Mariana Enriquez is one of my favorite authors of all time and her newly translated horror story collection, A Sunny Place for Shady People, did not disappoint!

Her books are always so atmospheric and her writing is always so gorgeous & engrossing. Her stories always include social commentary, as well as straight horror, so it adds another layer and makes them even more gut wrenching. And I want to give it up for the translator as well, Megan McDowell, because she does an amazing job at bringing these stories to life in English!

My favorite stories were Black Eyes & Face of Disgrace! Black Eyes was TOP TIER! One of the best stories I’ve EVER read! Incredibly scary! The Refrigerator Cemetery, Julie, and My Sad Dead were favorites of mine as well. There were a few that weren’t for me like, A Local Artist & The Suffering Woman, but overall I really enjoyed the collection. There were spirits, murders, body horror, just everything that you’d want in a collection of horror stories!

Thank you Hogarth and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

~ individual story ratings ~

📖 My Sad Dead: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 A Sunny Place for Shady People: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (cw: drug addiction)

📖 Face of Disgrace: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (cw: rape, suicide)

📖 Julie: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (cw: fatohobia)

📖 Night Birds: ⭐️⭐️ (cw: animal death)

📖 Metamorphosis: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (cw: animal death)

📖 Hyena Hymns: ⭐️⭐️

📖 Different Colors Made of Tears: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 The Suffering Woman: DNF

📖 The Refrigerator Cemetery: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 A Local Artist: DNF

📖 Black Eyes: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (cw: rape mentioned)

average rating: 3 stars

official rating: 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars