I love that most of the protagonists are young, female, and discontent. These short stories give us a slice of life and take us through the (back) streets of Buenos Aires as well. The protagonists slide in and out of moments of dread and fear while trying to be good people.

SOMEONE PLEASE TURN THE LIGHTS ON!!! *shudders with fear*

This book is made of pure unadulterated DARK DARK DARK matter!

4.5 Dark matter stars!

Oh man! Holy grittiness, this book! This is beyond horror but dark, cruel, raw, dark matter. The one that goes way beyond vampire, and ghosts. Because this is REAL. As real as it get;s this is the stuff that dwells in the murky depths of the most disturbed human minds. The horrible stuff that DOES happen in the world. Unfortunately.

SO WHY ON EARTH I READ AND LIKE THIS BOOK SO MUCH?

Because, for some like me, this kinda darkness is like a syrupy deliciousness that’s totally addictive like hot chocolate in winter. So about 20% into this book after reading this most gruesome topics (including children torture) I already knew only the darkest darkness awaited me BUT like an addict, I kept subjecting myself to the pain because this storytelling is just engrossing totally irresistible. Resistance is futile I drank every bitter drop on this sickening concoction of everything that is gory, brutal, violent, bloody creepy nightmarish in this world.

If you can stomach it, this is one phenomenal ride of gifted storytelling and powerful characterization. One of the best characterization I have read. These are short stories, and in one or two paragraphs you feel you have known these characters all your life. The world built around this characters so real and rich too! If you are not very acquainted with South American culture a few things may be very shocking, though.

The striking imagery and world building will put this world under a magnifier in a very close and personal perspective for you. You’ll experience the smell, colors and shapes of this culture with all the good an evil but mostly the evil. You’ll experience the macro world of the political turmoil, the arbitrariness and bigotry of totalitarian regimes, the misery, the hardship, the human rights violation. You’ll also experience the micro world. You’ll feel the desperation of the drug addict and street workers, the loneliness and hunger of the homeless child, the disgust of a wife of an abusive husband.

Most stories have unresolved endings open to interpretation and I fail to interpret many of them. That’s why I didn’t give it a 5-star review but these stories do deliver. I may read the Spanish version to see if anything has been lost in translation and maybe change the rating to five stars. I’m also curios if the writing is this awesome in the language it was originally written.

As I said, be prepared to be submerged in a very turbid concoction of everything that is shadowy in human nature [drug traffic, addition, promiscuity, child abuse] mixed with the supernatural of witchcraft, apparitions, and satanic cults. And also this narrated with the grittiest suspense! Please remember my warning the content is EXTREMELY disturbing [as in children torture, abuse and mutilation disturbing]. Some of it was too much for me and I had to take a break and even doubted if I would finish the book but not ALL the stories are like that brutal so I did finish it. If you like dark tales and dystopian anchored in reality you’ll find this book fascinated.

I wasn't quite sure what it make of this book when I started it. It turns out is is a great, but pretty depressing collection of short stories. It is a good mix of horror, suspense, intense, and a whole other set of descriptors for these stories. They were refreshing to read, but very heavy and one of those books that one has to be ready for. It is hard to describe, so just read it. Trust me, but be prepared.

Ooh, this one is deep and dark, sweaty and visceral and terrifying in places. Unsettling. Creepy. And I'm back to terrifying. Because not all of the stories are horror stories, because the settings are in some instances fairly benign-- the street outside your apartment, your neighbor's yard-- the eerie factor is multiplied. The story featuring the neighbor's yard, and the one about the black river (!),  made me breathe like I was watching '28 Days Later' or something. As tough and just ugly as some of the stories were, I really enjoyed this collection and I can't wait for more from Ms. Enriquez.

Review of Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez

Rating : 4/5 

Goodreads Summary :

An arresting collection of short stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortazar, by an exciting new international talent. Macabre, disturbing and exhilarating, Things We Lost in the Fire is a collection of twelve short stories that use fear and horror to explore multiple dimensions of life in contemporary Argentina. From women who set themselves on fire in protest of domestic violence to angst-ridden teenage girls, friends until death do they part, to street kids and social workers, young women bored of their husbands or boyfriends, to a nine-year-old serial killer of babies and a girl who pulls out her nails and eyelids in the classroom, to hikikomori, abandonedhouses, black magic, northern Argentinean superstition, disappearances, crushes, heartbreak, regret and compassion. This is a strange, surreal and unforgettable collection by an astonishing new talent asking vital questions of the world as we know it.


9780451495112

My Review :

Mariana Enriquez’s short stories though set in contemporary Argentina, captures the forgotten part of Argentina comprising of the slums and the parts of cities ruled by drug cartels as the backdrop. I was initially in a conundrum about my ability to enjoy these stories as I am a novice to Latin American fiction except for my short adventure on magical realism which did not end well. Mariana has not developed the stories around the cities so as to alienate an unfamiliar reader but has narrated the stories around the issues faced by any contemporary developing cities. Coming from India, I was not unfamiliar with these problems and could easily understand the backdrop and the motivations of the characters as the issues she addressed are universal. Narrating the tales of unexplored facets of life and reaching beyond the realm of human understanding and experiences, she has somehow managed to highlight issues like domestic violence, drug abuse, police brutality, depression, transgender issues and sexuality. These are intricately woven into the complex fabric of the story.

As I am not an avid reader of horror stories I do not have any benchmark to compare “Things We Lost in the Fire” with. All the stories are ominous, some are plain scary and some extremely gory. There were two stories which stood out for me in their ability to send shivers down my spine – ‘Adela’s House’ and ‘An Invocation of Big-Eared Runt’. Adela’s House uses the tried and tested formula of the haunted house. But what sets it apart is the deformed child protagonist Adela who feels that the house directly communicates to her. The story is narrated by one of the three children on whom the events at the house had an everlasting impact. An Invocation of Big-Eared Runt is about the appearance of the ghost of a nine year old serial killer of babies to a tourist guide who covers famous murderers on his tour. The activities of the serial killer fills us with disgust and despondence as his victims are babies and kids. Whether the apparition will influence the guide in his personal life is left for the readers to understand.

The Dirty Kid, the first story of the collection, deals with the faith of people and various pagan practices. The story revolves around an addict who is the mother of a young boy and pregnant with the second child. The disappearance of the mother and child coincides with the appearance of mutilated bodies of children. While reading this story, I sincerely hoped this was purely a work of fiction and was not one that was inspired by any real incidents. Another one that touched my heart was ‘The Things We Lost in the Fire’, a story dealing with domestic violence through a group of women self-immolating to safeguard themselves from more torture. What is already destroyed cannot be tarnished further! The ‘Neighbors Courtyard’ is a story about a disgraced social worker suffering from depression who glances upon a tortured child in her neighbor’s courtyard. This story has given a small insight into the mind of a person suffering from depression and also of the view that people tend to take by dismissing it as a mere mood swing or something which the patient can snap out of in a moment.

My Verdict : 

A good collection of morbid and gruesome stories which will truly enthrall you. Not all of the twelve stories, but I can guarantee that at least one will give you the jitters depending on what kind of horror you prefer. Definitely worth a read for all horror fans and horror newbies.

"Maybe I wasn’t the princess in her castle; maybe I was a madwoman locked in her tower."

I don’t usually read short story collections. It’s not that I don’t like them – I do – but they quite often fail to hold my interest enough to entice me to see them through to the end.

However, this is the second collection of short stories I read within the past year, the first being Deborah Willis’ The Dark and Other Love Stories , which was deep and haunting, but in a very different way. While Willis' collection also seemed to allude to something just beneath the surface, there was also something inherently…tame…about them.

That is not the case with Mariana Enríquez’s Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories . Set in Argentina, this collection of stories is unlike anything I’ve ever read. The stories range in scope of horror – from bone-chilling psychological thriller (“Adela’s House,” “Under the Black Water”) to good old fashion ghost stories (“An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt,” “The Inn”) to the more realistic and ponderous (“No Flesh over Our Bones,” “Green Red Orange”). Although each story begins with the characters involved in seemingly “normal” situations, it soon becomes clear that something is askew: that there is something lurking right behind them.

However, I was never fully satisfied. I felt like there was a spark missing, something that I was not quite fully able to grasp. Some of it comes from the tension-building of the author – for quite a few of the stories, she built the climax and ended abruptly in ambiguity – but I think it ultimately comes from the feeling that I was expecting more from this collection.

I think the beginning stories were strong and provided a good flavor of the unique scope and writing style of the author – I particularly enjoyed “The Intoxicated Years,” “Adela’s House,” and “An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt.” However, the second half was weaker, and a good handful of the stories were disappointing, especially “Things We Lost in the Fire” – the anchor and the one I was particularly excited to read because it lent its name to the title of the collection. Instead, it was too metaphorical and vague as to what, exactly, the author was referring.

Which is ultimately unfortunate, because I feel like the excessive ambiguity of quite a few of the stories took away from the overall impact this collection could have had.

That being said, I enjoyed reading something that is out of the realm of what I usually tend to read – a unique combination of horror and short stories set in Argentina.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars for creativity and uniqueness. Rounded down to a solid 3 stars because of the lack of any of these stories really producing a “spark” of excitement; (the stories that got closest were probably “Adela’s House” or “An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt”).

I won a paper copy in a giveaway book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers, as well as an electronic copy from NetGalley, both through Crown Publishing. I received these copies in exchange for an honest review.

The stories collected in Things We Lost in the Fire are about people in transitionary periods of their lives. Each of the characters in these gritty stories face a realization – a veil has lifted from their eyes – and they find themselves with the obligation to choose to act in response to their newfound knowledge or stay idle. Ultimately these decisions will come to redefine who they are and alter the rest of their lives.

Mariana Enríquez's writing is fretfully grim and unsettling. I'll definitely be on the look out for the next translated Enríquez collection to hit the shelves.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Macabre is the most appropriate term that I could assign to this dark collection of short stories that is Things We Lost in the Fire. I find myself searching for words that will be strung together to form a summary of my experience with this somewhat unearthly and shocking collection. Please be very aware that the word graphic seems almost light and delicate in comparison to some of the events the played throughout the pages of Mariana Enriquez's work. Even though I will rate this book highly, I am not recommending it to all.

Beautifully translated, this is a multifaceted, harrowing approach to suspense that is set within contemporary Argentina. These 12 short stories presented the perfect opportunity to diversify my reading a bit more and all seemed to feature several common elements. Female protagonists, poverty, and realism are all skillfully entwined with hints of the supernatural to compile what was ultimately one of my most unique reading experiences to date.

Initially I struggled with Things We Lost in the Fire. While I found myself completely immersed in the refreshing dose of culture and almost inviting writing that created a seamless read, the graphic and heavy content hit me hard and unexpectedly. I am no stranger to twisted scenarios and depictions of gruesome scenes as I love the horror genre. I admit though, that this was extensive and intense. I will not elaborate in this post, but I am giving the simple warning to approach this with caution. It is unsettling.

There are several aspects and topics addressed throughout this collection that should not be overlooked. The author manages to touch on mental health and physical and mental abuse in a manner that does nothing to conceal the raw reality of what it is. The reader is thrown into lives that force them to look at these elements in a head on and uncensored manner. This is a collision. There is something much more than eery stories occurring beneath the layers.

Of the 12 stories my favorite 3 would be:

The Dirty Kid: A woman who has come to view poverty and addiction at its very worst as a normal part of daily life sadly discovers she has become so accustomed to the environment surrounding her that she has been blinded. Now she feels the full weight of guilt after possibly having overlooked all warning signs as she confronts the death of a local homeless child.
*This story is the first on the collection and I found it to be the most disturbing of all. It will test your ability to continue with this book

The Inn: This story manages to cleverly disguise one young girls struggle with her own sexuality among a tale of the paranormal.

End of Term: Readers are given a frightening ghost story surrounding the uncomfortable topic of mental health and social acceptance.

I chose each of these for the message that I discovered tucked beneath the pages that resonated with me long after completing them.  I feel as though there is an endless amount to be interpreted and learned from Things We Lost in the Fire. It will certainly impact us each in various ways.

This is a rich and provocatively written anthology that pits you against real horrors while ingeniously softening them by hiding them among the "ghost" stories. It is slow and masterful revelation full of distressing possibilities and even realities that lurk among us. It cannot be unread.

*I would like to thank both Blogging for Books and Netgalley for this opportunity. This review is my own unbiased opinion and experience.

Things We Lost In The Fire: Stories by Mariana Enriquez is a collection of short stories that explore different facets of life in contemporary Argentina. Chilling and dark, these stories absolutely have a Shirley Jackson vibe. Gothic literature at its finest, these are filled with paranormal elements, dark and gloomy setting in the Argentinian slums and broken characters needing to be rescued. 

I don’t read a lot of short story collections, but I was completely engulfed in this one. I love how they can be left out and picked up and put down when the mood strikes. However, with this one, the chances of you putting it down are slim. 

When the very first story alluded to a human sacrifice, I was obsessed. The stories following continued to deliver wave after wave of unsettling storytelling. 

Adela’s House and Things We Lost in the Fire were two of my personal favourite stories. 

I am always looking to add diversity into my reading collection and this collection delivered that element; set in the Argentinian underbelly, I loved how this blended horror elements like ghosts and supernatural beings along with realistic horrors in everyday life such as extreme poverty, corruption and even child abuse that is prominent there. As much an entertaining piece of fiction as it is a social commentary, Enriquez critiques and amuses merging realism and idealism. Each ending is completely open and up for interpretation. It would not surprise me to see this collection added to the syllabus of a number of courses for higher education. There is that much depth. 

Overall, I loved these stories and would recommend them highly!

This collection of short stories was dark and unsettling, which was exactly what I was expecting it to be. It was wonderful, and really made me feel something. Highly recommended!

The atmosphere created in many of these stories was nothing short of haunting, everything seems normal in the beginning, but then you notice some things that are a little off, a little dark. Things We Lost in the Fire was a journey into the surreal. The stories are set in modern day Argentina with a diverse cast of characters and stories.

Before reading this, I actually didn’t know much about Argentinia’s history and culture so this book was a learning experience. I was intrigued by some common themes that I had noticed from story to story and decided to do a little research. I found that many of the stories took place in the 1980’s and 1990’s, a decade after an event called “The Dirty War,” a period of state terrorism during the Cold War. I find this bit of information important in understanding some of the common themes or recurring character types in the story. Several have groups of military officers that take on intimidating roles which is the first and most obvious link to a country still dealing with the after effects of a police state. Many of the characters are apathetic to the suffering of others, often choosing not to interfere and walking away when confronted with obvious abuse. Meaningful relationships are noticeably difficult, and it’s no surprise when the people are so devoid of empathy for their fellow man. Drug addiction is rampant and living conditions are relatively poor for most. There is also a deep fascination with the macabre, with several characters becoming very visibly obsessed with the idea of death.

One of the things that the author did very well was building tension over the course of the stories as the plot develops, making the reader feel anxious as they witness each character’s descent into settings or situations that seem beyond human comprehension. There were a few stories that particularly stood out among the rest. My very favorite was also the first in the collection which gives the book a strong start, The Dirty Kid. It sets the tone for the rest of the book and left me asking so many questions after it was finished.

Other notable stories were Adela’s House, which was perhaps the most well developed story with characters that I wanted to read more about. It also helps that it was the haunted house story, which is one of my favorite genres in horror. The most frightening story of the collection though, and arguably one of the only truly scary stories, was The Neighbor’s Courtyard. While I couldn’t wrap my head around the narrator’s logic and got really annoyed with how she chose to do things, it was the one story that made my toes curl and made it difficult for me to sleep that night.

The only issue I took with the stories was that they became a tiny bit predictable in that they all followed a pattern. You’re introduced to characters and get a glimpse of their personalities, their thoughts, and their every day lives. They come close to things that are dark or dangerous, and there is usually a quick and sometimes very descriptive horror twist at the end, leaving readers at some cliff hanger. Not every story ended this way, but many of them did. This sort of story telling makes the whole book feel like one big appetizer that never delivers the full course meal. Some of the stories could’ve used more time to develop the plot and characters. A complete story can be told even in short story form, which is something that I felt was missing.

Besides all that, the anthology was just plain wonderfully written. The translation seems to have been done well and there are several Spanish words still woven throughout the stories, keeping the feel authentic to the setting. Enriquez manages to make the macabre themes in the stories feel almost romantic, drawing readers into for a glimpse of a world not quite like our own. Things We Lost in the Fire grabbed my attention from the first story and kept me captivated to the very last page.

Things We Lost In The Fire is Mariana Enriquez’ short story collection set in Argentina and featuring characters, mostly female, as they deal with supernatural occurrences that reflect the reality of a culture steeped in tradition, not all of them good. 
The first story is about a woman who inherits a family house in a bad part of town and finds herself surrounded by criminal and drug activity and all that surrounds that lifestyle. A homeless child in particular, a five year old who she refers to as Dirty Kid because she doesn’t know his name, makes her rethink her choices, but not before he scares her out of her mind with tales of patron saints and the sacrifices that people make to improve their lives.
Story 2 follows a teenager who is slightly obsessed with her best friend and against her better judgment, decides to help the friend seek revenge. Their mission takes them to The Inn (the title location) where they hear sounds and see things they cannot explain, especially with everyone else refuting the history that the inn used to serve as a torture chamber generations prior.
The third story, Intoxicated Years, is about some teenaged girls in codependent relationships, experimenting with drugs and using relationships as commodities. Their drug induced haze creates the perfect backdrop so it is unclear whether the ghostly elements are real or hallucinated.
…and so on and so on until we get to the final, title story, which describes women engaging in burning – ritualistic self destruction as a response to centuries of repression. Just one more thing we lost in the fire.
Some of the same elements were repeated in several of the stories – flickering lights (fires) or blackouts (absence of fires), which probably happens frequently in a third world country but that lends itself to creating the environment for these kinds of stories and beliefs to flourish. When I was a child, I remember gathering with others around a bonfire or lantern on the nights when the electricity was out, and hearing ghostly stories then too. And while I don’t seek out paranormal literature now, I appreciated the author’s use of this literary devices as a vehicle to carry her social commentary. But it wasn’t until I got to the end of the collection that I appreciated all that the fires represented – safety, passion, excitement, heat, light, fellowship, danger, destruction, obliteration.

What I Liked:
Attractive cover
Complex characters
The stories got better once I understood the political and social commentary that lurked behind the plot.

What I Didn’t Like:
Some of the stories felt a little too short for me to get invested in the characters
Graphic depictions and disturbing situations described sometimes in too rich detail

There were 12 stories and I rated them individually and averaged the scores so in the end, I gave the entire collection a 3.5 star rating, although a couple of them were a 4 or better.

This was definitely not what I was expecting it to be! I didn't think this collection of short stories would be so dark and supernatural, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. While some of the stories spooked me out big time, I loved how macabre and eerie Argentina felt as a whole - not just the characters, but also the towns, houses, rivers, etc. Enriquez managed to give life to things that don't think or feel, which made for an excellent reading experience. Wouldn't recommend to those that are easily queasy - some scenes are a bit graphic and disturbing - but if you can stomach some weirdness then read away.

Short stories are my jam and this book is my new favorite. I absolutely LOVED Things We Lost In The Fire by Mariana Enriquez.  Talk about a batch of creative and captivating stories that will haunt you for days.

Set in Argentina, this book depicts modern day in a dark and twisty manner using history and myths to ground it.  Topics such as life, death, relationships, poverty, feminism are explored against disturbing, eerie, and horrific monsters, ghosts, and the supernatural.  It all makes for quite a suspenseful and terrifying read - and I LOVED every minute of it.  Enriquez knows how to create a story that engages her reader with her sharp and creative writing, relatable characters and unique storytelling.  She is a force and her book is fierce.

My favorite stories were, Adela's House and The Inn.  One's a tale of revenge and the other is about a seemingly abandoned house.  Both are riveting and spooky - they linger in your thoughts and imagination for quite some time.  I loved the eerie feeling that came with reading this book - it made for such a fun experience.

I would happily recommend Things We Lost In The Fire to fans of short stories and fans of horror/thrillers - you will LOVE this collection of short stories!!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House for the review copy.

Wow! I am not generally a big fan of short story collections, but this collection is exceptional. These are your nightmares, your fears, your crazy dreams all rolled up into 12 stories. Some are simply horrible, but seem too unreal; while others are terrifyingly too real.

If you like short scary stories with an Argentinian flair, this debut by Mariana Enríquez may be just what you are looking for.

Each of these stories feels like the beginning of something. They're all well-written, with compelling narratives and interesting characters. Each story could be the setup of a great horror story. Only, that's it. That's all most of them are: beginnings, with no endings, no explanations, no hints of closure. The author just seems to throw in bizarre and disturbing details almost at random. In some rare cases the ambiguity wasn't terrible, but in most of these stories it's simply annoying, like the author had no idea what to do with her own idea once she'd gotten it down on the page. 

I'm giving this three stars because I did enjoy reading these and I finished it rather quickly, and there were certain aspects of some stories that were deliciously creepy, particularly the ones that granted you a peek into the psychological disturbances in the characters' minds. If Goodreads would let me, though, a more accurate reading would be 2.5 stars, and grudgingly.

Favorites were Adela's House, Spiderweb, The Neighbor's Courtyard, and Under the Black Water. Adela's House is an example of a story where the ambiguity worked well. Spiderweb isn't much of a horror story at all, or any kind of story really - nothing much happens, but I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. The Neighbor's Courtyard features a character who might be crazy and a kind of eldritch abomination, the only story to really give us a clear glimpse of horror, though I wish there had been some closure. Under the Black Water is almost Lovecraftian in some ways, and I liked the vague sense of cosmic horror conveyed. 

Overall, though, there were too many loose ends here for me to truly enjoy these stories.

I haven't decided if I will review this for my site, it would barely fit within the context of what I usually review. However, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

Things We Lost in the Fire is an awfully dark collection of short stories. These macabre stories are all set in contemporary Argentina. Many stories have a touch of unreality -- suggestions of ghosts and other worldly beings. But the point of these suggested apparitions is to emphasize the horror of some aspects of contemporary Argentinian life -- extreme poverty, violence, drug addiction and crime. Often the central characters are middle class young men and women exposed to Argentina's dark underbelly -- and the hovering question is whether what they have seen is real or an apparition. Despite this common device and touch of unreality, the stories are very diverse in their characters and setting. I particularly liked a few of the longer ones:

-The Dirty Kid -- about the narrator's obsession with a street kid who disappears in her neighbourhood.
-Spiderweb -- about a women who goes on a trip with her unpleasant husband to visit a cousin
-The Neighbor's Courtyard -- about a disgraced social worker keeping an eye on a potential child in distress in a neighbour's yard
-Things We Lost in the Fire -- about a burn victim who holds audience in the subway

I recommend this to anyone who likes short stories and looks to literature to gain insight into different parts of the world. Don't be deterred by the surrealism -- it adds to the richness of these stories without overwhelming the narrative.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

In the past couple of years, I've gained a new appreciation for short story collections. The quick narratives make for easy reads during my brief reprieves from the hustle and bustle of life. They also are the perfect cure for a reading slump. It is much easier to finish a short story than a full-blown novel. As I've delved into more short stories, I am consistently pleased with the level of detail and development that some of them achieve. Beyond the satisfaction that comes with reading these short works, short stories have introduced me to new authors. From acclaimed Pulitzer winners like Adam Johnson to indie authors like Eric Shonkwiler, short stories have turned me into a fan of authors who I would have otherwise never read. After reading Things We Lost in the Fire, I'm excited to add Mariana Enriquez to that list. 

Enriquez draws upon the history and legends of Argentina to compose a collection of stories that balance on the edge of myth and reality. In The Inn, my favorite story of the group, two girls are struggling to come to terms with their sexual orientation. Beyond the difficulties that their relationship brings, one of the girls is facing a new challenge at home. Her father was a model employee as a tour guide for a local inn. That's why the girl finds it so hard to believe that the owner fired him. Thirsting for revenge, the two girls decide to break into the inn and enact a plan that will have long-lasting implications on the establishment. Unbeknownst to them, more sinister entities are at play.

I really enjoy the way that Enriquez combines supernatural elements into these portraits of Argentinian life. The people in her stories are all facing different challenges that are only made more difficult by the fact that they live in the slums. The problems that the characters face, crumbling relationships, poverty, disability, all touch upon universal themes that are easy to relate to. By giving these stories a tinge of fantasy, Enriquez adds a sense of urgency and suspense to what would have otherwise been rather pedestrian tales. There is no denying the unique voice and place that fill the stories in Things We Lost in the Fire. With this collection, Mariana Enriquez makes a bold statement about who she is as an author and the kind of writing we can expect from her in the future.

Dark, creepy and nightmarish.......each short story has it own creepy crawly end!

Read it.....but not before bed!  (insert evil laugh)

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.