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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
The best horror media establishes a new irrational fear where you never had one before. Jaws made me afraid of shark attacks on the beach. Psycho made me afraid of getting shanked in a hotel shower. This book made me afraid of sitting on wet grass.
This book is told in the larger context of a long-running real-world environmental disaster in Argentina, but it's never explicitly spelled out in the book, and it stands up on its own without that knowledge (but it does add more to it if you research it after the fact). However the really memorable stuff and what this book does really well is the sense of urgency. The narrator is on her death bed and knows she's running out of time, and the entire book is a single conversation: no chapters, no breaks. There's simply no time to stop and catch your breath because we are constantly being reminded that we are running out of time and that there is a specific end point we are trying to reach before she dies. Yes, this is also a short book that I read in one day, but I also didn't want to stop; I was totally pulled in.
This also fits in that, "holy shit I'm glad I don't have kids" subgenre of horror because there's an overlapping theme of motherhood that I could tell would just fuck me up more if I actually had children of my own.
It's definitely a unique horror book in that there's a very subtle and weak supernatural element, but there's also no overt human antagonist. I see a lot of reviews calling this one confusing, but I thought it was pretty clear. It's just that sometimes you do everything you think you're supposed to, but one little thing that you thought nothing of in the moment ends up being a fatal mistake. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time and not even realizing it until way too late is its own kind of horrifying.
This book is told in the larger context of a long-running real-world environmental disaster in Argentina, but it's never explicitly spelled out in the book, and it stands up on its own without that knowledge (but it does add more to it if you research it after the fact). However the really memorable stuff and what this book does really well is the sense of urgency. The narrator is on her death bed and knows she's running out of time, and the entire book is a single conversation: no chapters, no breaks. There's simply no time to stop and catch your breath because we are constantly being reminded that we are running out of time and that there is a specific end point we are trying to reach before she dies. Yes, this is also a short book that I read in one day, but I also didn't want to stop; I was totally pulled in.
This also fits in that, "holy shit I'm glad I don't have kids" subgenre of horror because there's an overlapping theme of motherhood that I could tell would just fuck me up more if I actually had children of my own.
It's definitely a unique horror book in that there's a very subtle and weak supernatural element, but there's also no overt human antagonist. I see a lot of reviews calling this one confusing, but I thought it was pretty clear. It's just that sometimes you do everything you think you're supposed to, but one little thing that you thought nothing of in the moment ends up being a fatal mistake. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time and not even realizing it until way too late is its own kind of horrifying.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5
after looking into the background/inspiration for this book, i can say i respect it significantly, but....
i was honestly unaware of Argentina's problem with pesticide poisoning but recognized similarities with other man-made ?disasters that are more personally local (like the chat piles in picher, oklahoma) to assume thats what was going on.
however, tbqh idk if the execution is entirely there? this feels like a first act, but theres no follow through to finish the story. bc of that it ends on a flat note and leaves you unsatisfied. honestly a damn shame cause i enjoyed the writing; it works great for the tone its trying to build and the premise is Fantastic for psychological horror.
it was also an incredibly quick read, which probably has to do with A) it being the aforementioned only first act B) it being formatted specifically to make it look like theres more than there is.
tldr; i liked it and respect it, wish there was more to the story since it left me wanting
after looking into the background/inspiration for this book, i can say i respect it significantly, but....
i was honestly unaware of Argentina's problem with pesticide poisoning but recognized similarities with other man-made ?disasters that are more personally local (like the chat piles in picher, oklahoma) to assume thats what was going on.
however, tbqh idk if the execution is entirely there? this feels like a first act, but theres no follow through to finish the story. bc of that it ends on a flat note and leaves you unsatisfied. honestly a damn shame cause i enjoyed the writing; it works great for the tone its trying to build and the premise is Fantastic for psychological horror.
it was also an incredibly quick read, which probably has to do with A) it being the aforementioned only first act B) it being formatted specifically to make it look like theres more than there is.
tldr; i liked it and respect it, wish there was more to the story since it left me wanting
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Storia di una vacanza tra mamma e figlia che si trasforma in un incubo. Un misto tra creepy, angosciante e paranormale, in pieno stile schweblin
dark
mysterious
tense
Reading this was also a fever dream. I was so confused. In the end, it all came together though. But, I still didn’t quite find the ending satisfying somehow.
What?
I had a really hard time figuring out what the point of this story was. I couldn't tell you anything vital about the plot. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea.
I had a really hard time figuring out what the point of this story was. I couldn't tell you anything vital about the plot. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun ride! Finished in a day (at under 200 pages, it flies by). The story had be hooked - and so confused - from the beginning.
The ambiguous ending also lent itself nicely to the chaos of the story.
The ambiguous ending also lent itself nicely to the chaos of the story.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No