Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

55 reviews

gossamer_lens's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Overall a creepy and interesting short story collection. The below are my ratings for each short story. My rating for the book is the average of these:

3.75 - The Dirty Kid
4.25 - The Inn
2.75 - The Intoxicated Years
4.5 - Adela's Hours
5 - An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt
3.5 - Spiderweb
4.75 - End of Term
4 - No Flesh Over Our Bones
4.25 - The Neighbot's Courtyard
3.5 - Under the Black Water
2.75 - Green Red Orange 
4.75 - Things We Lost in the Fire

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Police brutality, Gore, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Excrement, Murder, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Gun violence, Child abuse, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Vomit, Eating disorder, Drug use, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Addiction

emilyseebold's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Suicide attempt, Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Mental illness, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Drug use, Police brutality, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: War, Vomit, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Pedophilia, Gun violence, and Torture

Minor: Homophobia and Eating disorder

blakeandbooks's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I love when I go into a book knowing very little, and it surprising me with how much I enjoyed it. These collection of short stories weave in horror and magical realism into contemporary Argentina. It wasn’t that I necessarily felt scared when a story would finished, but I was most often left with an eerie, disturbed feeling that wouldn’t go away even as I started the next story. I think this is definitely a book you should pick up! It uses psychological terror and fear to discuss mundane issues that are always in plain sight. Enríquez is an incredible author, who leaves you dangling at the edge of your seat wanting more of each of her stories, but holding back just enough to keep you wanting. This is my second time reading Argentinian fiction, my first being Tender is the Flesh, and I am so glad I read it! If you appreciate dark and psychological fiction, put this book on your radar.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Child death, Addiction, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, Body horror, and Eating disorder

maw's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Hate crime, Eating disorder, Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide, Drug use, and Drug abuse

maxgdy's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Police brutality, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Drug use, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Sexual content, Addiction, Self harm, Body horror, Blood, Fatphobia, and Cursing

Minor: Abortion

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

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

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