Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

88 reviews

aprilyvonne's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Things We Lost in the Fire” by Mariana Enríquez was another unsettling, captivating, and uniquely feminist collection of macabre short stories. I first read “The Dangers of Smoking in Bed” about two years ago and I’m still struck by the strange stories that come to mind every now and then. 

This book was truly another example of a unique reading experience. It’s always hard to put into words something so grotesque, and yet, also mesmerizing. I’m still processing the stories, but the few that stood out are Adela’s House, Under the Black Water, End of Term, and Things We Lost in the Fire. Many of the stories and characters will likely haunt for a long time. I loved how the author could incorporate such themes of poverty, police brutality, women facing off the patriarchy, alongside the darker side of humanity. 

If you enjoy the dark, creepy, and daring, then this will be for you. Otherwise, be fair warned that it’s not for the faint of heart. 

***

“Burnings are the work of men. They have always burned us. Now we are burning ourselves. But we’re not going to die; we’re going to flaunt our scars.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Gore, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Classism, Eating disorder, Addiction, Body horror, Gaslighting, Transphobia, and Sexism

ajlct's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Animal death, Child death, Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Mental illness, Ableism, and Rape

marialangworthy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Body horror, and Police brutality

carolinacortez's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

"Lo miro como una bruja, como una asesina, como si tuviera poderes." 

Nunca había leído a Mariana Enriquez, y me lleve una increíble sorpresa, como saben yo soy cero de cosas de terror (por qué soy súper miedosa) pero está antología de cuentos hiso que me diera cuenta que a veces vale la pena asustarse para saber el final de las historias. 

El parque de la casa se llenaba de sombras, que corrían, que saludaban burlonas 

Me encantó que el terror de Mariana no sólo radica en un 'scare jump' o en fantasmas, ella lleva el terror a la cotidianidad, el terror del día a día, dónde la protagonista siempre es femenina, nos lleva a conocer la mente de las personas, sus miedos, lo que estamos dispuestos a hacer por la libertad, el internet, la voz que tenemos en nuestras mentes, etc.

"¿No los escuchas?¿No escuchas los tambores de ese culto de muertos? 

Uno de los mejores libros que he leído este año.

PD. Mi relato favorito fue el último (el que le da su título al libro) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Drug use

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Drug abuse, Confinement, Bullying, Animal death, Eating disorder, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Misogyny, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Fire/Fire injury

librarymouse's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

2.5

This was more engaging than the last of Mariana Enriquez's books that I read, but the removal of womens' agency explored, especially in the last piece, even as done through an attempt to radically assert that agency, was more unsettling than I expect. I also was not a fan of the trope of using disabilities or injuries to define people as monstrous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Classism, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Abortion, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Blood, Drug abuse, Vomit, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide, and Gore

nadia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

A super solid collection of stories! I did not realise I was going into such dark, creepy, horror vibes, but I was here for it. As always, some stories were just okay, and even with some of my faves, I felt a little let-down with the endings. It's not that I'd need an explanation of what happens — oh no, that'd take away from the story — it's just that I felt like I spent time building up to an ending and then all of a sudden it was over. I guess you'd say it was a pacing thing.

Anyway, really good, with my faves being The Neighbor's Courtyard, Adela's House, and, Under The Black Water.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape

booktribe's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

4.0

📚 The Dirty Kid: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 The Inn: ⭐️⭐️✨

📚 The Intoxicated Years: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 Adela’s House: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 An Invocation of the Big Eared Runt: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: graphic child death)

📚 Spiderweb: ⭐️⭐️✨

📚 End of Term: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 No Flesh Over Our Bones: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: fatphobia)

📚 The Neighbor’s Courtyard: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 Under the Black Water: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (tw: suicide, ableist language)

📚 Green Red Orange: ⭐️⭐️✨ (tw: depression, mentions of rape, child SA and death, animal cruelty)

📚 Things We Lost in the Fire: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: domestic abuse, self harm)

Average rating: 3.7 ⭐️’s

I wish a lot of the stories had been longer!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Fatphobia, Ableism, Rape, and Animal cruelty

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Vomit, Stalking, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Torture, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and War

paginasmarcadas's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

Si bien me gustó, algunas de las historias me dejaron esperando más. Sobre todo las del principio se sienten como largas descripciones de una sola escena antes que un cuento completo. Va se flojo a mejor, los últimos me parecieron mucho más interesantes y los temas son variados, siempre con una impronta muy clara de su escritura que con solo una oración te revuelve las tripas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Child abuse, Police brutality, Body horror, Confinement, Excrement, and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder and Excrement

erma11's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Strong surrealism vibes, based in Argentina. Dark, grotesque, graphic, and highly interesting. After every short story I was left feeling a little spooked and reflecting on what I just read. Wonderful writing! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Classism, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Pedophilia, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexism, Torture, Addiction, Misogyny, and Sexual assault