Wow. I am at a loss here. Usually I can't wait to talk to people about the book that I just read but the way this one ended and made me question contemporary literature- I'm going to need a few days to integrate and properly converse about it.

This is a wonderful book that attempts to answer the question about whether you can go home again. Lina's journey home to Colombia for redemption for a past that she can't be entirely sure is hers. The pain of this character was perfectly captured by the author.

A fantastic and thought-provoking novel about a woman returning to her roots in Colombia. Full of intriguing details - I would have liked to see the horror element expanded on but even without that this is a very enjoyable book.

This is a tough book to review. It was also a tough book to read. It was filled with trauma, anger, tragedy, and more anger. It was a visceral experience and I had to put it down more than once to catch my breath.

This book was realistic but at the same time, nearly an imagined experience when strange things began to happen. I was personally hoping for a bit of magical realism but that never quite happened.

I'm still glad I read this book - just be prepared for raw writing that never lets the reader forget what childhood trauma and secrets will do to a person when they begin searching for the truth.

I am giving this book 3.5 stars because of the subject matter and the limited number of people I would feel good about recommending it to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Anthill is raw; raw anger, raw hurt, raw want of being understood of being seen.

Unfortunately, the story telling here was sloppy, which perhaps was intentional, for life is sloppy, filled with loose ends, and unexplained happenings, and glimpses of understanding before once again being plunged into darkness.

It hurts my heart so say that I cannot think of a single person that I would recommend ‘The Anthill’ to. It felt more like a writing exercise as part of anger therapy than a novel to be read by others.

Thank you the NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Anthill in exchange for my honest reivew.

3.5 stars

Reading this book was a visceral experience for me. It's beautifully written, and the imagery and pain are so powerful. For me, both were so intense that found myself both anxious and nauseous at time while reading.

Pachico explores childhood trauma in a way that feels incredibly realistic. Though the trauma does not belong to the reader, it's easy to react as if it does. We're so far inside of Lina's head, uncertainty, hallucinatory moments, memories, and nail ripping, that it feels almost too connecting at times.

It's hard for me to rate this novel because I see a great deal of artistic value in its construction, themes, and general concept, but I struggled so much while reading it. Perhaps that last fact makes this work even more compelling and fulfilling of its purpose. On the other hand, there were aspects of this work - including but not limited to every discussion of child abuse, rape, and torture as well as every second describing fingernails - that resulted in a lot of emotional trials for me.

A beautiful book in theory but an incredibly gut wrenching read personally.