While reading this book, I kept thinking, "Wow, this is really good," which is rare for me. Usually, I find some flaw, or the quality of the writing is good, but the story is boring, or the story is awesome, but the writing is mediocre. But this book impressed me. 
 I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, and I was only kind of excited to read it. I'm wary of translated books, and don't usually seek out short story collections. But I was in the mood for short snippets rather than a long novel, so I gave this book a try. 
 And I was surprised. I wasn't expecting to be drawn so deeply into each story. The stories start out fairly normal or with a slightly intriguing element, but then they progress into the uncanny, the macabre, the grotesque, the horrific. None of the stories give an explanation for the madness or the supernatural elements within, which initially frustrated me, but I came to accept it as a the-unknown-is-scarier-than-the-known ploy, and I now think that the stories are stronger for it. 
 The writing is simple and not flowery, and it doesn't get in the way of the stories, but supports them. Enriquez's strength is in her characterizations, her settings, her psychological manipulations, and the sharp, exact images she evokes. 
 I enjoyed the Argentinian setting because I don't think I've read any books set there before (but after reading some of these stories, I am more hesitant to visit now). I liked the different culture and perspectives presented, though, and I'm grateful for the chance to get out of reading books set in English-speaking countries or with English-speaking protagonists. 
 My one gripe is that some of the stories get too gory. I think I can handle some gore, but when you're reading about a cat dying in an agonizing way, it becomes too much. When Enriquez delves too far into the gory and grotesque, I think her stories become less accessible (I have friends I wouldn't recommend this book to because I think they'd be too sensitive to it), which is a shame because her other stories are so wonderful. I've read comparisons between Enriquez's work and that of Shirley Jackson's, and I would say that the two are comparable when Enriquez doesn't get too graphic. 
 I'd recommend this book for a chilling, scary read any time of the year, but especially for Halloween. I'm interested in reading more of Mariana Enriquez's work in the future, and I hope that what she produces next will be translated and published in the U.S. as well.