Book Review: Our Share of the Night, Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell

[juushika]

Title: Our Share of the Night (Nuestra parte de noche)
Author: Mariana Enríquez
Translator: Megan McDowell
Published: Hogarth, 2023 (2019)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 645
Total Page Count: 523,135
Text Number: 1902
Read Because: reviewed by chthonic_cassandra, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: A father fights to free his son from the grip of a powerful cult and dark figure that they summon. This is long, and long always makes me worry about bloat; but there isn't much here that I'd trim back. A family saga, it unfolds in pieces, in perspectives, unlocking like a puzzlebox new information about the family, the substantial worldbuilding, and the cultural context. The focus on the perpetuation of power is ruthless, with more triggers than I could list here, but it's character-focused, not preachy, and the speculative premise gives momentum to what might otherwise be a depressing slog. I loved this: devastating, tender, captivating; one of my best reads of the year.

Comments

[chthonic_cassandra]

I am totally delighted that you enjoyed this one! Definitely my favorite book (at least that I read for the first time) of 2024. And now I want to read it...