This was just a great story. It was creepy and had depth. I feel like books like this is what makes the horror genre great. I would definitely recommend this one. Even if you don't normally read horror.

For readers with a soft spot for unconventional monster fiction, Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s debut novel Monstrilio is packed with metaphor and nuanced layers of horror and humanity. The novel draws the reader into the raw, intimate spaces of mourning and creates something distinctly original as the story effortlessly blends speculative horror with grief, sexuality, and what it means to be human.

What’s there not to like about this book? It was a beautiful family drama with hints of Gothic horror almost. When two parents lose their only child at a young age, the mother, Magos, simply can’t grieve the same way her husband does, and decides to go back to Mexico City. Once there, her mother’s housekeeper tells her a tale of how someone was able to get back someone they lost, and Magos takes that to heart. This is when the story truly takes off, and we’ll go on a journey with this family over the years and over various cities such as Mexico City, New York City, and Berlin. I loved that the book was written from the POV of four different characters, and it wasn’t in alternated chapters, no, you spent several years with each character and you go to see how they grew and how they felt. This was a really moving story, and I love how the “monster” in question wasn’t shown to be evil but at the same time, he couldn’t shirk away from his true nature. This is a beautiful tale of unconditional love, grief, loss, and family. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves quirky, dark films but with heart, such as Edward Scissorhands.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Zando for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

One for the "elevated horror" enjoyers iykyk 😤 Literally whirlwind of emotions after finishing this. Each of the four perspectives were captivating and the constant change of scenery was integrated so smoothly, the choices and turns in the plot felt unique even when certain events were anticipated long before. I loved the characters we meet here, FLAWS and all looking at you *****, it was such an interesting family unit to follow. I think Córdova dealt with the all the layers and complexity of writing a 'montrous' story excellently, especially loved the nod to Cortázar.

A story about the cost of grief, Monstrilio is categorized as horror, and I think that it correctly describes it but not in a conventional way. It might not have been scary, but the whole thing was monstrous (no pun intended). At its core, Monstrilio is being torn in different directions. He has three identities: M, Monstrilio, and Santiago, all of whom represent who he is to other people--this is what was monstrous about this novel: others trying to mold him into their ideal person.

Monstrilio's POV towards the end is the perspective that tells us this point blank his parents have their expectations of him. As M (his human self) he others himself from Monstrilio (his 'monster' self) as he tries to live 'normally,' For that, his narration was my favorite.

I've never read anything like this, and don't usually gravitate toward horror, but I love explorations of family and transformation, which this novel did really well.

This absolutely blew me away ! The exploration of grief , love and family was incredibly moving and realistic . Book was paced well and I will definitely recommend it to fans of Frankenstein.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book .

Lately sitting down to read has been incredibly difficult. My focus just hasn’t been there with a lot of life happening and some big changes around the corner. With anxiety through the roof and starting a new brain medication for it, it’s all made sitting still nigh impossible. Monstrilio is the first book in months to get me out of my own brain completely. I read this one in three sittings over as many days.

Monstrilio is a book about grief, parenthood, love, and identity. Gerardo Sámano Córdova manages to evoke intense feelings of lose throughout the book without feeling overbearing. He doesn’t relish in the pain he puts on the page, it isn’t masochistic, but rather feels like you’re sitting next to a friend going through something deeply personal and lending a listening ear. This is all the more impressive when you realize that Monstilio is a debut novel.

How do you remember someone you’ve lost? How do you grieve properly? When do you move on? Córdova tackles all these and more in lyrical and heartbreaking prose all his own. This novel reads like nothing I’ve ever read before and deserves a special place in your heart and on your shelf. Feed it. Nurture it. Maybe it’ll grow, too.

5/5 🌟

This is an amazing debut novel that explores themes of grief, love, and family. The story is beautifully told from four different viewpoints and this made its impact even stronger. There’s something here for everyone to relate to in this story. Once I started reading, it was difficult to put down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova was fiercely dark and incredibly compelling. I felt so lucky to get a copy for myself! I have shared on my goodreads, bookstagram, and booktok!

Whew! I kept seeing phenomenal reviews for this debut horror/magical/queer novel by Gerardo Samano Cordova so I was thrilled to get the ARC from NetGalley for review earlier this month. It is so crazy good. I found myself constantly thinking about it in between reading sessions and truly not wanting to put it down.

Monstrilio is an onion; with all those emotional layers that brings a reader to tears. It’s about grief, loneliness, heartache, vulnerability and self discovery. I loved every little thing about it.

Monstrilio is a dark, complex book exploring grief, the body, identity, love and family, with a surreal story written in a style that straddles literary fiction and horror. From the onset, I was facinated by the concept and character of Lung / Monstrilio / M - his metamorphosis and growth was interesting to follow, and the final section from his perspective was really interesting.

I was genuinely unsettled at times when I put the book down, the descriptions of this creature being so vivid and sometimes disurbing. I haven't read anything else quite like this, and really loved the way the motif of the body, the function and construction of our bodies, and our senses permeated through each section, each character. The author did an excellent job of exploring the different ways in which we grieve, creating a literal the manifestation of a mother's loss.

There were times when I began to lose interest, and sometimes the plot felt a little meandering - there isn't a specific end goal, we simply follow these characters' lives - and the ending then felt abrupt, a little like the author was unsure how to conclusively end it. I'm unsure why that ending was chosen. I was interested in Joseph as a character, but his section wasn't particularly interesting to me. I really struggled to sympathise with Magos after the initial section from her perspective, as she was so frustrating and I frequently disagreed with her (but I don't have to like a character to find them interesting). By far the most interesting parts for me were when they focus moved off the human characters and back onto the character of Monstrilio.

I didn't necessarily understand or feel the connections between characters who had romantic and/or sexual relationships, beyond being told that was the relationship they had. I also didn't like some of the more sexual scenes - they were jarring at times, and too descriptive for my liking, but I also understood why the author made those choices, when so much of the story is about the body, the visceral.

(Also to note - it was a little difficult to read this on my phone, due to the PDF format making the font quite small. I'm sure this won't be an issue for a print or ebook edition).

This will definitely be a book I will think about for a long time after I've finished reading, and I'm glad to have pushed myself to stick with it. This will be a strange one to recommend to others, as it will appeal to a specific kind of reader, but I found it really interesting.

This was unlike anything I have ever read. Highly recommend to anyone who likes speculative fiction and horror.

From the very first eloquently written pages, we realize both Magos and Joseph are living their worst nightmare, the surreal loss of their son Santiago. Magos, his mother, incapable of moving forward without a piece of her son to be remembered, quite literally removes a part of his organ, to carry with her into the remainder of her life, his lung. 🫁 In hopes of her lifeless son returning, she feeds the very organ she's removed which creates the foundation for this stunningly crafted novel.

This is hands down, my favorite novel of the year to date and I was swooned by the beautiful prose filled pages and the alternating narrative that wad hauntingly written. 5 out of 5 without question.

The grief, described throughout felt as though you could be experiencing it yourself and it was heart-wrenchingly raw and honest never truly being disguised in the horrorfilled pages it was bound within. Real and yet unreal, creating an atmosphere that forcefully pulled me as the reader under. The imagery this author creates caused my throat to clench.

A story of family, loss, inability to cope with themselves, one another and what they'll succumb to in order to take back what they have lost. I was extremely caught off guard by the originality of this debut novel in the best way imaginable. High high praise.

I do not have the words. Anything I say about Monstrilio will not do it justice.

I loved every second of this book. Within the first 10 pages my heart had been ripped out of my chest and I was hooked. I didn’t want to stop reading, and when I had to stop reading I could not stop thinking about it. This book consumed me right from the start.

Córdova writes about love and loss in such a beautiful and tragic way and I could not get enough. This novel was original, bleak, heartbreaking, and unsettling. It was brilliant.

This debut blew my mind.

Absolutely brilliant. Equal parts devasating and beautiful. What a solid debut. Cannot wait for more from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for access to an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámanl Córdova has done it. It has made me completely love and weep over a CREATURE FEATURE. I will do my best to describe this story, but it really has it all in one beautifully written and gut wrenching package. In Monstrilio blood is thicker than water, the ties that bind are deep familial love, grief, denial, and the desire to feel whole again.

Monstrilio follows a Mexican family of Magos, Joseph, and Santiago. You learn on the first page that Santiago has passed from complications with his lung. The aftermath of his death leads Magos to conjure up a new son, Monstrilio. And we follow them and their loved ones as they learn to live and love this little monster. But along the way, you realize that you can’t play God to get what you want. A new son will never replace the one lost. And monsters can’t be tamed.

Be ready for body horror, queer representation all around, which I loved, and be ready to feel so much by the time the book is over. Ultimately, Monstrilio is about being true to yourself, the power of loss, grief, and love, accepting who you ate, and letting go.

Monstrilio was an incredible read from start to finish! There is a reason why this book has received such positive feedback. It's a strange, twisting, layered story about loss, grief, horror, and unconditional love. It reminded me of Gremlins meets Edward Scissorhands at times, but it was truly unique. It was quite disturbing from the start, which drew me in immediately. All of the characters are so well developed that by the end of the book, I felt like I knew them intimately. The story is told from four perspectives: the mother's, the friend's, the father's, and 'M.'

I don't want to say too much because I went in pretty unaware of the plot in detail, and it kind of blew my mind. It's unlike anything I've ever read before, and it made me feel a wide range of emotions. Be warned: it can be quite gory and grisly at times. It was a little bit of slow burn at first (which I did not mind) but I couldn't put it down and finished it in about a day! Thank you so much to Zando Projects and Netgalley for this ARC; after reading this and Patricia Wants to Cuddle, I'm starting to get really excited for the books Zando is putting out these days.

For fans of: Motherthing, Gremlins, horror (especially body horror and creature features).

The concept for this book was so incredibly unique. It's about a mother's maddening grief over losing her eleven-year-old son. The mother cuts a piece of the child's body off (part of his lung) and keeps it in a jar as a sort of ritual attempt to keep a part of him close. She feeds and nurtures the lung until it grows into a feisty, monstrous creature she names Monstrilio. While there are many grisly scenes, the book itself didn't feel completely "horror" to me. It also moved a bit slow at times, which is why I didn't absolutely love it. Having said that, this book tackled grief in a completely new and compelling way, while also intertwining the themes of religion, sexuality and queerness, culture, and parental love and loss. A stunning debut.

Must read for 2023!

A grieving Mother willing to go to extensive measures to keep her deceased son alive. I don't want to leave any spoilers but the story is unique, heartbreaking, terrifying and full of fully developed characters. Each character is filled with emotions that are easy to relate to and feel their grief or trauma.

I am not sure if it truly fits in the horror category as much a psychological trauma or drama. Author Gerardo Samano Cordova did a excellent job creating a unique read!

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

When her son dies, Magos removes a piece of his lung to hold on to a part of him. When she hears a story about "feeding" the body part of a deceased person, she dribbles a little chicken broth on the lung and falls asleep. She doesn't expect it to work, but when she wakes up the next morning, the lung is...alive? "Monstrilio" follows Magos, her husband Josepeh, and her best friend Lena as the lung grows into...something. Something that is not quite human and not quite a monster.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It's a poignant work about grief and loss, using Monstrilio (or 'M') as a sort of personification of those feelings. Pain, grief, anxiety, intense feelings being personified in a monster/ghost/creature/etc. is an element of horror I find compelling, so I was sold on the book from the start. However, "Monstrilio" went beyond just using a being to symbolize grief and pain by giving us a portion of the book from M's perspective; he goes from being a symbol to a real, complex being outside of what he represents. I thought that was such a fresh, smart addition to this technique.

I finished this book last night and I've been thinking about it all day, trying to put it into words. Something about grief and consuming, something about being a monster and being human, something about letting go and setting yourself free? I don't know, but I do know I'll be thinking about this one for a long time!

You'll like this book if you like more literary horror, if you're interested in text that explore grief and loss, and if you like a sympathetic "monster."