Reviews tagging 'Death'

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

88 reviews

kerishma's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Drug use, Physical abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Trafficking, Body horror, Addiction, War, Alcohol, and Sexual violence

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

eli99's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Not as good as her more recent collection of short horror stories. A few of these just didn't land as interesting or horrific. But some of them were dark and spooky in that enjoyable ways. The way she captures these short pictures of the character's lives is quite pleasant. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Child abuse, Trafficking, Mental illness, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Pregnancy, Addiction, Classism, and Medical trauma

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

morybaby's review

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Death, Gun violence, Drug use, and Drug abuse

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

isarza's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5 estrellas porque no me gustaron todos los cuentos pero en general creo que disfruté leer a esta autora. 
Mis cuentos favoritos fueron "la casa de Adela", "nada de carne sobre nosotras", "bajo el agua negra". "Bajo el agua negra" me recordó a Lovecraft y me gustó esta referencia. 
Quisiera leer "los peligros de fumar en la cama" que dicen que es aún mejor. 

Odié el final de "el patio del vecino" Trigger warning por tener escenas de maltrato animal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Blood, and Body horror

Minor: Rape, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Torture, Excrement, Gore, Violence, Death, and Eating disorder

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