Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

27 reviews

whimsicalish's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

2.75

Many of the stories were supernatural and mysterious. They were short, quick to read. Most ended very abruptly. I imagine the author didn't want to over explain and lose the tense atmosphere. But a couple of the stories would have build up, add the tension and then quickly end. It was jarring.

There's many realistic and difficult situations in this book. From physical abuse to suicidal ideation. But I really didn't need to read the ones with sexual actions involving underaged children. Yuck.

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cady_sass's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I never read anthologies, because I know myself and I want more depth, more character development, a plot arc. But this book has been calling to me. I’m very glad I finally picked it up. A couple of the short stories I hated, most of them I loved. It feels like the translator really did the original work justice, the prose is gorgeous and vivid and gritty, but someone who’s read the original Spanish will have to say for sure. There’s certainly some triggering imagery so proceed with caution. 

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mayze's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

A collection of short stories, all well written, some of course better than others. I just wished the meaning behind was a bit more obvious

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chloeantoinettereads's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I both loved and hated this book

It was beautifully written but was very hard to read at times and would leave a bad taste in my mouth after certain chapters. Very original though and worth the read as the perspectives in it are nothing like I've ever read before.

Wonderfully horrible. Beautifully grotesque 

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emmalouisereads's review

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dark fast-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

3.0

I think, as with most short stories, some stories you enjoy and others just aren’t. 

Many of these stories were only about 10 pages which I think is just not long enough for me to get invested.  

I preferred the stories that were a little creepy, especially the longest story in the book ‘the kids who came back’. I didn’t particularly enjoy the stories that weren’t scary and instead were just absolutely vile (on purpose I’m sure). I had to take breaks between stories as some turned my stomach. So, if that’s what you’re looking for - this is the short story collection for you! 

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nialiversuch's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious 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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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miaaa_lenaaa's review

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challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Favourites were meat and kids who come back
‘She longed for summer to be the last, and she spent more and more time in the lookout tower, where she could b barely hear the whisper of the living, which she knew how to imitate so well, but could not comprehend.’
‘ I have three memories of him, but one of them could be false.‘

SPOILERS-
Kids who come back- kids who’ve disappeared return but not really human
Meat- teen girlies eat their dead idol
The lookout- ghosty wants sad girl in the tower to replace her
Angelita unearthen- lonely ghost baby comes to haunt her relative cause she was left behind
Our lady of the quarry- fuck u smart girl im gonna pray u and ur hot boyfriend get eaten alive by rabid dogs
The cart- neighbourhood chase away homeless man and theyre all cursed but one family isn’t affected
The well-  girl grows up fearless, becomes terrified as her mother and sister delay their fears onto her, she lives on misery, but is too afraid to throw herself down the well
Rambla triste- woman visits friend in barcelona who tells her the streets are full of ghost children who wont let anyone leave
Where are you dear heart- girlypop has a heartbeat irregularity fetish but her boyfriends doesnt mind to much if he dies cause she wants to her his heart beat get more and more problematic
No birthdays or baptisms- guy hired to film things asked to film girl having seizures in which she claims ‘he’ makes her do things
The dangers of smoking in bed- her neighbour was paralysed and smoked in bed till she caught fire and died, girly pokes holes in her sheets with cigarette, the ceiling looks like stars, and smokes out the moths
Back when we talked to the dead- teen girls talking to spirits duh they start to leave mid convo, say they don’t trust one of the girls, one girls brother comes in but it was not her brother

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emimli's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5


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unmasked1203's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • 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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piabo's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

Wanted to read books by Argentinian authors and found this. And the stories in the book are really well written! 

A good book for me to realize that I do not like horror/thriller/crime stories. Really not my thing. Why would anyone want to read something that is just scary and sick? People are interesting.

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