Xochitl Gonzalez does it again! I absolutely adored this story and the self discovery of younger MC and her value. Upon completion I imagined Anita de Monte laughing like the narrator at the end of Thriller with her head cocked back. Enjoyed as an audiobook and I loved the narrator.

Audiobook Review

Narration: This book had 2 narrators, one for each of our female heroines, and both fit their counterparts like gloves. Anita's voice was passionate, boisterous, commanding just like I'd imagine Anita to sound like. And Raquel's voice was more even tempered, suitable to a college student who's independent but still a bit uncertain. Both narrators captured the essence of their characters with their voices alone which was incredibly impressive.

Back in the 80s, Anita De Monte is an up & coming artist, very much on the rise. But her famous artist husband Jack is a jealous man & makes it a point to keep Anita in his shadow. Anita's art reflects nature and her Cuban roots, the complete opposite of her husband's clean cut shapes and smooth lines. She's tired of being quieted, tired of excusing his affairs, so she starts to "act out" at gallery parties, in ways she knows will anger her husband. Their relationship gets progressively worse until it all comes to a head...

Interwoven between chapters is the present day story of Raquel, an art major working on her college thesis about Jack. Raquel is very much aware of her minority status both in terms of her culture & femininity. But when she meets an older art student who's part of the elite circles she falls fast. Soon she finds herself wearing the dresses he chooses for her, styling her hair the way that he likes, feeling the need to earn his love, prove her worth. When Raquel finds out about the fatal incident between Jack & Anita her world is shook. Because how could nobody speak about it?? How could she not have known all this time? Can Raquel pivot her thesis & gain the confidence to pivot her relationship as well?

The way the author juxtaposed & paralleled the two stories was smartly done, very well thought out. Though there were many facets of their stories that mirrored each other, Raquel was more level headed than Anita which enabled her a better outcome. While the other worldly elements were a little strange they worked for the story and brought things full circle, Anita helping to steer Raquel away from making the same mistakes. I think the audio narration definitely enhanced the read for me. While it wasn't my usual cup of tea I could appreciate what the author was doing here and was impressed with the way she accomplished it.

Anita de Monte Laughs Last is the perfect book for anyone in the art world, especially women who may feel they don’t belong.

I was not obsessed with this book, but I did immensely enjoy it. I found myself wondering what may happen next when I wasn’t reading. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect and all the different POVs. The audio narration was spectacular. Jack’s POV was so well done that, at times, I found myself actually believing what he was saying. Anita and her art felt real; I found myself wanting to Google the art pieces mentioned.

Good for fans of Yellowface, feminine rage, and dual timelines.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I unfortunately couldn’t get into this book. I liked the premise but just didn’t connect with the dual, time-hop point of view. I did enjoy the strong female characters.

I may be in the minority, but I hate surprises. I'm the girl who shakes the presents under the Christmas tree. The thought of a surprise party gives me literal hives. I read the blurb and listen to podcast summaries and read the reviews. That's not to say I don't like twists. That's different - at least in the weird wiring of my own brain.

In terms of books and publishing and marketing, I like to know whether the book I'm reading has elements of magical realism or fantasy or the paranormal. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that; sometimes I'm not. It's sets my expectations. This book has those elements. None of the reviews I read nor the blurb nor the genre listings mention this. I think it would have helped me set expectations for the book.

That being said, I did really enjoy this book! It is told in a dual timeline - Anita de Monte in the mid to late 80s and Raquel in the late 90s. We also get a few chapters from Anita's toxic husband Jack Martin which added an interesting element to the story.

I enjoyed the parallel between the two women's lives and the theme of how easy it is to fall into toxic relationships and how hard it is to get out. I did find Raquel to be a bit too naive and almost purposefully obtuse. I'd love to see her a have a bit more agency earlier in the book. Anita's anger and frustration really comes through on the audiobook version. I loved the passion the narrator brought to her character.

The supernatural aspect is explained in a brief mention of Santeria without much explanation or justification. In that case I found it a bit of a plot device instead of totally "believable." It didn't bother me as much, though, because of the spiritual aspect, Anita's fiery spirit, and the tradition of magical realism in Latinx writing.

I also expected Raquel to "discover" Anita and her work much earlier in the book because of the blurb (one of the downsides to reading the blub first - maybe I should try not reading blurbs and then I'd have no expectations? - Aaannndd, now I have hives - but I digress). She doesn't really discover her until well past the half way point.

As the title suggests, there is a hopeful ending for Anita although the antagonists get off way too easy in my opinion, which is part of the point of the book actually. Anita is a complex and flawed and not entirely innocent character, but I found myself rooting for her immensely throughout the story.

Four stars because of the surprise and a bit over the top magical elements and the fact that I had to suspend a lot of disbelief that a naive grad student who literally just heard of both artists was the one to discover the connection between them (not a spoiler since the blurb says as much).

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for allowing me to review an ARC of the audiobook for this book. I definitely recommend the audio. The narrators were fantastic.

A compelling story that explores power dynamics in love, family and art. I loved Olga Dies Dreaming and found this story just as entertaining and rich in its mix of over the top drama and deeply emotional situations.

this book is searing and infuriating. witnessing its characters as they struggle through the racism, bigotry, and inequality of the art world is a call to action in and of itself.

it was a strange feeling to read this in its entirety with ana mendieta fresh on my mind. her spouse and murderer, carl andre, on whose crime this book's inciting event is based, just died. ana mendieta was a promising artist whose feminist and striking works were just beginning to draw international attention, as her controversial husband's minimalism faded into the background, when he pushed her out the window to her death.

if you've read the synopsis of this book, that story will sound very familiar — but beyond the eye roll inducing similarities to the title, you might not know ana mendieta's name. it isn't in this book.

i read an arc and maybe that will change, but how strange to let her story be forgotten, a fictionalized rendition taking its place. i wonder if this book forgot its own argument? regardless, i'm left feeling that this story was taken advantage of and warped, a guilty and manipulative feeling as if i'd read a volume of true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for access to this work prior to its publication date.

Anita de Monte was the a unique Latina artist, married to an influential white male artist. It seemed like her life was perfect, until you learn that her husband is deeply insecure and it hampers her career. She is brutally murdered and then her work seems to disappear. Raquel Toro is a graduate student at an Icy League school majoring in art history. A Latina from a working class family, she is constantly trying to navigate etiquette with her white peers and professors, while fostering friends with other POCs at a local campus radio station. When it is time for her to work on a final thesis, she choses to study a white artist that her faculty advisor would approve of, until the project takes unexpected turns that lead Raquel closer to herself.

This is the second work I've read by Xochitl Gonzalez, and I am truly a fan of her work. This is a departure from "Olga Dies Dreaming", as Gonzalez blends the spirit world with racism, sexism and elitism to create a relatable story about belonging, art and the strength of feminine energy and ambition. This is one of the best reads of 2024!

This one was difficult for me to get into, but overall really liked it. Xochitl Gonzalez has a wonderful way of telling a story through multiple POV's.

First of all, this was the BEST performed audiobook I have heard in a long time and is already claiming a spot in my top audiobooks of the year. It was so compelling and emotional.

I loved this follow up to Olga Dies Dreaming. Again, Gonzalez has created characters with depth that I wanted to spend more time with. A book that switches perspectives has to be done in such a way that you don't want to rush through one character's perspective to get to the other's. Both Anita and Raquel's chapters completely drew me in.

While I love the way it all came together in the end and there were small threads throughout, I did expect the full connection between the characters and timelines to be revealed much sooner. While Anita was a promising artist in the '80s and Raquel is an art student in the '90s, it felt like two mostly separate stories or books a lot of the time. But I liked both stories. And I appreciated the parallels between Raquel and Anita. The conclusion was satisfying.

Side note: I absolutely loved all of the '90s music references!

4.5 stars, rounded up for the audiobook!

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez is amazing on audiobook, the narrators give a performance, life to amazing, big bold characters. I highly recommend listening to this if you are thinking about reading it, the narration is excellent. A top audiobook performance for me.

The story too is a so mesmerizing, a blend of feminine rage (here for that) and the art world and issues with representation of underrepresented voices in art. I loved the examination of Latinx themes in the art world and also within academia and how very real Anita's voice felt and how Gonzalez also gave full life to Raquel. The dual timeline worked well for me (and I am picky about dual timelines and multiple POVs) as the stories were nicely woven together, each timeline and voice felt fully developed ,and the nuanced notes of mystery, identity, romance, and dashes of magical realism made this a truly engaging read.

This would make for an excellent book club pick as there is a lot to talk about and a lot of themes to dive into. I hope a lot of you take on the audiobook.... the performance reminds me that we need real voices, actors, performing books, not just reading them.

4.75/5 (rounded up)

The narration gave me more sense of the characters. I had went into it I expecting a very different story but I was surprised. I had not anticipated the 3 p.o.v.s or the commentary. Through reading this I learned of the real artist Ana Mendieta.

I do think the book was a little bit longer than it needed to be, but that being said it was an enjoyable read with elements I had not anticipated.

Recommend to:
-Those that enjoy feminine rage.
-Supernatural elements.
-Multiple timelines and P.O.V.s

I really enjoyed Xochitl Gonzalez’s first book, Olga Dies Dreaming, and I’m so happy to say that there’s no sophomore slump here! I just loved Anita de Monte Laughs Last! It’s full of catnip for me: 90s nostalgia, art, and well-drawn characters that I want to root for.

Anita de Monte is an up and coming artist in a bad marriage with a famous artist husband. She dies tragically and is nearly instantly forgotten – until, 13 years later, Brown University art history student Racquel learns about her story.

This book is told in two timelines, alternating between Anita’s story and Racquel’s story. Both women are bright, talented Latinas fighting against worlds of privilege that exclude and underestimate them. Gonzales drew parallels between the two women without making them seem too similar. They both faced difficult systems and people that were prejudiced against their race, gender, and class, but their experiences were different and the women were very different.

I loved so much about this book. It felt like a big swing to me, with two fully fleshed out timelines with different sets of characters, different perspectives, some mystery, some romance, and even a little magical realism thrown in. And Gonzalez pulled it off! I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I listened to this book on audio, and highly recommend it. It has multiple narrators, and all are fantastic.

An absolutely stunning sophomore novel. We follow Raquel, an art student at an Ivy League school, as she enters into a relationship with an older art student and explores her identity. In an earlier timeline, we also follow Anita de Monte, a Cuban artist.

The author spices the two timelines to emphasize the connections between the women. This work covers so much— from the discussion of how BIPOC artists and students are marginalized by schools/a cannon that upholds white male supremacy. It also explores toxic relationships with deftness and nuance.

What a terrific work to listen to via audio! The narrators all did a great job of delivering each POV.

As a Cuban American with a Peter Pan program connection, I love hearing others stories that connect me to my dad. Despite being fiction, Xochitl Gonzalez's narrative felt like a personal journey, seamlessly educating me about Ana Mendieta. Truly captivating!


Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ALC!

I absolutely loved this story questioning who gets to be remembered in art. The audiobook is phenomenal—especially Anita’s narrative is full of life, chaos, and sarcasm. I enjoyed this book so much and would recommend it to everyone.

For fans of YELLOWFACE, THE TREES, DISORIENTATION, don’t miss this phenomenal story!

I loved the characters in this story and the parallels between Raquel and Anita. I loved seeing the women find their power. It was hard to see Raquel and Nick's relationship with the constant ways she was being belittled up until a pretty dramatic scene that brought me to tears. I loved the narrator who voiced Anita - she really embodied the passion of her character. I loved the idea that art contains part of the literal essence of the artist and that by connecting with art we help to breath life into the artist. This book calls out the marginalization of especially women of color in the art world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook for review.

Gonzalez won me over with her layered and multifaceted debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, so naturally I couldn’t pass this one up. I was provided the opportunity to read this in audiobook format, and it was absolutely brilliant. It was narrated by three narrators, Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez, and they all did a wonderful job with breathing life into the characters and their story.

In many ways, this is a more simple story than her debut, but the way in which it is told displays her mastery in a completely different way. The stories of Anita and Raquel are told in dual timelines; that of Anita’s in 1985 and Raquel’s in 1998, yet they echo each other. Both Anita and Raquel are Latina women maneuvering in the predominantly white, upper-class circles of the art world, an arena that is largely new to them. And while Anita made choices that had me wondering what the heck she was thinking, the parallels in Raquel’s timeline told me exactly what was going on in her head as she made the same choices.

However similar their life choices are, there are differences between them. Anita has a loud, brash, and often over-the-top personality, while Raquel tends to behave in a more meek and passive fashion, facing a lot of internal resistance to speaking up that Anita doesn’t seem to have. I especially loved the narrator’s presentation of Anita, and how she wasn’t afraid to sound borderline unhinged at times. I enjoyed the marked difference in their characters,

There’s one other perspective that we get in this story, and that was a bold move on the part of Gonzalez. She offers us a few chapters through the eyes of Jack, the wealthy, white husband of Anita, and delivers a spot-on rendering of his character. His character is echoed in that of Raquel’s white advisor, who subtly guides Raquel’s choices through a combination of praise when she makes the “right” choice, overt disapproval when she makes a choice he doesn’t agree with, microaggressions, and leading statements.

And while the death of Anita de Monte is known from the start of the novel, there are some questions surrounding her death, and why her name has been basically erased from the art world. When Raquel stumbles across this, she can’t help but become intrigued. Ana’s story is fixed, but as we learn more about the distant past, we also get to watch Raquel grow and change, discovering who she is and who she wants to be, among the socioeconomic elites of the art world, where people like her are few and far between. The pacing is solid and steady and the plot was an interesting one, but the real attraction of this book for me was the characters—how full and rich their personalities were, the way that they interacted with each other, and the parallels that were revealed between these two very different women, one a Cuban-American artist who is a rising star in the art world, and the other a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent studying art history, navigating art, love, racism, and classism. This is a solid follow up to Gonzalez’s debut, and it has cemented her place as an author I really enjoy.

This was fun! I love the author's first novel and I think this one is just as good. I love the two povs, and the narration was amazing.

This audiobook was such a treat. Going into it I expecting a very different story than what I got.. but I was really pleasantly surprised. The three perspectives given in the book, Anita, Raquel and sometimes Jack, were all so distinct and powerful in their own characterizations. The story of women in toxic relationships, Latina scholars and artists fighting the systems and people that try to keep them in a box, and the unexpected connections between Anita and Raquel were all so good! And there are twists that I did not see coming and still think are so unique to this story.
I do think the book was a little bit longer than it needed to be, but even so I really enjoyed every minute and found myself on the edge of my seat during both timelines.
Fans of Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou should pick this one up!
Thank you Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for a chance to listen to the ARC.