Reviews

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

chilly_is_cold's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.5

duygumustafa's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

sachasme's review against another edition

4.0

**4,0**

"Ele não queria me matar, só queria me tratar mal e me perturbar para que eu odiasse minha vida e não me restasse nem vontade de mudá-la."

Apesar de não ser um livro longo, acabei demorando muito mais do que pensei que demoraria para finalizar a leitura. Os contos não eram exatamente o que eu esperava quando comecei, então demorei um pouco para realmente animar e pegar o ritmo, mas no fim senti que valeu a pena. A escrita é ótima, e os temas dos contos variam muito e ao mesmo tempo em que alguns são mais fantasiosos, a maioria é bem atual, um horror que se poderia ver no dia-a-dia. Gostei mais de alguns do que de outros, claro, e os meus preferidos foram Pablito clavó un clavito, Teia de aranha e As coisas que perdemos no fogo. Tabém gostei muito de Sob a água negra, devido à homenagem a Lovecraft.

indydhania's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

jialinorama's review against another edition

Too macabre for me unfortunately, with the non-magical realism stories feeling too close to reality - it just becomes too much when similar stories also appear in the news. This is not a book that will help you escape the trauma in the world.

habiaunapaloma's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

jozie_bookshelf's review

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

"The horror comes not only from turning our gaze on desperate populations; it comes from realizing the extent of our blindness."

Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories is a collection of twelve short stories with a blend of gothic horror and magical realism based in Argentina.

These stories were dark and disturbing. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

mitskacir's review against another edition

3.0

This book was incredibly dark - macabre with a tinge of the supernatural and the grit of reality. The creepy, gruesome, sadistic nature of the people and events in each story gave me the creeps, making me feel uneasy. However, at the end of many of them, I came away not understanding the reason for the darkness. Many of them read like campfire ghost stories - told with the intent to frighten without much characterization or plot to give them depth. At times, the darkness felt gratuitous. However, others I did appreciate, especially the ones that were more related to the real world and the personal and political context of the main characters, and I certainly was impressed by the unease Enriquez was able to make me feel. I would recommend this to people who enjoy horror as a form of political commentary.

acristinaacevedo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

chaotic17's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.5