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katie_greenwinginmymouth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
So glad to have finally got round to reading these stories. I really appreciate writing where horror or genre tropes are used to explore and expose actual real life horror - in this case that of a country that has been brutalised by decades of violent dictatorship. These elements of the stories are so well done and are rooted in Argentina’s religious and spiritual traditions. The stories are genuinely unsettling and rightly so. There is a really strong sense of place throughout and the unforgiving nature of the landscape and the climate is often referenced - at one point the humidity is described “as if a brutal arm were wound round your waist and squeezing.” I was struck by how many of the stories featured vile, useless or abusive men and how much that said about the pervasiveness of toxic masculinity. “Under the Black Water” might have been my favourite one for its brilliant commentary on police brutality, environmental degradation and society’s prejudice against and fear of marginalised communities. It is darkly carnivalesque and burrows deep under your skin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Murder
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