A review by diziet
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

3.5

I enjoyed this book, but the last chapter and ending are disappointing.

The story starts out strong with many vibes of the best of 1980s horror stories - and not just because a large part of the book actually takes place in the 1980s.

The setting in Argentina is a welcome change, and the historical context is interesting and well woven into the horror aspects of the story. I liked the detailed backstories and everyday life alongside the horror and the supernatural.

Lots of creepy and scary stuff. The story does an excellent job of setting up The Order as an evil cult - that worships a god that reflects them or perhaps they conjure forth by their own wickedness? Grandma Mercedes is especially despicable. 

Though the scariest bit is actually true. The fate of the young girl Omayra Sánchez, who got half buried in a landslide with her legs pinned under concrete. Rescuers cannot get her out (lack of equipment or knowledge?) so she slowly died over 3 days. The photo of Omayra is truly real-life horror - I did not go looking for the video….

The last chapter about Gaspar and the ending are not on the same level as the rest of the story. The ideas are good - but not the actual narrative. There is a long passage where nothing really happens. Gaspar is not a very interesting character, and the ‘everyday life’ details take up too much space compared to the very short wrap up at the end. 

The book is 724 pages - the last chapter 163 pages - and the final showdown with The Order is only 30 pages. Especially the final reckoning with evil grandma is a huge miss. 

Characters that are important early on are abandoned. The last 30 pages left me with a ‘Huh, was that it??’ and I felt cheated after having been with these characters for 700 pages. 

Still worth a read - 70% of the book is excellent.