Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

104 reviews

kirstinlwx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Monstrilio did not disappoint. 
A reflection of the way that grief can be a feral and living thing - growing and changing, shrinking and morphing, sometimes recognizable and “manageable” while other times bringing shock and pain to those around you, all depending on the bearer and their processing. I couldn’t put it down. 
This debut novel was gripping, but it was inconsistently paced in a way that impacted how I connected to each of the main characters, especially outside of their POV section. The different perspectives were all incredibly unique and viscerally illustrative, leaving me with strong feelings about all of the main characters including Uncle Luke and Peter. The different POVs changed how I saw each character, showing how the internal and external perspectives of a person can be so different, and key to the whole picture of that person. 
I felt a slight disconnect and lack of fulfillment from the story by the end of the book, keeping me from rating it 5 ⭐️, while simultaneously being another great metaphor for grief and how it feels to “move on”.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, and Grief

Monster,

mutilation

rodent_scribbles's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful reflection of grief, human nature, and monstrosity.
This book made me feel the grief of each character deep in my bones.
The way Mexico City is portrayed speaks to my own experience growing up and it is truly lovely to see my hometown represented so lovingly.

And incredibly strong debut, I am excited to read whatever Gerardo Sámano Córdova writes next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Homophobia, Medical content, and Alcohol

errie's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Excrement, and Vomit

coryyalva's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

There is so much to be said about this book that I do not even know where to begin.

While Monstrilio didn't take me on the journey I expected it to, it did fill me with endless emotions as it touched on love, loss, grief, and labels and expectations. This book spoke to me in a way I had not expected it to.

(Please look up the trigger warnings first, but....) go read Monstrilio!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Abandonment

Minor: Drug use

minamouse's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Child death

nadstorro's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Book about grief. Good storyline. My first dark, gothic horror book. Sad. Ending was great. They let him go- him being Montrilio which in literary sense it was the grief of losing their son. They accepted his death/they accepted that Monstrilio was an animal and could not keep him and that it will only hurt him and themselves, so they let him go. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death

tjmitrovic's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Dark, original, wonderful 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Blood, Grief, and Murder

jaylinsoto's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious 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

5.0

I already know this book is going to be one that I think about often. I found myself feeling seen in a lot of small ways (the use of “mami”, M eating picadillo, etc) and I found the different portrayals of love, acceptance, and grief to be very thought provoking. This is also the first book I’ve read where each of the characters queerness were less of a plot point and more just a part of who they were. I loved that. It felt so impactful for the queerness to be unimportant/inconsequential in the whole theme of the book. I tabbed the hell out of this book and I think everyone should definitely read it! I’m excited for more books from this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Blood, Grief, and Cannibalism

mortiffa's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Blood, and Grief