Anita de Monte is such a badass. I loved this story of how she got revenge on her husband after he did her dirty. There were so many twists and turns of how this happened, that I couldn’t stop listening because I needed to know what Anita did next!

This book was a unique look into the dark side of the art world and how it can pull people together but also lead them to behave in questionable ways. It gives us a look at the privilege, exclusivity, and eliteness of working or going to school as an artist. I loved the dual timelines and guessing how Anita and Raquel’s stories would merge, as well as the statement that was made about how little acceptance there is for Hispanic women in the art field.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC of Anita de Monte Laughs Last. I absolutely loved Xochitl Gonzalez's debut (Olga Dies Dreaming), so I had high hopes for her next novel, and just when I thought it wasn't possible, I loved this one even more. A fantastic novel with such rich and vibrant characters, the added twist of magical realism, and a raw exploration of race and class. I also loved experiencing it as an audiobook, and all three narrators added their own magic to the experience. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a book that not only lets you escape but also explore and think through so many different perspectives.

Anita de Monte was beginning to set the art world on fire when she died tragically. Her famous husband, Jack Martin, a celebrated artist has always been contemptuous (and jealous) of Anita’s art. Now that she’s dead, he’s going to bury her reputation and art with her. But, as we all know, some things don’t stay buried, especially when there’s a determined and intelligent young art student, Raquel Toro, many years later who learns about Anita. Unfortunately, Raquel is in the midst of a relationship that is similar to Anita’s with Jack. Nick, a graduating art student from a wealthy family, tries to control Raquel and make her feel bad about herself and her background. Will her path end as badly as Anita’s?

I have discovered lately that there is a lot of heartbreak in powerful stories. In Anita de Monte, Xóchitl González has created a character who is larger than life with great passions, ambitions, and determination. Anita even proves that she’s larger than life by persisting after death. Jessica Pimentel narrated Anita’s sections with vibrancy and drama, bringing Anita hugely to life, making her utterly unforgettable. And making Anita’s heartbreak unforgettable–the heartbreak of losing her life and losing her art far too soon. There is heartbreak in the way Anita is treated by Jack. How he cheats on her, mocks her art, tries and fails to make her seem small.

Thirteen years later, it seems little has changed. Raquel’s study of art history shows a world of male influence, first world male influence. After she learns about Anita, Raquel wonders why in all of the class lectures about Jack Martin that Anita was never mentioned; that the accusations of his having murdered her had never been mentioned. Stacy Gonzalez does an amazing job of narrating Raquel’s sections, interjecting hope and despair and anger and hurt and delight equally. Perhaps Raquel does not exude the passion of Anita (who could, really?), but she simmers and boils in her own more moderated fashion.

As well as creating memorable characters, Xóchitl González’ writing is beautiful. Some of it is very poetic and evocative. Some vibrates with passion. Details create a palpable environment.

It was difficult to take breaks from listening to Anita de Monte Laughs Last because I really wanted to know what was going to happen to these characters that I had grown fond of. I really wanted to know if Anita de Monte was really going to laugh last. All in all, an extremely satisfying read.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for sending me a copy.

This is the first novel I have read (actually listened to) by Gonzalez. I don’t typically like magical realism, but I have to say the author did and exceptional job weaving the story of Anita de Monte, Raquel and Jack often dealing with some deep topics.
The narration was by only criticism, not really a fan. The story itself was well written and extremely enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC.

Olga Dies Dreaming left such an impression on me when I read it that Xochitl Gonzalez became an auto-buy author for me from that one book. As a Latinx, it’s incredibly important for me to find Latinx authors who accurately and proudly create fictional characters I can identify with. Gonzalez nailed it with Olga and also nails it with Anita and Raquel. She just creates the most perfect infallible characters who make you want to pull your hair out sometimes but you root for them all the way through. Themes of identity is definitely something this author excels at.

Macmillan Audio graciously bestowed me with an alc so this review is specifically for the audiobook. I love when a book has multiple narrators. It immediately makes it more engaging and easy to follow. This one was an interesting experience. The narration was almost theatrical, with each narrator, especially Anita’s, providing a dramatized reading. It took me a couple chapters to adjust, since I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that. But you know what? I really enjoyed it! It made for such an emotional listen and I really felt everything that Gonzalez was trying to convey. I would gladly listen to each of these narrators again, especially the narrator for Raquel.

Overall, highly recommend the audiobook if you have your eye on this one! It was an exciting and engaging listen for sure.

Ah I loved this book!! I keep trying to compare it to Olga Dies Dreaming but they are two different stories. In “Olga Dies Dreaming,” it felt like there was a lot going on with the story and at times I couldn’t get into it.

With “Anita De Monte Laughs Last” I wanted to keep reading and know what came next. I enjoyed the two women’s stories and getting to know them individually. While their love stories seemed parallel to each other, their personalities were different but they each faced racism and classism in the art world. I loved Raquel’s ending, her being able to find herself after Nick was amazing to read.

I listened to this book and would recommend the audio book because you get 3 different narrators who each did an amazing job with their respective character.

As a latina in academia this book was hard to read. There were so many things I heard as a PhD student like "you should be known by your research, not by your identity" and more. So I want to start by saying this is a great book, but if you are a latina in academia, you might get a bit anxious reading this.

The story is told from two view points Anita de Monte and Raquel. Raquel is an undergraduate student in the 98 while Anita was an artist in the 80s. Anita de Monte's career is taking off when she dies an 'untimely death'. Her chapters then explore her career, the influence of her husband in her life and how her own art influenced her husband's work. Meanwhile in 98 Raquel is trying to find a topic for her thesis and discovers the work of Anita de Monte... from there lots of things happen!

The story also deals with how women of color are fetishized by white men who feel like a white savior. Both Raquel and Anita have to deal with insecure men trying to control their work, their looks, and how they behave.

I received an audiobook of this book and as many other reviewers have pointed out the narrator for Anita de Monte is not good. She makes a lot of choices in terms of interpreting that should be left to reader (or listener in this case). At some points I had to lower the volume because she was screaming. So, I don't recommend the audiobook version.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

My internal dialogue as of late sounds like the narration of Anita… I’M OBSESSED! Like speechless… first off I’ll need a gorgeous copy to put next to Olga on my shelf but if you get the chance I highly recommend the audio! The characters really came to life…

Bits…
1980s/1990s
NYC
The Art World
Enough said… those bits 🔥

Add in the characters… Anita De Monte, young beautiful Cuban American artist in NYC 1980s with her career set to take off until she is found dead. Jump ahead to the 1990s Raquel a third year art history student preparing her final thesis. You start to see commonalities between these two characters. Going back in forth between the two women as well as a bit from Jack… Anita’s husband. It is fast paced. The talk of power/adoration and who has it and how should we separate the art from the artist… had me thinking this would pair well with Mosters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer.

Such a good read… I’m off to reread Olga Dies Dreaming now!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Flatiron books for the ALC
Releases 3/5

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Xochitl Gonzalez has broken the five-star scale, no, shattered it to pieces with "Anita de Monte Laughs Last." This book is perfect; a whopping 10 million stars. The narrator? Pure brilliance. The audio version? A solid 20/10.

From the get-go, I was enthralled – infuriated, moved, and utterly captivated. The parallels between Raquel and Anita are like a literary dance, echoing the power of women in the world. Olga Dies Dreaming was one of my top reads of 2022. I was blown away by the sheer volume of themes Gonzalez could capture so skillfully in one novel
"Anita de Monte Laughs Last" is no different. The exploration of power, love, opportunity, feminism, and art is nothing short of extraordinary. Also, the supernatural in this....this story was woven by a literary GODDESS. I HIGHLY recommend this to fans of last year's hit "Yellowface", all the Dark Academia girlies, and literary queens.

I'm almost mad that I got my hands on this gem four months early because I'm dying to scream at everyone, "READ THIS RIGHT NOW." Xochitl Gonzalez is getting a shrine on my bookcase. "Anita de Monte Laughs at Last" is an absolute must-read for all people ever.

3.5 stars

Told through alternating POVs, set during two different times, this story is about two Latina women involved in the art world. The themes of this book include the struggles that Latina women experience navigating the world, especially as creatives in a white-male dominated industry. While I loved Olga Dies Dreaming, this one was not quite as good. I still thought some of the themes and plot points were important and interesting, but this was not as memorable of a story to me. The supernatural part was also an unexpected choice, and I am not sure how I feel about it. At times, I think it worked, but at others I found it a bit odd. As with other reviewers, I also wonder if the narration negatively impacted my experience, as it was a little over the top at times... maybe this is one to read instead.

I can’t even begin to say how much I love this book. Rising Cuban American artist Anita de Monte dies in 1985 (not a spoiler—it is discussed from the very first chapter) and her art quickly fades from the public eye. Her story is intertwined with that of Raquel, a young Puerto Rican American woman attending college at Brown University and studying art history in 1998. Both women struggle to find their way in a world of money and privilege. As she did in her debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, Gonzales writes with humor, insight, and great love for her characters.

Xochitl Gonzales spins a seductive dual time line and POV tale centering around the competitive and incestuous contemporary art scene.

We open to upcoming Cuban artist Anita de Monte narrating her own murder. Her husband is a wildly successful, socially connected artist and the main suspect. This is a huge scandal in the 1980s art world--until it gets swept under the rug. In a separate time line, we follow Raquel, a third year art history student at Brown University in 1998. Raquel feels like an outsider amongst the privilege of her Ivy League counterparts. When she falls in love with Nick, a socially connected artist, doors open for her. We see similarities amongst the dual time lines as they march toward convergence.

What I loved:
-The absolute accuracy of late 90s race culture, diet culture, and WASPy power. I lived through it, and it definitely felt real!
-The mystical nature of Anita and she gets her final laugh.
-A peak into the art world. I have no bearings here, and it was fun to be a fly on the wall of all the drama.

I felt the book dragged a little in the middle section, but I enjoyed the stark look at racism, privilege, and power. I loved Olga Dies Dreaming as well. I think Gonzalez may be an auto-read author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for feedback. This book debuts March 5, 2024!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This audiobook was so, so good. I wish I could give it ten stars but unfortunately the scales cap at five stars.

This story is told through three different perspectives and timelines, mostly in the last century - Anita de Monte, a Cuban artist who details her life, art, and death in the mid-eighties, her husband Jack Martin’s version of the story, and finally Raquel Torres, an honors art history student studying Jack Martin at Brown University in 1998.

Anita and Jack have a tumultuous relationship, and Anita has her own struggles as a Cuban-American artist at a time when art is ruled pretty firmly by white men. She must eke out her own recognition, while Jack is often handed opportunities with little effort on his part and little recognition that the same rules don’t apply to all. When Jack and Anita argue, and Jack throws Anita out a window, leading to her death, her energy and voice seem like they might be silenced. But thank goodness!! We hear from Anita from beyond the grave.

Raquel, proudly from NYC, raised by her mom, and close to her sister, Toni struggles to feel like she is fitting in at Brown. She is contending with the Art History girls, life at the radio station, and further into the story, a new relationship. It’s hard for her as she feels like somewhat of an outsider on campus due to race and privilege elements that are prevalent.

My only beef is that the author chose SUNY Buffalo as a contrast example for Brown and UB didn’t come out sounding as great as I would have liked. The most desirable of the least desirable type of title. I know even being in the same category as Brown is a stretch, but UB is a great school! Okay, it’s not really anything that impacts the plot or the ending but I had to say it. Leave UB alone!!

I listened to the audiobook version, courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I was BLOWN AWAY. As usual with a good audiobook, I sobbed, I laughed and I was whole again. But this time there was more meat to the story. More to take away abs think about. This is not just for pure entertainment value, Gonzalez is making a point here with her work. And it’s an intelligent point that deserves listening to. So on an intellectual level, I was very satisfied with this work. Entertainment wise, it was a success as well. The narrators were great. I really enjoyed each of the different perspectives they brought to the performance.

This was a terrific, absolutely fantastic audiobook. I cannot sing high enough praises. I think it should be a required listen for all high school students. For all art enthusiasts. For all humans. And bats too.

OH WOW! The emotions that came through my earbuds when listening to this were all-encompassing. I was angry, proud, heartbroken, and scared for thirteen and a half hours. What a way to be introduced to Xochitl Gonzalez...yes I am now a huge fan. The writing was masterful; the readers see the differences in upbringings and cultures. We feel the hurt, anger, and anxiety. (as someone who went to art school...there is A LOT of fear and self-doubt in the studios) We see that sometimes the self-doubt comes through as ego, and the ego controls a character and then a monster that controls friends and family. Anita de Monte Laughs Last is such a layered story that I will listen to it again!

The narration...PERFECT cast..yes, a cast! I can't imagine anyone else reading this story. Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez did an outstanding job.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the Audio ARC.

"Anita de Monte Laughs Last" is a wonderful second novel by Xochitl Gonzalez, which I enjoyed even more than her debut. This is a funny and captivating book which caused me to laugh out loud several times and also to be engaged with the characters to want to see what would happen next. I really appreciated the stories of Raquel set in the 1990s and Anita de Monte set in the 1980s. I listened to the audiobook (courtesy of an ARC through netGalley) and was also really impressed with the three narrators and how the voices and accents helped the different characters to come across in full depth. Highly recommended.

What a great book and fantastic narrators! Xochitl Gonzalez has written another bombshell with great characters, a murder mystery, and a little magic thrown in. Jessica Pimentel and Stacy Gonzalez do such an amazing job of drawing you in to Anita and Raquel as they struggle in their different timelines to hold on to and grow into themselves that it's hard to stop listening. 4.5 big stars for this title and I will start recommending this title to patrons now so they can get ahead of what I know will be a huge holds list! Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

Firstly, thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. As a big fan of Olga Dies Dreaming, I couldn't wait to read this. I really love Gonzalez's writing style and ability to make her characters feel so real. Unfortunately I found this to be a bit disjointed and would have loved it more if it was arranged chronologically.

"Anita de Monte Laughs Last" is a part historical fiction book, part literary fiction book, part social critique and above all of a Women's literature book.

Anita is a rising artist of color married to a famous white male artist in the 1980's when she mysteriously dies (did she jump or was she pushed)? Fast forward to modern day when Raquel, another art student is living an eerie-ly parallel life to Anita.

It was fun and witty story with scathing social remarks quietly slipped onto the pages.

Thank you Natgalley and Macmillan audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review. I cant put a finger on what exactly i didnt enjoy but i think it gelt very slow and i had it at 2.5x speed. I loved the previous book ny the author. I will definitely try their next book

3.5/5

I love it when a book makes me so curious about a subject that a google search ensues. Anita de Monte reminded me vaguely of a true and crazy story I had heard on the art circuits of new york back in the 80s. It was so reminiscent of the books opening premise *slight spoiler ahead* the foreshadow that our heroine, Anita de Monte, falls to her tragic death off of a roof in NYC after a quarrel with her partner, also an artist. Spiraling back down the google hole I once found myself in years ago I remembered Ana Mendieta, whose work also revolves around the body--something our protagonist makes clear about her style. A cuban exile who came to the US, fell in love with a tumultuous male artist who is, in some circles, accused of pushing her off the building. I was proud and charmed to find out that this artist was indeed the inspiration for Xochitl Gonzalez's de Monte and loved her expansion of this tragic premise into a multigenerational time line. The audio book is a rich and passionately narrated experience, another great read to start off the year!