A review by fernqueen
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was very readable but quite underwhelming. I didn't mind the writing style but the characters were relatively flat, and while I appreciate the themes being explored, I didn't get anything new from this particular presentation. The author or publisher refers to it as a "genre-bending" tale but I get the sense moreso that the author was reluctant to really commit to any of their ideas wholeheartedly. It felt a bit tepid. I did appreciate the casual emphasis on queer connections and found the author's descriptions of different places, especially Mexico City, very evocative. I just wasn't able to connect with the story as much as I would have liked to. The relationship between M and Uncle was the most compelling to me, but unfortunately it wasn't given much narrative space in lieu of other characters (who mostly became wallpaper in the sections not from their own perspectives).
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