I won't be reading this. I've tried multiple times and haven't gotten into it. Thank you though for the opportunity. If I read it in the future I will come back and change this review.

Mariana Enríquez has a way of making the ordinary feel utterly terrifying, and A Sunny Place for Shady People is no exception. This collection of twelve stories is unsettling, hypnotic, and deeply immersive, pulling readers into a world where the supernatural and the mundane collide in ways that linger long after the final page.

What I love most about Enríquez’s writing is her ability to weave horror into the fabric of everyday life. These stories aren’t just about ghosts or eerie happenings—they’re about trauma, history, and the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of human existence. Whether she’s exploring Argentina’s haunted past or twisting real-life tragedies into something even more sinister, her storytelling is both fearless and deeply affecting.

Some of the stories left me breathless. My Sad Dead introduces us to ghosts of young victims of violent crime, their presence more heartbreaking than terrifying. Hyena Hymns taps into Argentina’s history of political violence, making the supernatural feel disturbingly real. And Different Colors Made of Tears turns a simple visit to a vintage clothing shop into a visceral nightmare.

This isn’t just a horror collection—it’s a meditation on grief, guilt, and the ways in which the past refuses to stay buried. Enríquez’s prose is sharp, evocative, and unrelenting, making A Sunny Place for Shady People one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year. If you’re looking for something that will haunt you in the best possible way, this is it.

For any reader going through menopause, Metamorphosis will pique your interest. Don't worry. Cockroaches are not involved.

Mariana Enriquez’s A Sunny Place for Shady People is a hauntingly beautiful collection that blends dark realism with surreal touches, showcasing her unmistakable voice and razor-sharp insight into the human condition. Each story pulses with intensity, drawing readers into shadowy corners of life where empathy, horror, and hope intertwine. Enriquez once again proves she is a master of modern storytelling—bold, unflinching, and unforgettable. A must-read for fans of literary fiction with an edge.

Mariana Enriquez delivers a haunting collection of stories that blur the line between the grotesque and the beautiful. A Sunny Place for Shady People is a masterclass in dark fiction, where the supernatural, the macabre, and the deeply human collide. Each tale is chilling yet tender, weaving together themes of violence, desire, and societal decay with eerie precision. Enriquez’s storytelling is sharp, unsettling, and unforgettable — a must-read for lovers of the strange and the profound.

As with most anthologies the stories were hit and miss but this book would be worth the purchase if only for Night Birds and Black Eyes

This short story collection was excellent. Spooky and weird, these stories were all hits. From a family cursed for the women's faces to vanish to a girl rotting, a woman haunted by the ghosts of her neighborhood to a trouble young woman with a unique relationship to spirits. I really, really enjoyed these stories.
This would make a great book to check your in-translation bingo box any year.

First came into contact with Mariana Enriquez writing with Our Share of Night. I’ve since bought all of her writing that’s been translated into English.

As someone with a history degree, and an interest in international politics and humanity’s struggle against oppression, I’ve found her writing remarkable.

If history, horror, and the weird interest you - do yourself a favor and pick this up.

DNF - This didn't work for me; I couldn't immerse myself in the writing style and pacing, though I'm sure other readers may find their ideal with the plot. Unfortunately, I wasn't the right reader for it.

Short stories are not always my favorite type of book to read but I enjoyed most of these and would recommend the book to those who like a quick horror read

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

My very first Mariana Enriquez book! To be quite honest, this wasn't easy for me to get into - this is not a genre I am familiar with or even gravitate towards but I've heard so much about this author I can't help but be intrigued. There were moments where I was unsure and maybe a little confused but the whole vibe of this book kept me reading. I heard about another book she came out with before this one and I think I'll check that out next - in audiobook at least.
Thanks for giving me the chance to read this!

This was quite eerie to read; it is a collection of horror stories. I really enjoyed this, while some were stronger, in terms of plot and characterization, than others, I liked them all.

4.5 stars!!!

I was worried about this collection after not loving the full length novel I've read from this author previously, but I was pleasantly surprised! The length of the short stories worked really well for me and I wanted more of every single story. Not because there wasn't enough, but because I simply wanted MORE! Every story had such a well crafted story that was so well explained and explored in the little amount of time we shared with the main characters, and I was left unsettled during multiple stories! While this doesn't give me the 5 star feeling, it was definitely super close! I don't know what could have pushed it over the edge since I can't quite put my finger on why it wasn't a 5. This short story collection revitalized my hope that this will one day be a 5 star author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: murder, death, violence, rape/sexual assault, suicide.


Set mostly in the author's home country of Argentina, this collection of tales -- all of them involving horrors from beyond the veil -- seeks to explore the lives of ordinary people, mostly women, as they deal with terrors both paranormal and human. A retired doctor who fights off ghosts for her neighborhood of right-wingers frightened of the nearby villa miseria; a vintage clothing shop that discovers the dresses they've purchased hold a malevolence they can hardly fathom; a couple rents an Airbnb in a cozy small town that harbors more than meets the eye; a cemetery of abandoned refrigerators harbors a long-hidden secret. These stories and many more feature in Enriquez's journey into the mysteries of her birthplace.

I am a huge fan of Enríquez, so I was beyond delighted to get the ARC for this anthology of paranormal-themed stories. She has a unique voice that seamlessly captures both the sheer ordinariness of daily life and the abject terror of experiencing something that should not exist. Her previous novel, Our Share of Night, explores many of the themes featured here, and yet all of the stories are refreshingly original, and it seems that she always has something new and fascinating to say.

Not all of the stories are completely successful, but as a whole, this collection serves as a breathtakingly adept and subtle analysis of class, misogyny, and the ghosts of Argentina's past -- both its bloody colonization and its more recent dictatorship. There are a few here that feel particularly powerful, and many of those living outside of Argentina will relate to the commentary spread throughout about fascism and its brutal grip.

Most of these have elements of an almost Lovecraftian or, perhaps more fittingly, Lynchian horror -- tales of body grotesquerie, a particular focus on women and their interaction with a misogynistic society hellbent on consuming their bodies. Some of my favorites in this collection are apt metaphors for the particular kind of violence men enact upon women: the family mystery of disappearing faces, all connected to a brutal rapist; the clothing shop that purchases dresses from a man who despises his wife and, in turn, womanhood itself. I also enjoy how much LGBTQ culture and queerness itself Enríquez always manages to incorporate into her writing, in a naturalistic way that some writers struggle with. I suspect it is because this is the norm in Enríquez's own circle, but still, it's a terribly refreshing thing to see in an author whose novels and stories don't necessarily revolve around being queer.

Just like in Our Share of Night, A Sunny Place for Shady People feels esoteric, occult, perfectly and wonderfully off the beaten path. Enríquez is one of those authors that I read compulsively, and when I pick up one of her books -- no matter its theme or subject matter -- I find myself swallowed up by the world she manages to create. There's just something compelling about her writing that makes putting it down difficult to do once you've picked it up. Her characters, too, feel so natural, as if you are not reading someone's creation but instead simply overhearing a conversation, meeting a new person.

I cannot recommend giving this one a shot enough. Beautifully written and fantastical in its creation of a world where reality is just ever-so-slightly warped!

I discovered Mariana Enriquez from Our Share of Night. I was pumped to see she was releasing a new title so thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for an early copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved the uniqueness, the detail and the characters Mariana has built in such a beautiful place. Her writing is something I want to always have on hand and read just a little bit more everyday! Highly recommend her work!

Love Mariana Enriquez, and this is a really solid collection of short horror stories. Good balance of mostly good stories with a few I didn't get as into, but overall a great collection!

Again and again I read short story collections…and again and again I am disappointed!
I struggled with refocusing after each story, but I enjoyed a majority of them,

The story that talks about Elisa Lam was pretty good…maybe the one that held my attention the most. I want to read more from this author!

Liminal and eerie and creepy! This was a treat. I wish some of the stories lasted longer because I was enjoying them so much.

I prefer her novels to short stories but this was still a great collection. So creepy! Especially the last few stories.