Author: Mónica Ojeda
Genre: Thriller, Horror,
Publication date: March 12, 2018
Book Description: “Was desire something like being possessed by a nightmare?”
Fernanda and Annelise are so close they are practically sisters: a double image, inseparable. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin, held hostage by one of her teachers and estranged from Annelise?
When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends from the Delta Bilingual Academy convene after school, Annelise leads them in thrilling but increasingly dangerous rituals to a rhinestoned, Dior-scented, drag-queen god of her own invention. Even more perilous is the secret Annelise and Fernanda share, rooted in a dare in which violence meets love. Meanwhile, their literature teacher Miss Clara, who is obsessed with imitating her dead mother, struggles to preserve her deteriorating sanity. Each day she edges nearer to a total break with reality.
Thoughts:
I like to think that I can appreciate speculative, weird books. But then I run into one like this one where I say "No, hard pass". This specific book is a perfect example of too weird for me, I cannot appreciate the literary merits or even grasp the message. I was too preoccupied thinking about how bizarre and feeling disturbed by many of the things that were going on.
The whole thing is confusing, we jump from the girls to the teacher, following them in the now but then also flashbacks to past events on their lives. It just makes a very confusing read. The writing style is very out there too, it's a bit pretentious which would have passable had it not included so many instances of disturbing sh*t for no particular reason:
Example:
A young child (6 yo) masturbating.
A group of teenagers daring each other to harm themselves and playing it off as a joke.
A school teacher who has incestuous relations with her mother.
There are other things that were plain confusing and others that were disturbing but let's not get too much into details.
This is not for everyone, it's not easy to read. The writing style, the topics it touches, and the plot are going to be hard to get into, but if it catches you I'm sure you'll find this is a disturbing page-turner, you will not be able to put it down. If you like me found it disturbing and can't get used to the writing style, my advice, if by 50% of the book you don't feel it, give up. It does not change and the ending does not provide any clarity, you'll end up as confused as you were at the start of the book.
I got the message: this dark pertubing story explores the root of fear, the relations between women be it mother-daughter, or friends, and how those relationships can go from sweet and tender to be marred by violence and darkness.
I just do not enjoy the execution of the story. I can't say I would ever recommend this book to anyone. It's something that you either love because you connect with it or you will not be able to look past the weird and be put off by it and end up disliking it.
I gave it
This was used for the following challenges:
#AYearAThor: Horror Thrillers
Latin/Spanish Authors
Read in Spanish
Around the World: Ecuador
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