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A review by cosyskog
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
The richness with which Mariana describes both characters and sets the scene for the situations they find themselves in is beautiful. I find myself almost immediately pulled into their stories.
While descriptive and fast-paced, this is not light reading. The stories almost always shed light on the dark shadows of our "civilised" society, and the harsh realities of life for those who are often cast out or forgotten. She is not afraid to write about the ugliness within ourselves and the realities about ourselves that we'd rather just ignore.
One point I will say, that may be a negative for some readers, is that many of the short stories are left wide open, allowing the reader to think about possible meaning and conclusions. So if you like a tidy, wrapped up conclusion - this is not for you.
While descriptive and fast-paced, this is not light reading. The stories almost always shed light on the dark shadows of our "civilised" society, and the harsh realities of life for those who are often cast out or forgotten. She is not afraid to write about the ugliness within ourselves and the realities about ourselves that we'd rather just ignore.
One point I will say, that may be a negative for some readers, is that many of the short stories are left wide open, allowing the reader to think about possible meaning and conclusions. So if you like a tidy, wrapped up conclusion - this is not for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Car accident, Lesbophobia