I saw this book all over the place when it first came out. It was buzzing for all the reasons, both right and wrong. I saw enough opposing reviews to be intrigued. When I saw it on my library shelf, I marvelled at the size of the book. It was so thin that I picked it up immediately and sat down to read it (once I got home, obviously).
A slim volume is usually surprising in its content, and this was no exception. It begins with a restless young woman testing the limits to which her father would let her lead her own life (the way she wants to). She is summoned abruptly and informed that she is to go to her cousin’s aid and figure out the latter’s situation.
Our lead protagonist, Noemí, is a hard character to fully like. She is very sure of herself for the most part and more than a little headstrong. She is of a more ‘modern’ generation than the others around her and this adds to her issues with them all.
The atmosphere of the book throughout is pretty dark and absorbing; it was good enough that I actually enjoyed my read despite feeling let down by the ending. I think that horror stories, in general, might have a hard time wrapping up in a way to satisfy every reader. In this case, I was dissatisfied and annoyed by the turn of events. It seemed logical but not something I liked as a foundation for the entire narrative.
I would not have rated the book the way I did if I had not found the book’s first part engrossing. I would not recommend it to anyone I know, and most others who read such books have probably given this a shot already. I would read another book by the author, though.
Superfluous Reading 