Book Review
Twenty stories - eerie, haunting, creepy, unsettling, vaguely dystopian that leave a feeling of walking down dark and cryptic alley ways during an unearthly hour are bundled into this slim volume.
Most of the stories twitch your eyelids, send a shudder down your spine and chill your bones as the author, a master of macabre, presents peculiar content with immaculate precision. Praises heaped on her at the start of the book addressing her as Edgar Allan Poe of Argentina and a modern day blend of Grimm brothers and Kafka are no exaggerated claims. The first five stories literally bowled me over, churning my gut at times; an impactful start for the book that doesn't disappoint you till the end.
Stories - Butterflies and Slowing down reveal the author's exceptional talent in crafting powerful tales in an extremely limited space. These reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's short story - The Old Man.
Headlights, Preserves, Mouthful of Birds, The Test, Olingiris, Heads against Concrete, Underground, The Heavy suitcase of Benavides are other big favorites from the collection. Violence is a strong undercurrent in all stories - in some it is explicit and brash and in others it is subtle, like a vehement force that constantly works for a change. The book only little over 200 pages demands absolute attention to detail and slow absorption over time. I loved reading this book and definitely look forward to reading more from this author.
Have you heard the famous song by a group Scorpions - Here I am, Rock you like a Hurricane? This book renders that song loud and clear as you read it.
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