I never thought I’d find myself describing a novel about a piece of lung that grows into a monster as beautiful, but that’s what this is.

I never thought I’d wrestle complicated feelings for the aforementioned lung monster, but I did.

Monstrilio is a harrowing tale that probes into the depth of human nature, exemplifying our desire to keep a piece of those we’ve lost alive. But what happens when that desire consumes?
While the story isn’t scary in the traditional sense, it is a haunting examination of grief and human nature.

Grief is, after all, like a monster. It’s a fierce, consuming thing that we nourish through our sorrow. We watch it transform through its stages and maybe we find a way to loosen our grip eventually. But there is no denying that it stays with us for a long time.

Monstrilio is such a unique, boldly imagined tale told through gorgeous, heartbreaking prose. Although I found the first two perspectives more absorbing than the last two, I was mesmerized by the thematic symbolism all the way through. I boisterously applaud this author’s effort.

I am immensely grateful to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

What initially captivated me about Monstrilio was the cover and the title so for the majority, I went into this novel unknowing most of what was to come. As a debut novel, Gerardo Sámano Córdova really put everything they had into this novel and it is seen. The writing is phenomenal and for the audiobook, I pleasantly enjoyed the narrator as well. I am highly anticipating more from this author

I absolutely loved this book. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

This book started out a little scary, and there were a few other blips of horror, but M wound up being my favorite character, and the ending made me sob.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for my review.

Monstrilio has cemented itself as one of my favourite horror books of all time. Córdova expertly explores grief, self-acceptance, love, and coping with pain. All through the eyes of the four main characters. Their collective grief manifests through Monstrilio, a monster born from a piece of Santiago's lung.

We experience how the love and loyalty the characters have for one another are tested and changed by the pain of losing Magos and Joseph's son and the complications of raising Monstrilio. This book reminded me of a modern Frankenstein. A modern gothic horror in which the characters try to love, understand and accept the monster to the best of their abilities.

Monstrilio is a unique, queer, grief-stricken story about a mother who loses her son and tries to recover him with a piece of lung from his corpse. This felt a step above the average magical realism to me (which I do enjoy) because I really appreciated the longevity of Monstrilio’s story. I kind of expected a novel about the immediate aftermath of his mother’s decision, but we’re given a complete portrait of the ways the family (and anyone in their vicinity) is effected for years to come. It also begs the question of what any of us would do in the depths of grief if we thought there was a possibility to bring someone back to life, in any form and at any cost. Overall, highly recommend this one. I’ve never read anything like it!

This book is one of the strangest books I’ve read. I’m not a huge horror person but this felt light enough for me to enjoy. I really love the literary elements as well. I’ll be interested in other books like this and others by this author.

Summary:
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.

My Thoughts: This book will definitely be included in my top reads of the year. The writing in the book was very phenomenal and had me feeling so many emotions, which isn’t always easy when writing horror.

Joseph and Magos lose their beloved son, Santiago. In a fit of grief, Magos cuts open Santiago’s small, sickly body and slices off a piece of his lung. She nurtures and feeds this lung which grows into a monster, Monstrilio, a hairy fanged beast hungry for meat.

Years pass, Monstrilio becomes a young man, who is now called Santiago again. But the monster within still has needs and hungers. Can love and support and trust change the monster into a man?

My goodness. A mesmerizing intoxicating story. This book is why I read horror, gasping, shivery, brain-bending yet believable. Well-written, perfectly paced, tense and passionate. Chapters shift perspectives and we see Monstrilio through Joseph’s emotional eyes, Magos’s selfish eyes and Lena’s eyes, who is the couple’s best friend.

The second half of the book is life seen through the hungry darkness in Monstrilio’s eyes. He sometimes speaks directly to Santiago, his past self with buried memories.

A bloody, gory monstrous love story, filled with grief and despair, love and hope, and the choices we make to try and survive heartbreak.

This book was absolutely everything I wanted it to be! I personally loved the queer representation. The story line was interesting, keeping me engaged and wanted to know what was happening. This is one of my favorite books of the year. I enjoyed the narrators, they did a fantastic job of separating the characters.
I had a great time with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

“A 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...” is a perfect description of this book from Goodreads.

Horror is woven into this beautiful story with a gentle touch and provides themes of grief, love, and loyalty.

I received the audio from NetGalley and the production is just as stunning and I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Gripping Tale of Grief, Desperation, and the Fragility of Second Chances……

Book Information

"Monstrilio" is a novel written by Gerardo Sámano Córdova, a writer and artist from Mexico City. It was published on March 7, 2023, and spans 306 pages. An audio version of the book, narrated by Victoria Villarreal and Johnny Rey Diaz, is 7 Hours and 58 Minutes and is set to be released on June 13. "Monstrilio" serves as Gerardo's debut novel, following his previous works in the form of short stories.

Summary

Magos, a mother overwhelmed with grief, resorts to a drastic and unconventional measure following the death of her son, Santiago. In a desperate bid to cling to a fragment of his existence, she removes a portion of his lung. Driven by maternal instinct and influenced by a folk tale, Magos assumes the role of caregiver to this bit of organ.

The lung segment gradually acquires sentience, transforming into an entity known as Monstrilio. Concealing Monstrilio, Magos nurtures it diligently and in secrecy. As Monstrilio matures, it increasingly bears an uncanny resemblance to Santiago—a poignant reflection of Magos' enduring love for her departed child.

However, beneath Monstrilio's outward resemblance to Santiago lies a primal nature, compelled by carnivorous instincts that jeopardize the fragile second chance at life granted by Magos. The collective support provided by Magos' biological and chosen family partially mitigates Monstrilio's destructive tendencies. Yet, the constant threat of losing control looms ominously.

My Thoughts

"Monstrilio" by Gerardo Sámano Córdova is a beautifully written and deeply powerful narrative that explores themes of grief, family dynamics, and self-discovery. The story begins with a mother's desperate grief over the loss of her child, delving into the different ways people express and interpret grief, which can create divisions within families. Córdova's raw depiction of a family grieving is both poignant and moving.

In addition to the exploration of grief, "Monstrilio" takes readers on a transformative journey with the character M. M starts as a literal monster and gradually transforms into a teenager, navigating issues of sexuality, internal struggles, self-doubt, and the challenge of fitting into a world that feels alien to him. The book delves into GLBTQ relationships across various characters and explores kinks, sometimes non-consensual in nature. Readers who may be uncomfortable with these themes should be aware of their presence, as the book description does not provide insight into their inclusion.

The narrative unfolds through multiple points of view, allowing readers to intimately connect with characters like Magos, the grieving mother; Joseph, the father who struggles to empathize with Magos' loss; Lena, Magos' closest friend; and eventually, M or Monstrilio. These diverse perspectives add depth and provide unique insights into the story.

The audiobook version of "Monstrilio" is skillfully narrated by Victoria Villarreal and Johnny Rey Diaz. Their performances bring the story to life. However, at times, it can be challenging to distinguish between the characters when they are speaking.

While "Monstrilio" is undeniably well written, readers expecting a horror-focused narrative may find themselves disappointed. The book leans more towards literary fiction, with elements of horror used more as a vehicle to explore the human condition, particularly grief, family dynamics, and sexual/kink exploration.

One aspect that may divide readers is the book's resolution or lack thereof. The story concludes in an open-ended manner, leaving many questions unanswered. Readers accustomed to structured story arcs and a definitive resolution may find this aspect less satisfying. I know I fall into that category.

Recommendation

"Monstrilio" by Gerardo Sámano Córdova is a unique and moving story that combines powerful themes with beautiful prose. The exploration of grief, family dynamics, and self-discovery is handled with depth and sensitivity. While the book may not fully align with the expectations of horror enthusiasts, if you are looking for a literary fiction novel that offers a thought-provoking examination of the human experience….this book may be for you.

Rating

3 Monstrous Stars

Monstrilio is a unique work of literary horror that spans the globe from upstate New York to Mexico City and Berlin to NYC. It is a tale of a mothers love and extreme grief at the death of her 11 year old son Sebastian that causes her to do something horrible (from this non-mother’s perspective) that creates a Monstrilio (monster). Told from the perspective of the parents, aunt, and then the monster himself as he tries to grow up and turn human.

The audiobook narrators were excellent.

If you’re a horror fan who likes unique stories that are folk horror tinged then give Monstrilio a try.

Thanks to the publisher, audiobook company, author, and NetGalley for the audiobook copy I received access to in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing from beginning to end. Very eerie, I love the authors writing and now I want to read all they have wrote. Thanks NetGalley!

So beautiful, sad and thought-provoking. Wonderful audio production too, the narrator brought this story to life perfectly. Highly recommended.

This book surprised me. It started off so disturbing, but the characters all grew on me and the situation became empathetic. I appreciated the shift of points of view throughout, allowing us to experience the story from the perspective of the four main characters. The text was well written, the characters fleshed out (ahem), the story engrossing. The end went back to being extremely disturbing and wrapped up well. I love this type of horror novel, with a talented writer, a creepy story, and characters (including the monster) you care about.

The blurb mentions horror but there is nothing to scare off the squeamish here, instead we have a study in grief, family, and finding where one truly belongs. Opening with the death of a son, Monstrilio spans nearly thirty years and three countries to deliver a strange, and truly unfamiliar story. Often very bleak, the book brings us into a family at their lowest and follows them as they raise the creature who was reborn from the lung of the first son.

Well-crafted into 4 separate parts with substantial time jumps in between each, a multitude of narrators bring their own perspectives on a story of love-gained, love-lost, and the way those two things can shape a family. As Monstrilio grows into his own person, a choice must be made; is he a monster, a replacement son, or something in the middle?

this was such a strange and unique story! monstrilio is a story about grief, love and transformation told in four parts from the point of views of magos, joseph, lena and ultimately M. I absolutely loved this as an audiobook, the full cast of narrators really made this an even more interesting listen/read since it feels like you're actually listening to the individual character's telling their story in their own voice.

I went into this book completely blind, with a vague idea of what the plot consisted of (two parents lose their child and have to learn to deal with their grief but from that grief, a strange creature is born) and I honestly think that's the best way to go into this story. throughout the entire story I felt like I was experiencing this alongside the four characters, which also goes to show how Gerardo Sámano Córdova's writing style is lyrical and terrifyingly realistic. monstrilio's journey from starting out as a tiny piece of lung to a fully formed individual with curiosities and a want for connection by learning how to love those around him, to transforming (physically or mentally) into someone who just wants to feel some form of connection. the journey these characters go on is something that feels familiar in the sense that everyone can relate to their story one way or another. overall, this was such a unique read full of emotion and a bit gore but in the end is just another story of people trying to learn what it means to be human.

Narration 4.5/5
Story: 3/5

The narration was pleasant and generally free of overacting or other minor annoyances that sometimes occur in audiobooks, the narrators did a great job and it was obviously a quality production. That being said, I sometimes struggled to remember which character was speaking and it didn't help that I generally didn't care much for 3 out of 4 characters.

My main problem with reviewing this book is that it really wasn't what I expected, I came in expecting horror about grief and what I found was more along the lines of domestic fiction with horror elements and a lot of kink/sex.

The first part of the book was gripping and strong but then it sort of just lost momentum for me until the very end and while I get that "action" wasn't the point of this book I also didn't get too much about the grief and maybe it was just lost on me because of all the stuff about sex.

Ultimately, my conclusion about this book is that it's a good book that just really wasn't for me.

Told in four acts from four perspectives, 'Monstrilio' by Gerardo Sámano Córdova is a lyrically written, (often times) horrific look at love and grief, acceptance and expectation. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook, expertly narrated by Victoria Villarreal and Johnny Rey Diaz.

Margos, gripped by the loss of her young child, and armed with the promise of a folktale, takes a piece of her son, his lung, and tries to bring back the child she has lost. What comes is not her son, but she is moved by love and need to protect this "creature". This is horror, and terrible, disturbing things happen. The creature born of desperation and hope, is monster-like, driven by impulse, despite how human he seems. But it is profoundly moving, thought provoking and philosophical. I found myself aching for each perspective, empathizing with things I recognized and longing to understand, that which was unfamiliar. The family group we follow is complicated, nuanced, each bringing their own inner worlds to the decisions the make and secrets they keep. It was fascinating, and extremely well done. Additionally, the writing is magnificent. Tense, dark, atmospheric it begs that you lean in close.

I would definitely read more from this author. I loved this.

The audiobook experience was amazing and excellently narrated all the way through! The way I wanted to have a copy of the book in my hand to follow along to underline my favorite lines or simply add words like yikes! Or oof! I was very immersed with the writing and the whole plot being about a lung that becomes much more out of grief and the horror that ensues and what that actually entails — this book makes the horror genre so enticing to read more of!!