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A review by carriepond
A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enríquez
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I read and loved Enríquez's full-length novel Our Share of Night when I read it last year. Because I know she is more well-known for her short stories, I was excited to check out her latest short story collection, A Sunny Place for Shady People.
The twelve short stories in this collection have range-- you'll find ghosts and other supernatural elements, body horror, cults, and horror elements that are more grounded in reality but are no less unsettling. As in Our Share of the Night, Enríquez explores a variety of themes, including personal and political violence, classism, misogyny, selfishness, and greed. Although some of the stories worked better for me than others, all of them created a sense of dread and tension that built until the story's conclusion. The opening story, "My Sad Dead," in which a retired physician communicates with ghosts in her neighborhood, was one of my favorites in its explorations of classicism, isolation, and complicity through indifference. "Face of Disgrace" very literally explores the erasure of victims and in "Metamorphosis," a woman on the cusp of menopause explores body modification in an unnerving bid to regain agency over her changing body. Other stories I liked a lot included "Different Colors Made of Tears," "The Refrigerator Cemetery," and "Black Eyes."
Reading this collection made me excited to check out more of Enríquez's backlist. I recommend this collection to those looking for smart, unsettling literary horror.
The twelve short stories in this collection have range-- you'll find ghosts and other supernatural elements, body horror, cults, and horror elements that are more grounded in reality but are no less unsettling. As in Our Share of the Night, Enríquez explores a variety of themes, including personal and political violence, classism, misogyny, selfishness, and greed. Although some of the stories worked better for me than others, all of them created a sense of dread and tension that built until the story's conclusion. The opening story, "My Sad Dead," in which a retired physician communicates with ghosts in her neighborhood, was one of my favorites in its explorations of classicism, isolation, and complicity through indifference. "Face of Disgrace" very literally explores the erasure of victims and in "Metamorphosis," a woman on the cusp of menopause explores body modification in an unnerving bid to regain agency over her changing body. Other stories I liked a lot included "Different Colors Made of Tears," "The Refrigerator Cemetery," and "Black Eyes."
Reading this collection made me excited to check out more of Enríquez's backlist. I recommend this collection to those looking for smart, unsettling literary horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Rape and Murder