Set against the backdrop of the 1980s art world, this story revolves around Anita, a Cuban artist whose murder is overshadowed by her white husband Jack's rising fame in the art industry. However, things take an intriguing turn when a college student Raquel stumbles upon Anita's forgotten artwork in the 1990s, breathing new life into her story. This story is set in multiple POVS, Anita, Raquel, and Jack and does follow dual timelines.

I listened to this book on audiobook and the adaptation enhances the storytelling, particularly Jessica Pimentel's (from OITNB) portrayal of Anita, which adds depth and authenticity to the character. Representation matters and the use of multiple Latina narrators is very commendable and adds to the overall immersive experience.

The strength and power of the female characters are undeniable. From the enigmatic Anita to the determined Raquel, each woman leaves a lasting impression with their resilience, passion, and unwavering pursuit of truth and justice. Their voices resonate throughout the narrative, challenging societal norms and reclaiming their identities in a male-dominated world. With their complex and multifaceted personalities, these female characters serve as beacons of inspiration, driving the story forward with their unwavering strength and determination. Their portrayal adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, elevating "Anita de Monte Laughs Last" into a powerful exploration of feminism, art, race, love and the enduring legacy of those who refuse to be silenced.

This is my first book by Xochitl Gonzalez and it definitely won't be my last! Wow, this audiobook was so good!! The 3 narrators were some of the best I have listened to. Especially the narrator for Anita de Monte! I thought the multiple POV and timelines were done very well. I loved the writing throughout the book and the way the author explained the art. For someone who does not know much about the art world, that part of the story was easy to follow and understand. It was eye opening to learn about how some artists are elevated over others and how marginalized people are quite often left out of the conversation. I found myself laughing, cheering, and getting angry with the characters. I can't wait to recommend this book to our library patrons!!

What I liked:

- Anita de Monte: An absolute badass. I loved listening to her POV
- The Art: Honestly, everything about the art in this book. I loved it all.
- Raquel: Raquel really finding herself and her worth was so great.
- Discourse on who gets remembered: I loved that this was woven throughout the entire book.
- Audio Narration: this was so well done. Anita’s narrator was my favorite of the cast.

What didn’t work for me:

- Absolutely nothing

Anita de Monte Laughs Last, by Xochitl Gonzalez, is a richly imaginative novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the audiobook version, and the narrators were fantastic!!! The voice of Anita was completely over the top, but the character of Anita was completely over the top so she was perfect. Jack is a pompous, egomaniacal jerk, and his voice is perfect. And Raquel is a college student trying to figure out why history has erased Anita while elevating Jack (while finishing herself in a similarly unequal relationship), and her voice is perfect too. Seriously, the casting was spot on!!! Highly recommend this audiobook!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Anita de Monte is a rising star in the art world until she is found dead in New York City in 1985. Her tragic death, and the role her famous artist husband may have played in it, is the talk of the town. Until it and her work are buried and long forgotten. By 1998 Anita isn't even a footnote in her husband's story, just ask Raquel, a third-year art history student preparing her final thesis. Surrounded by privileged white students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider.

But when she starts dating a well-connected older art student, she finds herself rising the social ranks and basking in his adoration. But as she stumbles across Anita's story while prepping her thesis, she starts to question the dynamics of her own relationship with her boyfriend and her mentor. Who decides what art is good, what art is worth teaching and preserving, and how much we learn about the personal lives of these artists?

I really enjoyed this story. The first 3 to 4 chapters had me hooked. I admit, I much preferred the chapters about Anita and Anita's point of view to the more modern-day storyline. But I find I am often more attracted to the characters that I cannot identify with as well because I find them more interesting to learn about so this is a me problem. This story is a split timeline and multi-POV. We move back and forth from Anita's life to her death and her spiritual journey thereafter, to Raquel's journey of self-discovery and discovery of Anita in college. It's witty, clever, infuriating, and asks significant questions about how the wealthy in society dictate who is worth remembering and how we remember wealthy giants. I would absolutely recommend it to friends and will be looking for more from this author.

Wow! This book was both intense and satisfying to read. At first, I did not have a clear picture of where the story was going. I found Raquel's voice to be less strong than Anita and Jacks, in the beginning. But as things progressed, everything started to tie together so seamlessly and I felt like we actually got the opportunity to see Raquel grow into her own voice. By the end, I was cheering so loudly for her! The author does an excellent job of showcasing the toxic behaviors of both male love interests. I found most of their behaviors to be subtle yet gut wrenching, which made them all the more believable and unsettling. Overall, I thought this was an excellent take on the dark side of the art world. It was unlike anything I've ever read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, the narration, the story.
This may be nitpicky, but I wish editors cared as much about anachronisms as I do. Calling someone or something “performative” as a criticism has ballooned in recent years and was not really a thing before Judith Butler’s 1999 book. Nobody in the 90s or even early 2000s said “fire” as a way of saying awesome. Even email was not as ubiquitous and available as this book would have you believe.

Highly recommend checking this out if the title/description speaks to you! It's definitely long, so be prepared for that.

Ms. Gonzalez’s brand comes through strongly in Anita de Monte Laughs Last. The themes of sexism and classism come quickly to the fore. I do enjoy Gonzalez’s writing, but I often find her characters to be very brash. Brashness is appropriate for characters fighting oppression, however I would love more than one archetype of resistance. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

A fascinating exciting story about gender, race, and your voice being heard. I really enjoyed the way the audiobook moved in such a difference with the three narrators.

I listened to the audio book. It was well narrated. The story was great and I really enjoyed the characters. Even the ones who made me roll my eyes lol. A wonderful book that I will be buying for my shelf now. Thank you.

Wow. That was the one word I spoke after finishing this excellent book from Xóchitl González. This book moved me in ways I didn’t know was possible.

The story takes place in the art world in the late twentieth century, and centers around two Latina female artists separated by a little over a decade. The book explores themes such as race, elitism, class difference and first love. It’s hard for me to summarize this book without giving it the credit it deserves, so just trust me when I say to read it.

I listened to the audiobook and thought all the narrators did an amazing job. Jessica Pimentel stood out as the powerhouse Anita. With such a dynamic and vibrant personality, Anita deserved a narrator who could do her justice. And Pimentel does just that. Her voice grabbed my attention every time one of Anita’s chapters came on. Stacy Gonzalez did a great job portraying the innocent and naive Raquel, who learns to develop and take hold of her voice throughout the novel. Jonathan Gregg really sold the villainous Jack, and I felt myself tense up whenever his chapters played.

I’ll be honest, in the beginning I found myself getting a little bored during the Raquel chapters. Her chapters seemed a little mundane and lifeless compared to the ones centering around Anita. However, I began to relate to Raquel as the book went on and eventually I loved listening to her chapters more than the others. I didn’t want the book to end; I felt like I wanted to hear more of Raquel’s story after the book was over. Finishing this story felt like saying a heartfelt goodbye. It was very bittersweet.

Readers should not go into this book expecting a mystery. I was expecting this, and felt myself feeling a little let down when I realized what the book was really about. However, the book is absolutely worth it to read and I guarantee it will keep your attention just as much as your favorite mystery thrillers. Overall, this is a great book for readers of all genres. I highly recommend it.

i realize that i am in the minority here. The shining reviews may have set me up for feeling disappointed. The fact is, this was in no way the ground breaking or new or fresh look at any of these themes. It came across as a good book with some well written characters and some not so well written characters. The back and forth between timelines was effective, but is beginning to get a little tired. The parallels are oractically shoved down your throat and the characters so in your face. It’s a good story about the sexism and racism that has pervaded the centuries, not just these few decades. It’s about young artists who have a view of all others and puts them in little boxes, just as others do to them. It’s in actuality your normal college student who is more naive than they think and so they fall into exactly what they claim to hate. Good. Not something I’m going to run out and tell people to read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced readers copy audiobook. WOW! This book was fantastic! I loved this author’s 2022 book Olga Dies Dreaming so I when I heard she was releasing another book I knew I had to read it. Can I say this one is even better?! This book bounces back and forth in time between what happens in 1985 with Anita De Monte and 1998 Ivy league art student Raquel. Anita De Monte was starting to make a name for herself as a Cuban woman in the art world before her life was cut short and she died mysteriously. Raquel finds information about Anita while researching another topic for her art thesis and starts to see Anita in herself and finds the strength to be herself in her true identity. This book had me laugh out loud at times, but also want to cheer for the way it spoke for standing up for yourself as a woman, as your culture, and as yourself. I listens to the audiobook and I have to say the narrators chosen were phenomenal and definitely imbued these characters with their unique personalities. Absolutely incredible and will definitely read this book again and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Anita De Monte Laughs Last
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
By Xochitl Gonzalez

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Thank you @macmillan.audio for early access to Anita De Monte Laughs Last. It was truly a treat.

“To matter to another human being is the basis of having a life. I wanted a life!”

In 1985 up and coming artist Anita De Monte is found dead on the street below her 30+ floor apartment. Soon people forget about her death and her art work until a Latino college art student named Raquel discovers Anita’s story and most importantly her art work.

The story is told in first person by bouncing between Anita’s ghost, Anita’s ex-husband, and Raquel. The two women have far more in common than either realize. Learning about Anita’s life helps Raquel in making important life decisions, while making sure Anita becomes relevant again.

I really enjoyed Anita De Monte Laughs Last. The audio version was incredible. Anita’s narration was intensely spectacular. The book was a bit longer than needed to hold my interest though and a bit weird…. but good weird. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t a bit weird themselves though.

Cheers to Anita De Monte! 🥂

🖤 Genre: Contemporary Fiction
🤍 Steamy rating: Mild
🤬 Profanity: High
🎧 Method: Early Access Audiobook

Triggers: Murder, racism, gaslighting, infidelity and mental abuse

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Pub Date: March 5th
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the audiobook!

Synopsis: In 1985, Anita de Monte was poised to take the art world by storm until her untimely death seemingly erased her art from history. In present day, art student Raquel stumbles upon Anita’s work during research for her thesis and begins to uncover what really happened to end Anita’s life.

Thoughts: This is such a unique book! Told in two parallel timelines following artist Anita de Monte in 1985 and art student Raquel in the present day, both women’s stories examine what it is to have power and who has the right to leave a legacy. Themes of race, class, gender, and art are central to this book. Several genres were blended together to make for a very interesting read. I enjoyed both timelines and both women’s povs (the male pov was necessary to the story but less enjoyable). The murder mystery aspect of the story was well done, and I liked that the timelines tied together, but it took quite awhile to get to the point where they connected. A note on the audio: SO GOOD! The narrators packed so much personality into the characters and did an excellent job. Highly recommend checking this book out on audio if you get the chance!

Read this if you like:
🎨 multiple POV
🎨 multiple timelines
🎨 art
🎨 murder mysteries
🎨 paranormal elements

A very entertaining story. The audiobook narrators were wonderful and added to the dimension of the story as it was told from three different perspectives.

Anita de Monte is an artist. She is an immigrant from Cuba who is very smart and talented. Her work speaks for itself but she has to work extra hard to be seen as a "third-world" female artist. Her husband, Jack, is also an artist and since he is white and male and wealthy, he gets to walk in all the right circles for his art to be noticed. As both of their careers develop, Jack becomes jealous of Anita and pushes her down while he pulls himself up. Anita will not stand for it.

Flash forward 20 years and we meet Raquel. She is also a minority artist studying at Brown University and find herself also dating a successful, male, white, wealthy artist. We see parallels between Anita and Raquel's stories as both women fight for their place as artists in a man's world.

This story is funny, thought-provoking, and filled with feminine energy needing a place to burst free and show itself. I love Anita's character, flawed as she is, and how determined she is to make her mark as an artist while seeking revenge on the man who tried to end her once and for all. I also love Raquel's character development as she grows into who she is meant to be while shaping her career and that of those who pioneered before her. 4.5 stars

This is a breathtaking, exhilarating split-perspective novel. It is written so expertly that the reader feels the exact emotions of each main character, all of which make the ending that much more satisfying. A must-read!

This is a book that I would like to pick up (physically) at another time. Unfortunately, I'm DNFing at 28%. The audiobook was hard for me to follow, so I'd be interested to see how it reads otherwise. The story had the potential to be interesting but it kind of just felt buzzwordy and like it was written for Millennials.......Also, the art people in this book are all insufferable (which is part of the purpose) but it was tough to get through.

Inspired by the life, death, and legacy of the very real Ana Mendieta as well as the author’s own life, Xochitl Gonzalez weaves a narrative of two parts that both inspires and enrages. Anita does in fact get the last laugh, but boy did I cry with Raquel along the way. Highly recommend! Finally, the highest praise for Stacy Gonzalez who absolutely dazzles. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook. This is my honest, voluntary review.