Bizarre.  Disturbing.  DARK.

Bazterrica’s newest Argentinian splatterpunk novella kept me engaged and horrified in equal portion, but in the end, left me somewhat conflicted.  

With many things well done—the unique format, the intensely atmospheric setting, and the spotlight on the loss of humanity only to then find a glimmer of hope—I expected to really love this read.  

But in the end, I was left (somewhat) wanting.  I craved a deeper dive into the religious and feminist themes, and I longed for more dissection of the cruel power dynamics.  However, it’s worth noting that I listened to this novella without having access to a print copy.  

Imani Jade Powers (a favorite!) gives an impeccable performance.  She brought the unnamed MC to life and accentuated the full spectrum of emotion found within the text.  

And while the audiobook narration was fantastic, I don’t think it truly captured the fullness of this novel given its unique formatting.  

With the story unfolding within journal entries where words are scratched out and writing is sometimes left unfinished, the context and structure add depth and meaning that wasn’t easily conveyed in the narration.  And ultimately, that may be why I was left somewhat unsatisfied in the end.  

The one aspect of this novel that worked exceptionally well for me:  the idea that documenting history is a form of resistance.  YES, indeed!!!  👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻  (See also: Heather Cox Richardson!)

So, my recommendation... grab a copy of the physical book to partner with the audiobook for an immersive experience.  

Many thanks to my friends at @librofm and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copy of this audiobook.