Monstrilio
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / General
4
Gerardo Sámano Córdova
"Heartfelt, bizarre, and unexpected. . . . At once a novel about family and love, a creepy tale that questions what it means to be human, and a celebration of queer stories, Monstrilio is as shocking as it is profound, and as humorous as it is thoughtful." --Gabino Iglesias, The Boston Globe A "wholly unique" and "uncompromising" literary horror debut about a boy who transforms into a monster, a monster who tries to be a man, and the people who love him in every form he takes (Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes) Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago's lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family's decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses--though curbed by his biological and chosen family's communal care--threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life. A thought-provoking meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty, Gerardo Sámano Córdova blends bold imagination and evocative prose with deep emotional rigor. Told in four acts that span the globe from Brooklyn to Berlin, Monstrilio offers, with uncanny clarity, a cathartic and precise portrait of being human.
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Author
Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Pages
336
Publisher
Zando
Published Date
2023
ISBN
1638930368 9781638930365
Community ReviewsSee all
"I’ve not read a book like this one before, there is so much heart in this story that is still completely a horror story, especially toward the monster of the book. "
C
CaitVD
"I thought it would be more of a thriller but more of a family coming together through struggle and loss. The ending was sudden."
Ashley Moya
"Was everyone gay besides the tarantula?"
Jose Raya
"Monstrilio is a story of grief and how people grief. We meet Magos and Joseph as their 11 year old son Santiago, born with just one lung, passes away. Joseph falls into a deep depression, but Magos doesn't grieve the same way. <br/><br/>She remembers a folk tale told to her about a person who cuts out a piece of a loved one and it grows into a person. She takes a piece of Santiago's lung and feeds it, not expecting it to work. However, the piece of lung starts to grow, but instead of growing into a copy of her son, it becomes a monster. What happens from here on is a story of love and acceptance. <br/><br/>First off, this isn't a horror novel, like I was expecting. This is literary fiction that contains horror plot devices. Once I got past that, I found the story to be enjoyable. It's told in 4 parts, which come from the POVs of each parent, the parents best friend, Lena, and from the monster itself, now known as M. <br/><br/>The pacing can be slow, and at times feels like it's wondering. I feel like you get a good idea of the characters and who they are. The narrators did a great job of portraying emotions and tension, but sometimes they used the same voice for more than one character. The second part of the book focuses a great deal on sex and kink. This is not in the synopsis, so be aware if that's not your jam. Based on other reviews, I think some missed the point of why kink is used in this story. It's more of a device to advance the plot. It also has good LGBTQIA+ representation. <br/><br/>My thanks to HighBridge Audio, author Gerardo Sámano Cordova, and NetGalley for gifting me this audiobook. My opinions are my own."
C H
Chris Hicks
