Enriquez, Mariana

Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s 1970s Dirty War and dripping with atmospheric horror, this novel will reward listeners’ patience, revealing beauty among supernatural and all-too-human terrors.

This dense novel unfortunately lacks cohesion and, for some, might lose its appeal halfway through, despite the immersive depiction of the socio-economic landscape and well-formed characters. Readers new to Enriquez and seeking unsettling gothic horror might pick up her short story collection first.

Fans of modern magical realism in the vein of Kelly Link will eat these tales up, although they may occasionally turn the stomach. Essential for readers of Roberto Bolaño, Paul Auster, or any literary fiction that tends toward the uncanny. [See Prepub Alert, 8/8/16.]