Scan barcode
A review by juniebug_books
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
TLDR; gripping read that demands contemplation and leaves a lasting impression.
Reading “Our Share of Night” was like getting sucked into a black hole. The narrative, with it’s long, circular sentences, has a gravitational pull that refuses to release it’s grip. It’s the kind of horror which permeates your very being, dragging you along by the ankle, refusing to let go. With lots of poignant reflections on privilege, grief, trauma, and ancestral burdens, this is a book which will have you questioning how far is too far to go to protect the ones you love.
Central to the book is the harrowing dichotomy between the love between Gaspar and his father and the incredible violence inflicted by the father on the son. It’s a painful portrait of wounds that never truly heal, of transgressions that surpass the bounds of forgiveness. Yet, beneath the brutality lies Juan’s desperate attempts to shield Gaspar from the horrors of the Order and the evils he and his mother had to endure. As more and more of Juan’s secrets and crimes were revealed throughout the book, I found myself asking if he was right. If he should have done differently. If he had a choice.
The characters are complex and achingly human. None are wholly virtuous, but none irredeemable (except, perhaps, Gaspar’s grandmother). They are flawed beings, navigating through life in search of meaning, connection, and immortality. In this world, the Darkness takes away just as much as it gives, and no one is wholly innocent.
The fact that all the violence, the plotting, the abuse takes place among the backdrop of the immense societal and cultural changes taking place in the 60’s and 80’s only deepens the feeling of apprehension running throughout the book. The monster isn’t just the Darkness with its open, panting maw, it’s the military dictatorship disappearing people in the 70’s, it’s the siren’s call of London’s nightlife in the 60’s, it’s the AIDs epidemic claiming the lives of vibrant young men in the 80’s. This is a book which spans multiple decades, and multiple evils.
The ending is equal parts satisfying and sad.While Gaspar survives and Juan’s decades-old plans come to fruition, the lingering question persists: at what cost? the lingering question persists: at what cost? This is not a book to be rushed through. There were multiple points I found myself putting the book aside so I could reflect. Even so, it demands your attention; the prose is gorgeous, the narrative equal parts horrifying and hopeful, the characters deep and real. It’s a masterpiece, weaving together violence and beauty in equal measure, dragging you in like a hand hiding in the Darkness.
Reading “Our Share of Night” was like getting sucked into a black hole. The narrative, with it’s long, circular sentences, has a gravitational pull that refuses to release it’s grip. It’s the kind of horror which permeates your very being, dragging you along by the ankle, refusing to let go. With lots of poignant reflections on privilege, grief, trauma, and ancestral burdens, this is a book which will have you questioning how far is too far to go to protect the ones you love.
Central to the book is the harrowing dichotomy between the love between Gaspar and his father and the incredible violence inflicted by the father on the son. It’s a painful portrait of wounds that never truly heal, of transgressions that surpass the bounds of forgiveness. Yet, beneath the brutality lies Juan’s desperate attempts to shield Gaspar from the horrors of the Order and the evils he and his mother had to endure. As more and more of Juan’s secrets and crimes were revealed throughout the book, I found myself asking if he was right. If he should have done differently. If he had a choice.
The characters are complex and achingly human. None are wholly virtuous, but none irredeemable (except, perhaps, Gaspar’s grandmother). They are flawed beings, navigating through life in search of meaning, connection, and immortality. In this world, the Darkness takes away just as much as it gives, and no one is wholly innocent.
The fact that all the violence, the plotting, the abuse takes place among the backdrop of the immense societal and cultural changes taking place in the 60’s and 80’s only deepens the feeling of apprehension running throughout the book. The monster isn’t just the Darkness with its open, panting maw, it’s the military dictatorship disappearing people in the 70’s, it’s the siren’s call of London’s nightlife in the 60’s, it’s the AIDs epidemic claiming the lives of vibrant young men in the 80’s. This is a book which spans multiple decades, and multiple evils.
The ending is equal parts satisfying and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent