I'm so torn on this book. It is beautifully written, but I also found it overly meandering. I'm a big fan of character-driven and character-focused books, but Our Share of Night doesn't do it for me. I think perhaps this one is too long for what it is, given how descriptive and overly wordy it is. The book does deserve and warrant length, but there were many places where I would have edited it down. That's not to say that it isn't very well written. It may just be a case of this one not being for me. I will say, the book is absolutely horrifying in the most amazing way. Really really well done horror. It will make your skin crawl.

There is no pigeonholing this book. It's horror/fantasy/magical realism/political fiction/historical fiction/straightforward storytelling/back and forth storytelling/mythology/religious fiction/cult representation----pretty much anything you want to call it. Including fascinating and hard to put down.

Enriquez' stories are brilliant, and her long (really long) fiction is very well done, too. There are times where I felt it could have been edited more, but when I tried to decide what could be eliminated, I was stumped. It's clear she thinks about every word, and Megan McDowell clearly treated the translation with the same care. This was a team effort that certainly shows!

The characters are multi-dimensional, even the scary-as-hell mother-in-law, and Gaspar is such a sympathetic character- add coming of age to the trope list above- he's my favorite, though his friends are pretty amazing. The potential he had to be one terrifying man is felt simmering below the story throughout.

Descriptions- my brother-in-law's family is from Argentina. Enriquez describes just as my sister's photos do. Now I want to go...maybe- as long as there isn't really a cult like the one in this book there.

All in all, this was a novel that continues what Enriquez has started with her amazing short stories, and is a terrific addition to the canon of Argentina's writers, as well as the great South American Women who write horror. Highly recommend to those who like reading. Just maybe don't read at night.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Hogarth/Granta for the ARC.

While I really loved this one, I will admit that it got a bit bogged down for me in the middle and I set it aside for a bit. However, it is such a fantastic and chilling story. It follows a man and his son who after the death of his wife, head to her ancestral home, where they must confront the terrifying legacy she has bequeathed: a family called the Order that commits unspeakable acts in search of immortality. The description goes on to further say it is a ghost story, a story of the occult and the supernatural, a book about the complexities of love and longing with queer subplots and themes. So you have a little of everything mixed together, and man oh man does it ever work. This is a long one but well worth your time. I look forward to reading more by this author.

3.5 stars: I was so excited to read this novel based on the reviews and the plot synopsis. What I was not expecting was a long, meandering, 600+ pages lacking in plot. I like character-driven books, but I don't think the structure lent itself to really knowing the characters (except maybe Gaspar and his friends, who were the best part of the book). The book is split into various sections, each of a different time period and generally with a different narrator. The author's writing is actually very good, which is why I stuck with the book. The Order is terrifying and there are truly some gruesome, horrific things in this book. However, the book just felt aimless. I didn't want to DNF it, but I wanted to be finished with it! I'm generally a fast reader, but I also do not remember many details once I'm finished with a book. With this book, I barely remembered what I had read the day before when I picked it up again. I'm not a short story reader, but I will give the author a second chance with one of her story collections. Her writing might be perfectly suited for that?

This was phenomenal. I’ve never read something so terrifying but also had me rooting hard for the friendships of this story. Can there be a category of gothic specific to jungles and evil doorways? This has it! I am very curious if this is an ending or leaving room for another chapter for Gaspar.

I am so appreciative to have received this ARC. The summary was gripping, filled with horrors both real and imaginary. I wanted a book that would stick with me, and while the pages I read will, I had to DNF this book. I didn’t like the mix of quoted dialogue vs non quoted dialogue. I believe this was a stylistic choice based on how it read, but as it is an ARC, it could have been editing that will be completed later. The writing was interesting, but the story lagged. It felt like we were thrown in and never, at any time, given anything to grab on to. Once I started to gain my footing, the characters moved onto something new with almost no relation to what the reader previously learned.

That being said, this story feels important. I think lovers of literature will understand what I mean when I say that. I couldn’t finish it, but I would suggest everyone give it a chance. Definitely check the triggers. It is a very dark, depressing read.

So, first and foremost: I’ve seen a couple of articles comparing this to Stephen King. Having read all 600 and then some pages of this, I have absolutely no idea where that comparison comes in. Is it just because it’s horror? It does not read like King. If I had to throw any comparisons out there, I’d say a smidge of Poppy Z. Brite, a soupçon of House of Leaves, and a wee bit of The Road (without the sparse language). But even with all that, it’s probably more true to say that it’s its own very special thing.

Oh, and I saw someone reference it being vampiric and I’m not sure what that person has been ingesting. This isn’t vampires.

The writing is dense, beautiful, and very literary. Most of what happens in the book is absolutely devastating. There’s no joy here. It’s a bleak and horrifyingly gruesome read.

If you have trigger warnings, they’re here…in spades. I mean there’s literally no point in listing them because they’re just about all here.

I will be honest and say that I lost a touch of interest in Rosario’s section (which is mighty big section on its own). I read it and found it important to understanding the origins of a lot of the story, but I didn’t love her and I found myself pausing the read more than once in this part.

But overall, it’s the kind of read that you can get lost in. It may take effort, but I found it worth it.

• ARC via Publisher

I was hoping this would be one I loved, and I did like some elements, but I found the writing to have a full quality to it. It was compared to a Stephen King book, but the only similarities I could pinpoint were the use of “the shine” type of storyline.

I enjoyed this author’s short stories but found the writing in this one didn’t work for me and had to DNF. I would be curious to try another book of hers. Maybe it was just this one.

Such a shame!

I absolutely love this author's short story collections, and I was so excited to read her first full-length novel, but unfortunately, I didn't like this one. I didn't hate it either, but it was too long and tedious. A little too wordy for my taste. I'm still going to give it a 3-star rating because Enriquez is a brilliant writer. The overall plot was too convoluted for me. Too much was happening. Too much backstory that felt unnecessary. The story dragged in a lot of places. I wanted a faster-paced and a shorter novel.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an advance copy of this book of horror, the burdens of parenting and we we leave for our children.

The problem with family is that many times it adds a burden to people that is both impossible to live up to, or even want to live up to. Blood is a tie that binds, and binds some families to the end, even sometimes passed the end. When one rebels, or even just looks back and says, 'Hey that was odd', or not want to share these strictures on their children there are sometimes repercussions. Some mental, some physical even damnation of the soul. Argentinian writer and journalist Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell, in her novel Our Share of Night has written a story about dark rituals, darker politics, running from the past, and the fate of both the dispossessed and the disappeared in sprawling book of horror, family and real world politics.

A boy and his father set out on a car trip, being careful not to be noticed by anybody, not the public or even worse the security forces that fill the streets of 1980's Argentina. They travel with a fully stocked first aid kit, maps and sadness in the fact that the father's wife and the child's mother has recently passed away, something neither one has recovered from. Incidents happen on the road, some sad, some strange some good. However the father's health Juan, seems to be failing, sleeping more like in a coma, with wounds that don't seem to heal hindering him. As we travel along, readers learn that Gaspar the son is heir to a powerful legacy from his mother. A group known as the Order want him and his skills, skills his father have, for use in their organization, one of both ritual power and dark arts.

A big sprawling novel that hops in both time and location, but never really losing itself, the narrative of the sense of dread that permeates the book. Along with sadness, for family, for the family that might have been, and love of parents for their offspring, and the many regrets that parents feel for not providing or protecting their children. The book does take a little to get into, and to follow what is going along. Readers familiar with the works of South American authors will have an easier time. The story unfolds carefully, not spelling things out, more an awareness that something is going on, something is being seen that is not being explained. There is also a lot that can be disturbing, so be aware. Body horror, trauma, sadness, politics and atrocities, and a bit of medical procedures. The characters are very well written and readers do get attached, though a lot of bad things do happen. The writing might seem a bit detached in the beginning, but that is more for the mood, the disquiet that fills the novel, and sets a reader up for a lot reveals.

For readers who enjoy their horror both real in the politics that is discussed, and imagined. Again readers of South American literature and those knowledgeable about the politics of the era will get quite a bit out of it, but this is still a powerful tale full of shock, awe and sadness. This is the first that I have read by Mariana Enríquez, I hope that more will be coming.

This book is such a hefty undertaking, and so dense and dark, that I feel like it will take me some time to fully process everything I've read and what I feel about it.

In short summary, the book is about a father whose life has been entirely shaped by his family's involvement in a ritualistic demonic cult, and his desperation to save his son from sharing his fate. The story went so much deeper though, lovingly and critically examining the culture of Argentina in the 80s and 90s, political unrest, brutality, relationships, social class, gender, sexuality... So much is contained inside this epic and sprawling story that unfolds over many years with many contributing voices.

This was absolutely unique, unsettling, at times challenging or even sickening: a true horror novel that draws you into the lives of its characters and doesn't let go. I loved how atmospheric it was, the imagery that was evoked, the vivid descriptions, and the writing style that blended prose and dialogue seamlessly. The story comes together gradually, in bits and pieces, and it works so well because of the multiple narrative voices, all of whom have a different perspective on what's happening. At times I was completely mesmerized by the horrors unfolding, and I feel like some sections even have a dream (or nightmare)-like quality. This would make a fantastic television show, if done right. It has that magical, cinematic quality.

This book is definitely not for everyone, so I would suggest looking at content warnings and avoiding it altogether if graphic descriptions of violence bother you. That being said, if you love the occult and big books that really dig into a massive story, this is absolutely perfect.

This author also has two short story collections translated into English, and after reading this, they are being bumped up on my tbr list. I will absolutely be keeping up with Mariana Enriquez and any of her forthcoming works.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - Suffice it to say that this was not for me; plot nor 600+ pages of everything in between. I might try & revisit this in the future but for now I am dropping off.

Just started this one and its just epic and perfect and shades of a masterpiece. I will be reviewing a physical copy of this book on my social media platforms but thank you agin to Hogarth for the digital arc

I’m learning that I love Enríquez’s stories as much as I hate them. I am revolted but compelled; I can’t look away.

Based on how much I loved The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, I was expecting to love Our Share of Night. Overall, I think Enríquez’s debut novel is good. I ended up liking it, not loving it.

In Our Share of Night, body horror, abuse, and demons are interspersed and intertwined with generational trauma, colonialism, and white supremacy.

The world of Initiates, rituals, and dark magic is terrifying and intertwined with Argentina’s tumultuous history, which plays a major role in the story. There are a lot of things I don’t know about Argentina’s history and culture, so some things surely went over my head. The structure of the dark society our medium, Juan, is a part of is an apt metaphor for the workings of colonialism and White supremacy.

Some parts were a bit too meandering for my taste. I wasn’t really sure how some parts contributed to the plot. Other parts were a bit incoherent and could have used some better editing.

In terms of horror, there are some visuals that won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon. All of the characters are unlikeable, but I love a good unappealing character. In this case, their unlikeability makes the horrors of the plot easier to cope with.

Because of the content of Marquez’s work, I honestly wouldn’t recommend her work to anyone unless I knew them very well. Like I said before, her stories are very disturbing and contain content that is absolutely not for everyone. However, I personally find her work interesting and think she’s one of the best contemporary horror writers I’ve read so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth for providing me with a free digital ARC.

Juan is a medium, able to channel powerful, horrifying forces. Unfortunately, he is completely under the thumb of a cult of wealthy sociopaths seeking immortality: his in-laws. He has already lost his wife to an “accident” and he himself is dying by inches, so he will do absolutely anything to give his young son Gaspar a chance at a normal life. Juan and Gaspar struggle against insatiable demonic entities, intergenerational trauma, and the unrest of later twentieth century Argentina. It is difficult to say whether the cultists or the government are guilty of worse atrocities. Slow-burning and stomach-turning.

Really interesting narrative structure, spanning decades and generations. It opens with a general mystery and plotting by a father seeking desperately to find a way to save his son from a cult that is looking to exploit and possibly destroy him. All set during a period of social and political upheaval that makes the murderous cult able to exist without much question.

A great overall plot and memoriable characters that hook you into the story right away! I will be recommending this title to my fellow readers!

Well, I don't even know what to say about this sprawling horror show. It's epic, it's dark and gross and honestly terrifying in some parts, it's too long and also somehow not long enough, it was over ten hours on my kindle but the ending felt rushed. Come on in if you want to read over 600 pages of the nightmare that is the lives of Juan Peterson and his son Gaspar; in another author's hands this likely would've descended into tedium, but I had a great time.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc. I eventually gave up on this one, because I found it to be more depressing than I wanted to read. So not a fault of the writer/writing, this was just a story I hadn't enjoyed.

4.5/5

This is one scary book! Even in spite of instances where it was hard to connect with the writing or narrative, this had me on the edge of my seat feeling dread and horror. Well done!