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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
Our Share of Night: A Novel by Mariana Enríquez, Megan McDowell
168 reviews
mstall_'s review
- 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
5.0
Juan Peterson is fleeing Buenos Aires with his 6 year old son Gaspar on a road trip in 1981. At this time, Argentina is embroiled in a dictatorship and it is dangerous to be traveling, or really just looking a little out of place. The story starts off with understanding the brutality of Videla's dictatorship: hundreds of people have been killed or "disappeared" and the air is thick with despair and fear. Since the death of Gaspar's mother, he and his father are hoping to seek shelter with Gaspar's immensely rich and powerful grandparents up north.
However, Gaspar's mother and therefore his grandparents are all part of a secret, demonic cult called The Order. The Order worships an entity called The Darkness and the Darkness can only speak through a medium -- Juan. Being the medium takes a serious toll on the health of the person, and Juan already struggles with multiple heart issues. He is preparing to die any day.
As the story unfolds we see not only the scope of the Order's power but also the scope of it's brutality, even for it's own members. Juan is desperately tying to keep Gaspar from being the next medium and enduring the horrors of the Order and the Darkness. Juan will do anything to keep Gaspar safe, even if it means sacrificing himself.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez is literary horror at it's very finest. At 600 pages, this is a powerhouse of a book that will ask you to wait patiently, stay dedicated, and obey, for the absolute payoff of being invited deeper and deeper into the world of Juan and Gaspar. The book is broken up into five parts, none of which have true chapters. Some parts are long and laborious and you feel like you just want to quit and yet something keeps you working for the next line, the next page, the next reveal. And what a pay off each reveal is -- every detail in this book is important and the further you go, the deeper you get the more you are able to make out the shape of what is forming. It is phenomenal writing and exquisite storytelling.
Be reminded that this is horror story about a cult, so expect cult horror. Body horror, child abuse and death, violence against women, just to name a few. There are also some depictions of gay men passing away from AIDs and while not related to the cult horror aspect itself, the AIDs crisis in the 80s and early 90s was very much a horror of it's own.
Our Share of Night is a 5/5 star read for me. I will be re-reading this book as often as I can.
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence
lilly_dav_reading's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
I took away a star because I was a little disappointed with the ending. I would have liked to have seen Gaspar be able to heal from his pain and trauma. Will there be a second??
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Gore, Murder, Kidnapping, Vomit, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, War, Rape, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Religious bigotry
karmapen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse
anja_mickelson's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse
rach_fornow's review against another edition
also i really struggle with staying with MCs who are horrible people unless specifically it’s a hate read. but like
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Self harm
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
hexedmaiden's review
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia
zhi's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Drug use, Blood, and Body horror
lareinadehades's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Body horror, and Genocide
oroseo's review against another edition
- 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
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.
also. AIDS? the horror of aids!!! didn't even expect that. do we call this genre historical horror?
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.
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.eelizard's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, War, Torture, Child abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Medical content, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Slavery