Reviews

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

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jmckeon37's review against another edition

5.0

How do you summarize your feelings about a book that covers so much ground and tackles so many heavy topics with a prose that is as breezy as it is packed with meaning? All I can think to say is that the paperback was just over 600 pages, and I would have read 600 more.

smashingreads's review against another edition

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I joined this for a StoryGraph book club and then everyone else bounced out. This style of book isn’t for me so I didn’t want to finish the last 20 hours of the audiobook.

theatricallum's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad 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

2.5

This was a tough one to review. After an incredibly tight first section, suffused with rich detail and plenty of Gothic/macabre trappings, it quite literally loses the plot from there onwards. That thread that intrigued me is lost, and while flashes of that first section return now and then, I feel like it never quite reaches the ambition set by the opening. Not a bad read, but one I had to motor through to get to finish. After all that probably should have given it less stars hey? I suppose the only reason I didn’t is because the core concept is solid, and I would probably still pick up another book of hers in future.

paupas's review against another edition

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4.0

no le pongo cinco porque hay partes (hehe) que se hacen pesadas

csmacbride's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

violetturtledove's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

This book is a complex and often confusing journey, but worth sticking with. I don't completely understand everything that happened, but I'm actually tempted to jump back in and read from the start just to absorb more of it.

The supernatural is mixed well with the political history of the story, and the characters are flawed, screwed up and completely believable. There's some very simple naming- the cult is called 'The Order' and the dark god they worship is 'The Darkness' but I think it works as a stylistic choice, it keeps the story grounded. Despite the fantastical elements it's a story about family, secrets and dealing with the past. And when it comes to horror, people outdo monsters every time.

It jumps around a lot: it's not always clear at first whether a gap between paragraphs signifies a day or several months. The six parts of the book aren't in chronological order, mostly this does help build the sense of mystery but some sections drag a little. It's a slow, atmospheric build up rather than a tense thriller.

I imagine some people will be frustrated by the lack of clear answers on some points, there's a lot going on and I could have done with a little more clarification but again, it fits with the style of the book. Human relationships are complicated and you can't expect easy answers.

Content Warnings