A review by beckykphillips
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Sunny Place for Shady People is a fantastic short story collection following an array of different characters in a variety of creepy and disturbing scenarios. Through twelve different stories, Enriquez gives the readers glimpses into Argentinian life while exploring occult and horror themes. 

I enjoyed the collection and absolutely see myself revisiting these stories, although some of them worked more for me than others. Enriquez has a  great voice and this is my first time reading her work, so I will be exploring her previous titles too. 

Of the dozen stories, the one that has stayed in my brain the most is Different Colors Made of Tears, which comes about halfway through the book. Our narrator (in the majority of the stories, we don't know the name of the person who's telling them) meets an old man named Noah who is selling his deceased wife's designer clothing and jewelry to the thrift store where she works. However, when she takes them to the store, horrific injuries happen to the wearer. This was a fascinating take on abuse and the literal scars it leaves behind not just to the person who experiences it, but those around them. 

I recommend the collection to anyone who is looking for a unique take on horror. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.