Review of Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Rating: 5/5

Anita de Monte’s Laughs Last is a stunning and thought-provoking masterpiece that weaves magical realism with an unapologetically feminist narrative, crafting a story that is as empowering as it is enchanting. This novel is a testament to the resilience of women, particularly artists, whose voices and visions challenge societal norms and leave a lasting legacy.

The book’s magical realism is seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of the story, blurring the line between the tangible and the surreal. Anita, a fiercely talented artist of color, navigates a world that often attempts to diminish her creativity and identity. Yet, through the magical lens of the narrative, her art becomes a living, breathing force—an extension of her spirit and an act of rebellion against a world that seeks to contain her. The surreal elements elevate the story, transforming Anita’s journey into a tale of empowerment and reclamation..

Raquel Toro is a first generation art history student. She grew up around art and her hard work and experience gets her into a highly coveted summer internship, and her success gets her close to her friend's brother, Nick. Nick is another thing that is highly coveted within the department, specifically by the "Art History Girls".

Raquel, who always felt like an outsider, now becomes someone that others are aware of. And jealous of, The microaggressions that Raquel faces ramp up, but she finds solace in her new mans. Raquel begins to change her own life to better fit with Nick's, whose own work is seen as superior to hers of course... significantly, Raquel's own relationship begins to mirror that of the 2nd main character of the story: Anita.

Anita is the second voice, and her story runs alongside Raquel's. She lived nearly 15 years earlier and had her own art galley. Anita is/was a passionate woman with interesting work, but as loud and passionate as she is, she simply cannot outshine her husband's work. He wouldn't like that...

There is a painful familiarity in this story that makes it hard to read. The feelings of otherness that is pushed upon Raquel, the way the world convinces her that it makes sense to shrink herself to be "the girlfriend" the same way Anita's husband wanted her to be "the wife", the desperation Raquel feels to find art she can see herself in... it all became too poignant at times and made me too miserable and had to put the book aside.

Yet at the same time there were moments that upset me, maybe the way latino stories have to have this magical realism like all the time, or the way Anita was portrayed, something about it upset me or rubbed the wrong way...Even though she is the titular character her personification felt off and not well fleshed out like Raquel's was. Then, when researching the author I saw there was drama about this being unofficially (as in, no royalties involved) being about a real artist who was allowed to slip to less than a memory...and like, how come you can read this whole book and not know that unless youre googling...

All in all I am still reeling from this discovery honestly (just found out lol), and it feels like a justification to my own weird feelings about this book. As mentioned before, initially I thought it was my reaction to seeing familiar microaggressions happening on page that made me upset with Anita's characterization but now I wonder how much of it has to due with Anita actually being a real person who was written unwillingly into fiction. But at the end of the day it is an important story to be told. Let's say final review is shrug emoticon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I enjoyed my listening experience with this book because the narrator was amazing! However, I’m not sure that the writing style is for me. I felt a bit distracted while listening to this one.

I really struggled with this book. One of my biggest issues is how heavy-handed this story is in its messaging. I would have liked for the author to have a little more faith in the reader to have critical thinking skills. Perhaps this could have meant more showing instead of directly and explicitly telling everything. I found Anita's chapters to be interesting, but also incredibly heartbreaking. This was in-part due to the extremely talented narrator who brought the story to life with her emotional narration. We're told what happens to her pretty early on and honestly I wish this hadn't been the case and that instead even the reader was unaware of the circumstances of everything. I think this could have added more intrigue. I found Raquel's chapters to be slow-moving and her character wasn't especially likable as she felt very passive and incredibly insecure in her relationships and friendships. Overall, I wasn't very fond of the characters themselves and really was only curious about Anita's storyline. The narrators did a great job, but the story itself felt like it was lacking in terms of nuance and development.

Incredible book and audiobook! Recommend to use with high school students in creative writing classes. Interesting to learn about the historical people who influenced characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This story is so complex. It had love, jealousy, art, race relations, murder, and a ghost. It’s fascinating and you will love Anita and Raquel!

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Anita de Monte Laughs Last was an incredible story. I agree that some books are just meant to be listened to and this is 100% true with Anita de Monte. The narrators were electric and really brought this story and the passion of Anita de Monte to life. I loved the dual times lines, the fierce female characters, and the glimpse into the art world. I highly recommend this audio!

A fascinating look at race, gender and class. Anita de Monte, an artist and student at Brown University, is trying to navigate life in a man’s world.

*many thanks to Flatiron and Macmillan audio/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I thought this was extremely interesting and compelling with a fascinating premise and riveting characters. I wish it mentioned the true story it was based off of — it's hard to read reviews and process the story without having that in the forefront of my mind.

This book was unlike any I have read before. I have read other Xochitl Gonzalez books and enjoy the beauty in her words. I would recommend this to others who enjoy an edgy read but one that may have events that are not for all. I really enjoyed the audiobook and the cast of narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted audiobook copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Anita De Monte Laughs Last". The story is multi-layered with the intersections of race, gender, and class. Anita's righteous fury comes alive as she no longer refuses to make her small to appease her narcissistic husband. While I would have loved a more linear unveiling of her tragic death, I was captivated by her re-awakening. I really appreciated that the author didn't focus on Anita's death, but kept her alive through her art and contributions.

I found much in common with Raquel's coming into adulthood story line as she tries to navigate white spaces. She provided a nice foil to Anita's character. She too goes on a journey of self discovery though she does question about her complicity in following white standards. I rejoiced when she finally gave up on her manipulative and needy boyfriend Nick and struck out on her own.

I chose this title with my book club and the participates enjoyed it. There is a lot to unpack in this novel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the ALC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the narration of the audiobook. However I was not aware of the controversy around this book when I read it. The narrators did an excellent job bringing this story to life and the writing was beautiful. I found the plot incredibly interesting and could not stop listening to the book. Despite how much I enjoyed this, it puts a sour taste in my mouth when I look back and think about Ana Mendieta and how her family was not consulted.

This was a really unique and meaningful book! I am not much involved in the art world but that didn’t stop my enjoyment.

This nonlinear book follows Anita de Monte, an artist forgotten over time due to her husband over shadowing her, and Raquel, a student at Brown University trying to navigate a world designed for white men. There are a lot of parallels between the two women. Though their stories happen over 10 years apart, Raquel experiences the same struggles Anita did. Egos, racism, and fragile fragile men.

Overall I liked the message this book conveys, but I did struggle to get through it. It wasn’t necessarily boring, maybe just too sad and frustrating for most of the book. It was maybe more that I dreaded picking this up again to what new fresh hell these women would go through. But I’m happy I stuck with it!

Overall I would rate this as ok. Good story but at times failed to captivate me.

ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST is as vibrant on the inside as it is on the outside. It is a literary thriller with critique of the art world and also the story of a toxic love affair. It is filled with characters so real I wondered if I’d pass them on the street on our evening walks. It is an explosion of passion and fire.

I most loved the parts that zoomed in on art and storytelling; the exploration of which stories/art are shared in the history books and celebrated in classrooms versus which are left forgotten is timely and captivating.

There were also pieces that didn’t work for me. Sections that felt too long, others that felt too far out of the realm of possibility, and still others that felt unnecessary to the storyline.

All in all, ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST is a read that balances fun with dark and propulsive with nuanced.

Lastly, the audio is truly excellent and transporting. Highly recommend going that route.

Have you read ANITA DE MONTE? Is it on your list? Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan audio for my copy!

I loved every minute of this book—especially listening to it via the audiobook. Gonzalez tells a beautiful and creative tale based on Ana Mendieta, bringing you inside of what her life must have been like and the story of a young artist following in her footsteps. I loved the various perspectives—and the supernatural aspects—that taught me so much about art, heart, and carrying on a legacy.

I did not finish the book, I listened to it till about 62% mark. Truly sorry, I just couldn’t get into it.

“Anita de Monte Laughs Last”
by Xochitl Gonzalez
Audiobook review

Anita de Monte was a fast up and coming Cuban painter in the past who was married to a well known
artist until her suspicious death. In the future Raquel, comes across Anita’s art and story. She starts to see herself in the life of the artist from her background to her pick of controlling partners. I loved this story of
female empowerment, love, power dynamics, and art. The magical realism is done so well in this story and was a big part of what brought me in. Anita and Raquel’s voices are narrated wonderfully by talented audio narrators. I felt Anita’s rage and Raquel’s yearning. I truly loved this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and
for the advance listen.

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Xochitl Gonzalez did it again with Anita de Monte Laughs Last - I loved this clever, thoughtful, and powerful story about two women learning about their place in the world and how to find their power. I typically don’t gravitate to historical fiction but I loved Anita’s story and the way that it was connected with Raquel’s present day flowed really well. I thought the ending was interesting and overall the story was dynamic. Great read for book clubs since there is a lot to discuss! The narration was excellent as well,

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I gave this a 2 stars. I couldn’t really hold my attention to what was going on, it was boring to me.

"Anita de Monte Laughs Last" by Xochitl Gonzalez is a witty and sharp novel that navigates the complexities of identity and ambition with humor and depth. Gonzalez's writing style is engaging, and her characters are vividly drawn, making for an enjoyable read. However, the pacing occasionally feels uneven, and some plot points may feel rushed. Overall, it's a compelling exploration of cultural expectations and the pursuit of success in contemporary society.