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.

I LOVED Xochitl Gonzalez's first book and was so excited to see she wrote another. It was fun to listen to the audio version of this book and think others will really enjoy. This author is so great at weaving stories from different perspectives, and focusing the spotlight on those that dont typically get the spotlight.

This story is told through multiple viewpoints and timelines, and eventually they all come together. The audiobook is very well read, with a different actor for each of the three main characters, who all have a unique voice and perspective in the story. I particularly loved Anita, whose portions are filled with rage and vibrancy. Raquel's story is more of a coming of age story, a college student figuring out where she fits in, and learning some things that Anita learned long ago. Jack is extremely unlikeable, but his portions did give extra context, and endeared Anita to me even more. Themes of power dynamics, sexism, feminism, race, and love, with a satisfying ending!

“𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦? 𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥? 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥? 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴? 𝘖𝘳 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴?”

Thanks Netgalley Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books for the advanced listener’s copy!
Pub date 3/5/24

If you want a story about a fiesty Latina scorned by the one she had loved and the elitists of artisan society then look no further! There were moments I laughed out loud, moments I thought “eeep! That’s more than I bargained for”, and moments of deep reflection. I’ve struggled with finding Latinx literature that has an enticing premise but this one caught me, probably because I enjoy the creative arts. And actually, this is deeply inspired by real life artist Ana Mendieta.

It is fast paced with nonlinear timelines, full of discussion material (perfect for a book club), and the audio is done by a full cast (listening at 1.5x was ideal and the narrator for Anita was so vivacious). At times I found Anita unlikeable (though I hated what all happened to her and her art) and connected more with Raquel (omg what Nick ends up doing to her - I died, and was rooting for her to come out on top). Content and trigger warnings include a LOT of harsh profanity, racial and gender discrimination, marital discord and infidelity, some domestic abuse and a murder, talk of sexual encounters and a character’s inner thoughts regarding, supernatural hauntings and the afterlife.

This story is powerful and I’m giving it 3.5 (rounded to 4) out of 5 simply because the language was too much. But it asks important questions and provides plenty of food for thought about race and identity, talent and ownership, privilege and power, and personal value.

Thank you Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for my free ARC of Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González — available Mar 5!

Read this if you:
🎧 are a sucker for excellent audiobook narration
💃 love stories about strong, courageous women
🥂 enjoy when fiction meets history and teaches your something new

In 1985, rising-star Cuban artist Anita de Monte is found dead, having fallen out the window of her high-rise apartment. At the time, it's all anyone can talk about, but then, it isn't. And by 1998, her story is all but forgotten by young art students in the same city. Until Raquel stumbles upon Anita, more or less a footnote in someone else's biography, and starts wondering about the mysterious vibrant woman that was written out of history. Especially when their stories are eerily similar.

Okay first things first, you HAVE to get the audio of this version. I rarely insist, but the narration of Anita's POV is especially incredibly well-performed. Please!

Next, this book is worth your time no matter what format you choose. It's sad and tragic, but also hilarious and uplifting, AND it's based on a true story that is just as juicy as the fiction. "Anita de Monte" is a near-perfect anagram of "Ana Mendieta," a real-life Cuban artist who also fell 34 stories to her death. It's not specifically discussed in the book (at least, not in my early copy), but it's clear that this is a fictional account based on the story of Ana and her short life. This book's characters are larger than life (especially Anita), and I love Raquel's journey of self-discovery. Just read it, it's great!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finally! I found a five-star fiction in February.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio for giving me the opportunity to read this novel before its release date.

This book combined two of my favorite genres: dark academia and art history. Toss in coming of age, family dynamics, and cultural commentary with dual-timelines and two fiery female protagonists and this book was near perfect for me.

The narrators of the audiobook were phenomenal. I especially enjoyed the actor who read for Anita’s character. She was passionate and authentic (with some Ricky Ricardo latino flare). My only slight subjective criticism is that I could have done without the chapters from Anita’s husband Jack’s point of view. He was very unlikable, but I think we could have understood his torment better from Anita’s vibrant viewpoint.

I really loved the storyline of the college student, Raquel, who is becoming her true self, while working in an art gallery and doing research for her thesis project. She discovers some yet to be discovered facts about Anita’s art that her husband, Jack, had attempted to bury.

This book would appeal to fans of “Self-Portrait with Boy” by Rachel Lyon, or anyone who appreciates the exploration of the artistic process.