuestra parte de noche by Mariana Enríquez

21 reviews

oroseo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

incredible. the way each section of the book can stand alone but also informs the reader's understanding of the others. the way

that the darkness parallels the horrors of the time. the way the darkness cannot let any of them go, once in its sight. the way that its claws mark a person deapite a lifetime of evasion.

the author writes with clearness, i found myself flinching as i read.

and there are such beautiful quotes. when you finally get to the part where a character says the title. when you reckon with how horribly disposable every body is. the ways that love is twisted and deployed, the ways love is manipulated and disparaged.

there is a slower section in this novel, one that feels odd but reveals itself as necessary later in the novel. it took me a while to get through that section, but i would recommend actively trying to connect some of the more mysterious things happening to what you've already learned.

i think also, there's plot reasons for this. for the reader to stumble around in this unknowlable universe like Gaspar is. For Juan to finally be protected from our knowling, now that he has closed himself off from the Order

also. AIDS? the horror of aids!!! didn't even expect that. do we call this genre historical horror? 

I am slightly convinced that Rosario's section was written from where she lives in the Darkness. Also, i guess more obviously, that Gaspar has fallen into the same madness fortold by everyone in the Order, because he can't let go of the deaths. the darkness uses Adela to hold him hostage, or something to that affect.

I think one thing i wish i understood more, one thing that maybe a lot of non-Argentine readers of the book might need, is a tad more context on the colonial/racial history of Argentina. anti-indigeneity comes across very clear, and not unexpected, but i guess i just need to read more about who colonized and when. shockingly, lack of Argentine political knowledge does not hold one back, despite the time of the book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicide, Body horror, Murder, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Violence, Racism, Vomit, Rape, and Police brutality

It is a dark book about a physically ill man being used by a cult, who abused many, many others. Would not recommend reading if you cannot handle graphic descriptions.

arayo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Medical content, Child abuse, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Gaslighting, Blood, Chronic illness, Gore, Child death, Grief, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Biphobia, Alcohol, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Vomit, Cannibalism, Genocide, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Infidelity, Drug use, Rape, Infertility, Police brutality, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

tree_star's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I enjoyed this audiobook so much. I was super invested in each protagonist and every story arc. At its core, this is a horror story.
It's also historical, political, and queer fiction, and that together is the triforce that did me in. 
The end was worth all the hours spent wondering what the evil was and that it is both part of this world and not gives me the chills... but maybe you'll see it differently. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Death, Torture, Body horror, Colonisation, Slavery, Blood, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Classism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, War, Self harm, and Vomit

Minor: Rape, Cancer, Genocide, Police brutality, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

marianne_clh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Self harm, Body horror, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Gore, Grief, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Child abuse, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, War, Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, and Suicide attempt

danikajoan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This blew me away. I didn’t want it to end, loved the writing/translation (was already a fan of Enriquez from Things We Lost in the Fire), felt fully invested in the lore and so compelled by the characters. Really intense, a little eerie, sad, romantic, and funny. 

and I am ALWAYS on board for a “house is bigger on the inside than the outside” House of Leaves vibe.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Drug use, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Death, Medical content, Violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Chronic illness, Murder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Rape, Vomit, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Blood, Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Racism, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Gore, Classism, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, and Genocide

Alllllll the trigger warnings for this one, very intense but not in a way that feels like it’s there just for shock value or is exploitative?

jlkenneth's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Police brutality, War, and Gore

mrhewhanson's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Police brutality, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, Murder, Classism, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Vomit

jesshindes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• 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

I read Our Share of Night on the suggestion of my brother Sam (he of the numerous progeny) and as with many of the books he prefers it was immensely long and also South American. Mariana Enriquez is Argentinean and this is a translation from the Spanish (shout out to translator Megan McDowell). It's set across a period of time from the 60s to the 90s, mostly but not exclusively in Argentina, with different narrative styles and point of view characters across its 720 pages. As this implies it's quite a sprawling novel - I think it would have been possible to write a tighter version of this, although I can see the arguments for and against - and it's pretty graphic and nasty so be advised of that when making your own reading decisions! But I thought it was powerful, clever, and original so if you can stomach the length and the gruesomeness then I do recommend it.

Like a lot of the writers I've been interested in lately, Enriquez is playing with the horror genre: in this case, quite gory, genre-heavy gothic horror (she cites Stephen King as an inspiration and you can definitely see that in parts of this book) used to explore the real-life horrors of the Argentinian military dictatorship. The central premise of the story centres on a demon-worshipping cult whose wealthy and socially influential leaders carry out horrible crimes and murders to satiate their mysterious god, in the hope of benefiting from his favour and his wisdom. Every now and again, mediums are born (typically to poor families), identified, appropriated, and worked until they burn out and die. The book is focused on one of these mediums, Juan, who wants to protect his gifted younger son Gaspar from being exploited in the same way. 

I thought it was interesting that Enriquez doesn't use her story to replace the real life history - it's not an analogy in that way - but has its events taking place around and alongside historical events. Her cult leaders are closely ingratiated with military leaders, benefit from that patronage, and use the disappearances visited on the politically inconvenient as cover for their own murders. Enriquez shows how wealth and corruption are drawn to one another - and by comparison, demonstrates that the horrors which really did take place were just as violent and terrible as anything schlock horror could imagine. A short section focused on the uncovering of a mass grave really drives that home - as does mention of a real-life story from Colombia which I found absolutely chilling!! I always love it when authors do smart things with genre and I think what Enriquez does here is really convincing, so if you don't mind lots of body parts and violence then grit your teeth and give it a go?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Police brutality

blacksphinx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Vomit, Child abuse, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Classism, Confinement, Blood, Alcoholism, Body horror, Sexism, and Car accident

Minor: Slavery, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, Racism, Police brutality, and Miscarriage

CSA does not occur on page but happens to a side character. On top of at least one anti-indigenous slur, this book also contains ableist slurs and a LOT of homophobic slurs. Part of the book takes place during the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the book spends some time showing it.

shannonbauchat's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Torture, Gore, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Rape, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal death, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

Minor: War