This was such a great and unusual book. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the end is pretty anti-climactic, and there are very long stretches that are really more about the characters just living their lives than advancing the plot that made it feel much longer than it was, and stretch out the horror moments a bit too much. That being said, I did actually enjoy those parts quite a bit. The writing is excellent and the characters are all very interesting. I just personally wish there was a little more horror happening between the big moments because it almost feels like two different books sometimes. But, wow, it was still so good. I love how frequently some random detail that you forget about turns up hundreds of pages later as a major plot point. It's threaded together extremely well. I've loved everything this author's written so far, and I'm even more excited to see what she does next now. I especially hope she keeps up with horror. Some of the things she came up with here are genuinely super creepy. Plus, all the Argentinian history and descriptions of day to day lifestyle was really fun to read about as someone who isn't from there. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the ARC!

This book is definitely a slow burn. It took me quite a while to get through it, I even put it down a few times to read something else. However, I'm glad that I didn't give up. I enjoyed the arc of this story and the development of the characters. Beautifully written..

I liked this book as a whole but didn’t like all of the in between if that makes sense. I know there was so much life to tell in this book but I thought it could be at least a hundred pages shorter in my opinion. But still the story of Gasper, Juan and The Order kept my attention and resonated with me for days after. Will I read this author again? Absolutely! Would I recommend this book? Yes and no. It’s super dense and very wordy if you have patience to read 600 pages of a gruesome life journey I would say give it a shot !

I am forever in awe of Mariana Enriquez's ability to write and I loved her short story collection "The Dangers of Smoking in Bed" but this one was.....difficult due to the convoluted plot. I ended up having to check out the audiobook from my local library because I struggled getting settled into the e-book version. Plus I love getting pronunciations in the audiobook. I enjoyed many parts of the first 58% of the book, with some queer rep, horror elements, and such but overall....I found I never cared about the characters and the plot never really made sense to me. And without at least one of those elements hooking me.....I just did not enjoying my reading experience. I will GLADLY read more from Mariana Enriquez in the future but this wasn't for me...

Holy heck, I did not realize how thick this baby was when I started reading it! I definitely feel like the length could've been shortened a bit, this took me ages to get through because I just kept finding myself thinking, "Are we going anywhere with this?" In between those moments, I did enjoy this story about family and trauma and loss, but again -- the length!! I don't mind long books when they necessitate the length but I don't think this one did at all.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

An enthusiastic five stars for this novel that has everything: family and loss and bonding, the supernatural and eerie quest a father and son embark on to solve an old mystery, queer love, threads of political oppression, and some straight-up horror. It is so good. Now that I’ve written this review, I’m also downloading the audiobook so I can experience this immersive story all over again!

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc.

And now for an Argentinian horror novel, by the author of the supremely excellent short story collection, Smoking in Bed, Mariana Enriquez. This hefty novel begins as a horror story, and often returns to that genre, leaning heavily on gore. But there's a lot of book here, so this is also a family saga, the story of four childhood friends and a coming-of-age story.

A cabal of super wealthy people worship an entity they think of as Darkness, an entity that they believe can bring them a sort of immortality. In order to reach this entity, they need a conduit, but mediums are hard to find and, once found, quick to die, as each manifestation takes a physical toll and this group of worshippers insist on frequent ceremonies. A boy is found in Argentina and raised to be the medium by one of the families in the cabal. But despite marrying into the family, he isn't as docile as they would like. When he has a son, he takes steps to protect the boy, despite being desperately ill himself, steps that will protect the boy for a certain period of time.

The ceremonies are graphically described and there's a fair amount of child torture, although this takes place mostly off the page. It's intense in places, but also prone to long digressions and side plots. If you like your horror to involve ancient evil powers and contain a quantity of mutilations and dead bodies, while also enjoying a story that takes its time and wanders off on tangents about politics, social movements, history and the lives of secondary characters, you'll like this one. Enriquez has a wild and dark imagination and Megan McDowell's translation is, as usual, extremely smooth and readable. I'll also note that there are ample descriptions of child abuse in this book.

A brilliant book with the touch of horror and historical fiction that is filled with the Mariana Enriquez touch!

What an interesting foray into the world of the South American supernatural- in this instance, vampire cult family adventures in Argentina- which is also in the midst of turbulent political upheaval in the 60's. I was unable to finish the final book, but began the story of the father son journey to their deceased wife/mother's ancestral home. I'm not able to read books with plotlines involving young children and abuse either physically or emotionally. Gaspar being the six year old foil between his abusive medium dad and his mother's billionaire cult order family was not for me. Those who love atmospheric horror with a backbone in colonialism will enjoy, especially when juxtaposed against the actual atrocities perpetuated during the Argentine political upheaval of the 60's.

This is my first Mariana Enriquez and it’s certainly not the last. Despite being a huge book, I got hooked from the start. The author is great at keeping the readers’ curiousity up until the end of the book. Such a huge and chunky book but so worth reading. I got the hardcover and I’m glad to add this book in my collection. I would highly recommend this for people who are into literary horror. Such an immersive reading experience. Note that it might take you awhile to finish this but it’s so worth it.

Everytime I think I don’t like horror Mariana proves that I just don’t like poorly written horror. This book was addicting and ended up being one of my favorite books of this year (so far). It was a bizarre and epic and enthralling.

Our Share of Night is a haunting and evocative story that explores themes of horror, violence, and the supernatural. It is set in Argentina and draws on the country's rich culture and decades of political turmoil during Argentina's military dictatorship and its aftermath to create a sense of unease.

Mariana Enriquez's writing is lyrical, with vivid characters, set on an atmospheric backdrop. Due to the fact that it draws upon historical elements, I found the book to be extremely disturbing and thought provoking. It led me down a rabbit hole of the Perons, their relationship with Jose Lopez Rega and alleged ties to the occult. I have found that horror that is inspired by real life always seems to be scarier.

This book is very lengthy, long winded, and a slow burner. It also deals with a lot of fantastical as well as historical elements. These are some things to keep in mind in determining if this is a book you would want to read.

Our Share of Night will live rent-free and haunt my mind for years to come.

This is my first time reading Enriquez but it won't be my last. This multi-generation, multi-voice horror family saga has a lot going for it. There were many gasp out loud moments that made me positively gleeful and images that I'll never forget. Queerness abounds, which is a blessing on us all. The bads are wealthy, English-born or -descended landowners in a death cult that tortures and murders (particularly children--lots of child abuse in this book) and side with a violent dictatorship during a war that disappears something like 30,000 people in Argentina. They are evil and they get some measure of what they deserve, which is always satisfying.

That said, it drags in too many places to justify 600 pages. A sharp-knifed editor could have trimmed at least a quarter of the book and it wouldn't lose any of its impact. Still, a little boredom here and there isn't so high a price to pay for a book of such dark and brutal imagination.

I went into this completely blind and I'm glad I did, because there's really no way to describe or encapsulate everything happening in this book. Nearly every character commits horrific acts that could be argued as irredeemable, yet I loved reading about them all. The magic system was vague enough to remain ominous yet explained well enough to paint a rich picture. Overall, a fascinating look at generational trauma with some lovely exploration of gender and sexuality.

The length of this book will surely turn people away, but I need you all to understand that taking the plunge is something you will not forget. The language is beautiful. The story is all-consuming. The characters are unsettling. The story is terrifying. God. A work of art.

This is an incredibly ambitious novel, and it is clear that the author is immensely talented. However, it did not fully come together for me. That being said, I would recommend reading and will be keeping an eye on the author’s future work.

Just a quick amount of feedback here. I think that Enriquez is incredibly talented, however I think that this book was much too long and at the same time not a lot happened. It felt like a crucible to get through a lot of it, and the lead up was far to grueling for me to actually enjoy what happened after.

That all being said, the writing is gorgeous and I see why this has such amazing reviews.

I have no idea what this book is but I absolutely loved it?! Highly recommend if you like horror, gothic, fantasy type books. It's honestly a mix of everything and will totally keep you guessing!

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for e-ARC. I also listened to the audiobook which was a great experience and performance.

"Our Share of Night" by Marina Enriquez is a captivating exploration of a cult and the story revolves around a young boy and his father who are desperately trying to escape its clutches. The father possesses a peculiar ability to control or connect with the dead and possibly even demonic entities. The question arises as to whether his son has inherited the same ability. This is the reason why they find themselves entangled in the cult. The father's powers attracted the attention of the cult, and he has been trapped within its confines for his entire life. Complicating matters, his wife tragically passed away six months ago, leaving him to navigate the harrowing task of saving his son from this dark and demonic cult.

While the book primarily follows their journey and the pursuit of liberation, it also delves into the nature of the cult itself. The narrative introduces us to the father and son as the main characters, but a significant portion of the middle section delves into a flashback that explores the life of the deceased wife. This flashback provides crucial context and eventually intertwines with the main storyline. Initially, I found the structure somewhat disconcerting, as it disrupted the flow of the story. However, in retrospect, I can appreciate how it enhanced the overall effectiveness of the book.

What truly stands out in "Our Share of Night" is the skillful blending of the supernatural horror elements with a sense of realism. As a fan of horror, I often encounter a disconnect between the real world and the fantastical elements in such stories. However, Marina Enriquez managed to create a fully realized world that not only immersed me in its supernatural aspects but also offered a fresh perspective on our own reality.

Growing up in the South with a specific worldview, I found the depiction of the cult and its demonic presence aligned with my perception of satanic entities, albeit in a more creative and sinister way. The book masterfully captured the essence of a dark fantasy, heavily steeped in horror. It felt like a glimpse into a previously unknown dimension, a world where the supernatural exists alongside our own. This complete immersion in the narrative is what compelled me to persevere through the book's hefty 700-plus pages.

Returning to my one criticism, which concerns the structural choices, I must admit that my investment in the father-son dynamic played a significant role in my initial reluctance to be displaced by the flashback. However, as the story progressed and the connection between the past and present became clearer, I could appreciate the narrative choice and its effectiveness.

On the whole, "Our Share of Night" deserves a solid four and a half stars. The book excels in its realization of complex characters, the intriguing cult, and the fully immersive world it creates. Exploring the father-son relationship and the enduring trauma associated with their upbringing in the cult adds depth and complexity to the story. The book skillfully addresses the question of when trauma becomes justifiable and whether it is truly the only option.

While I may not have articulated this point effectively, I wanted to share my thoughts as honestly as possible. The book expertly blends various themes, including family dynamics, trauma, the occult, and political horror set against the backdrop of the Argentine Civil War. Although my knowledge of the specific historical context is limited, it is evident that the cult holds significant power and intertwines with the corrupted political structure of the time.

At its core, "Our Share of Night" is a haunting exploration of a family's struggles, particularly the journey of a young boy attempting to break free from the clutches of the cult while searching for answers and empowerment. In this deeply personal narrative, the book delves into the complexities of family dynamics, much like the works of Shirley Jackson, evoking a sense of darkness and foreboding. The characters, flawed yet captivating, contribute to the book's overall appeal, drawing readers into their world. Additionally, the seamless integration of supernatural and psychological elements adds depth and intrigue to the story.

In conclusion, if the elements I have discussed resonate with you, I highly recommend reading "Our Share of Night." However, be prepared for a substantial commitment, as the book spans a considerable length. Personally, I quickly realized that this book was a perfect match for my preferences, and I am delighted to share my positive experience with you.