LOVED Our Share of Night so I was excited to read a collection of Mariana Enriquez short stories. And A Sunny Place for Shady People (*double checks title*) met my very high expectations!

Enriquez’ literary horror speaks directly to my soul. She isn’t afraid to get all kinds of weird and disturbing, but in the most beautiful way! A couple of stories I absolutely loved include the collection opener The Sad Dead, a story about a woman who sees the dead on her street, including her mother, and also Black Eyes, a terrifyingly unsettling story about black-eyed children (an urban legend that I adore!).

The range is fascinating, we have a couple who rock up at a very strange town, a woman who has a fibroid removed and wants it back in her body and we also have the title story which is about a woman who tries to investigate the disappearance of Eliza Lam. Truly something for everyone!

A really brilliant collection. Can’t wait to see what Enriquez unleashes on us next!

This collection of short stories is undeniably interesting, showcasing a range of intriguing ideas and vivid, emotionally charged moments. While I appreciated the visuals and the way the author captured the characters’ distress, something about it all didn’t fully click for me.

As my first introduction to this author’s work, I went in with an open mind, drawn to the premise and expecting to love it. While some of the stories were excellent and held my attention, others felt unfinished, almost like early drafts. I think this might be a me issue though, as I feel this quite a lot with short stories.

That said, the creativity and depth of the author’s concepts are brilliant and I could clearly feel the emotion and meaning behind each one.

While this book wasn’t entirely my thing, it’s far from a bad read. I definitely want to explore some of the author’s earlier work to see what else they have to offer.

Mariana Enriquez is a master at the unsettling. The collection of stories in A Sunny Place for Shady People all give that trill of horror any good book of the genre will offer, but with poignant takes on sexism, queer relationships, generational/historical trauma, colonialism, and classism. These stories, set in Argentina, offer a wide scope of perspectives and characters, each deeply developed and captivating. At times Enriquez's prose gets in the way of story, but that's easily excusable for the atmosphere it presents. Thanks to NetGalley and Granta Publications for an ARC of this collection.

Strong stories by increasingly beloved Enriquez. Particularly liked when they touch on women's issues.

It's a tricky one! I loved the writing of 'Smoking cigarettes in bed' but this collection was so much longer, and also so much darker. I struggled to read it in a continuous way because it was getting too depressing, so I had to take bigger breaks between the book. Great atmosphere and the sense of dread, but perhaps too downbeat for me at times.

As is her style, this was a short story collection of weirdness and body horror that I found to be good but not as good as The Dangers of Smoking in Bed which I loved.

A Sunny Place for Shady People cements Mariana Enriquez’s reputation as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature. Her stories are visceral, moving, and haunting, lingering long after you close the book. For anyone who appreciates literary horror with emotional depth, this collection is an essential read.

this is the first book ive read by this author and i cant wait to read more! haunting and spooky and realistic while also incorporating supernatural aspects. the writing was so vivid and descriptive, to the point i had to skip a couple of the stories bc they got in my head too much, would definitely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Granta, for the opportunity to read A Sunny Place for Shady People in exchange for an honest review.

Enriquez crafts a dark, haunting collection in A Sunny Place for Shady People, with each story delivering chills in an addictive way.

Having read and loved Enríquez' 'Things We Lost in the Fire' and 'Dangers of Smoking in Bed' I was very much looking forward to this new collection. And whilst I did enjoy it, I found myself finishing a story and wondering what was new about it. Yes, she writes well, and the underlying menace that permeates her work is there, in a beautifully crafted story. But it just felt all very samey to me.

Short story collections sometimes need just to be dipped in to now and again. I think this is one of them. Well written but a little at a time is probably best.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

I had high hopes for A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez, especially since I loved her previous book, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. But this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It’s a collection of horror stories, some inspired by real events like the Elisa Lam case at the Cecil Hotel, but many of the stories felt underdeveloped or unfinished. I often found myself confused at the end, wondering if I’d missed something. While Enriquez’s talent for eerie, unsettling atmospheres is still there, I was left wanting more from the stories overall.

another great hit from mariana enriquez! <3

thank you to the publisher and netaglley for sending me an arc!

A fascinating collection of short stories, but I don't think it's my vibe.

It's my first book from this author, and maybe I should have done some research because I didn't expect this amount of body horror, which is not my thing. So that's one me.

Some of the stories were excellent and I enjoyed reading them. But some felt unfinished? Like it was just a draft, maybe it was on purpose. The ideas for the stories are all really good, and I could clearly feel what the author meant.

The stories are really visual, and while I didn't enjoy the body horror in some of them, I appreciate the way I could feel the characters' distress. It's been a while since I actually felt scared by a book, but this one did it more than once.

Overall, it's not a bad book, but it's not something I really enjoyed. Make sure that you like these types of horror before reading.

Mariana Enriquez’s latest collection A Sunny Place for Shady People is comprised of 12 short stories that are unpredictable and unsettling. The two quotes that open the collection “A wound gives off its own light” and “Doesn’t have arms but know how to use them. Doesn’t have a face but it knows where to find one” establish the tone from the outset as Enriquez weaves mythical and mundane, uncanny and ordinary. I found some to be a slow burn but worth the effort; others grabbed me straightaway and stayed with me for days. Different Colors Made of Tears, The Refrigerator Cemetery, Night Birds and Metamorphosis were my particular favourites.

Mariana Enriquez has cemented herself as one of my favourite authors in the recent years.
'A Sunny Place for Shady People' is yet another captivating and dark short story collection. It felt slightly different from her previous two collections which I found very exciting and refreshing.
The stories in this collection feature ghosts, body horror, creepy clowns and the occult.
The stories explore themes of feminism, generational trauma, morality and racism with an unsettling twist.

I found 'A Sunny Place for Shady People' to be a solid collection of stories. It's not my favourite of the three, but still very enjoyable and entertaining.
Like with any short story collection, I loved some stories more than others.
'Julie', 'Night Birds', 'The Suffering Woman' and 'The Refrigerator' were my personal favourites.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Granta Publications for the free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not a horror fan and I didn’t think I would be so creeped out and so mesmerised but this book, eeek!

A perfect balance of lots of themes; between feminism, folklore, stories of abuse, horror. Everything packed in this collection of short stories by Mariana Enriquez that will make your skin crawl.

From some really interesting almost non horror stories to lead you into the more creepy and and thought provoking ones.

From the lady that can interact with the dead in her neighbourhood to poor rotting girl living with her family and never going out.
The range of stories was amazing and intriguing, leaving every chapter a surprise.

The almost unresolved ending of each story wasn’t my favourite as it really left me wondering more (exactly what they’re meant to do of course) and I really got fond of a few characters and I was hoping to learn more.

I have definitely been late to the ARC as the book is already out and I do really recommend it if you’re looking for something more fast paced that won’t bore you ;)

This is another fantastic short story collection to get lost in! Definitely staying as one of my auto-buy authors

Mariana Enriquez's A Sunny Place for Shady People is a dark, mesmerizing tale that expertly blends mystery, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural. Enriquez crafts a haunting atmosphere, drawing readers into a world where beauty and danger coexist, and secrets lurk beneath the surface of an idyllic setting. Her vivid and evocative prose captures the complexities of her characters, each with their hidden motives and troubled pasts, creating an intricate web of intrigue. A Sunny Place for Shady People is an enthralling read that explores themes of morality, identity, and the unsettling allure of the unknown, leaving readers captivated until the very end.

She is undeniably one of the most gifted writers, and once again, she proves it with this latest work. A brilliant yet profoundly dark book, it offers twelve unsettling stories that showcase her mastery of contemporary Latin American horror. The genre that established her as one of the finest Latin American writers sees her triumphant return, and she does not disappoint.

A warm thank you to Granta Publications and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for an honest review.

An eerie and unsettling collection of short stories. Enriquez is brilliant at creating worlds that feel shifted off centre - familiar yet uncomfortable, something that eats at you and has you checking your surroundings. This collection falls a little short of reading like true horror, and while each concept was intriguing, not all of them followed through on being totally captivating. I look forward to reading more of Enriquez’ work, and have Our Share of Night on my bookshelf, doubtless watching me sleep until I work up the courage to crack it open.