A Sunny Place for Shady People

by Mariana Enriquez
A Sunny Place for Shady People cover
Good Books rating 4.23
Short Story Collections
Technical:
  • ID: 1007
  • Added: 2025-09-24
  • Updated: 2025-10-11
  • ISBN: 9780593733271
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2025-09-09
  • Formats: 42
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £9.99–£14.99

Mariana Enriquez's A Sunny Place for Shady People is a diabolical collection of stories that intertwine the lives of achingly human characters with ghosts, goblins, and the macabre. Set against the backdrop of Argentina, these tales feature a neighborhood haunted by ghosts, a family whose faces melt away, and a riverbank populated by birds that were once women. The stories illuminate the shadows of everyday life, where the line between good and evil blurs. Translated by Megan McDowell, this collection showcases Enriquez's unique blend of the literary and the horrific, earning praise from literary giants like Kazuo Ishiguro. Each story is lyrical and hypnotic, heart-stopping and deeply moving, leaving readers shaken and enthralled.

Reviews
The Guardian · 2024-09-26
Intriguing 4.00

The story is a neon-lit noir that feels fresh and unique. It presents a haunting that is both familiar and unsettling, with a twist that makes it stand out.

The reviewer was captivated by the neon-lit noir atmosphere of the story, which they found refreshingly unique. They appreciated how the haunting elements were both familiar and unsettling, creating a sense of dread that is heightened by a surprising twist. The reviewer also highlighted the author's skill in blending horror with a sense of familiarity, making the supernatural feel almost tangible.

Quick quotes

    The story is a neon-lit noir that feels like something fresh from Enríquez.

    Rather than simply presenting a new variation on the haunting, Enríquez offers a twist that makes it stand out.

    The horror is never gratuitous; it drops a supernatural lens over our actual monsters.

California Reading · 2024-09-20
Powerful 4.50

Every story in this collection is powerful and showcases Enríquez's mastery of horror. The stories are vividly drawn and deeply unsettling.

The reviewer was impressed by the power of each story in the collection, noting that Enríquez's mastery of horror is evident throughout. They found the characters vividly drawn and the atmosphere deeply unsettling, making for a compelling read. The reviewer also appreciated the way Enríquez blends the supernatural with real-world issues, creating a haunting and thought-provoking experience.

Quick quotes

    Every story in this collection is powerful in its own right.

    Enríquez is just an absolute master of horror.

    Her stories are vividly drawn, and the atmosphere is deeply unsettling.

The New York Times · 2024-09-13
Thought-provoking 4.20

The horror in Enríquez's work is never gratuitous and serves to highlight real-world issues like misogyny and corruption. The stories are haunting and thought-provoking.

The reviewer was struck by how Enríquez uses horror to shed light on real-world issues such as misogyny, dictators, corruption, and cruelty. They found the stories haunting and thought-provoking, with a supernatural lens that enhances the impact of the social commentary. The reviewer also appreciated the depth of the characters and the vividness of the settings, making the collection a compelling read.

Quick quotes

    The horror in Enríquez's work is never gratuitous.

    It drops a supernatural lens over our actual monsters: misogyny, dictators, corruption, cruelty, and sexual violence.

    The stories are haunting and thought-provoking.

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