Again and again I read short story collections…and again and again I am disappointed!
I struggled with refocusing after each story, but I enjoyed a majority of them,

The story that talks about Elisa Lam was pretty good…maybe the one that held my attention the most. I want to read more from this author!

Liminal and eerie and creepy! This was a treat. I wish some of the stories lasted longer because I was enjoying them so much.

I prefer her novels to short stories but this was still a great collection. So creepy! Especially the last few stories.

This is a collection of literary short horror stories in translation. Magical realism is very prevalent in South America literature and you can feel that in these tales. It takes different parts of Argentina and explores some dark, magical element.

Some are bizarre and are very separate from the wider world. Others are very grounded and only find the horror and magic in very specific places and pieces. Some got me in my feelings or thinking about Argentinian history. Others had me going “Well, that was fucking weird.”

The last story is seared into my brain because it uses the phenomenon of black eyed kids. I’ve heard about these so I was excited. The ending uses the idea of what you don’t see being scarier. It ends the collection with a BANG!

Other stand outs were Different Colors Made of Tears, The Refrigerator Cemetery, and the title story A Sunny Place for Shady People. I was dipping in and out of these stories for a few months. I’d recommend finishing them in a shorter period of time. I feel like you’ll get a more of a sense for Enriquez’s Argentina this way.

I’d definitely recommend this spooky collection. Excellent work by both the author and translator. 4.5/5

Like all of her books, it’s a slow burn, and it may be the weakest of her books available in English. But it’s still some of the best horror I expect to read this year, grounded in current events and shot through with contemporary anxieties.

A new collection by Argentine literary horror master Mariana Enriquez is such a treat. A Sunny Place for Shady People is a collection of 12 short stories full of beauty, heartbreak, terror, and rage.
I read this collection over a period of 8 months. Enriquez’s work is the opposite of bingeable: it’s so dark and beautiful that I like to take my time and reread favourites as I go. Her work is empathetic and political in many places, and living in a time where I’m seeing support for fascism rise in my own country of Canada, a lot of Enriquez’s writing feels like a warning.
My personal favourite stories were:
My Sad Dead
Face of Disgrace
Different Colours Made of Tears
Local Artist
Black Eyes
Megan McDowell’s translation is smooth and beautiful as always.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Hogarth for my review copy of this book.

There was a lot of depth and intelligence to these stories. The profane and arresting nature of the narrative creates a good deal of nightmare fuel. I think the one that will stick with me the longest is about the refrigerator graveyard. I think that there is something for everyone and I definitely want to read more from this author. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This was my first dive into the writing of Mariana Enriquez. The collection consisted of a variety of subjects, ranging from generational trauma, ghosts, a strange town, cursed clothing, even one based around true events.

I liked all the stories in this, for the most part. I definitely had my favorites. In no particular order, my favorite stories were: My Sad Dead, Face of Disgrace, Julie, Metamorphosis, Different Colors Made of Tears, and The Local Artist. I love how bizarre some of these stories were. I hope that one day the best stories get adapted into shorts.

While I enjoyed the collection as a whole there were some stories that didn’t do much for me. Like the titular story, Sunny Place for Shady People. The story touches on true events that happened. I think maybe some details could have been changed instead of using the actual person’s name and cause of death for the story. The above mentioned story was my lowest rated. Besides that story, there weren’t really any duds.

I really enjoyed the way the author approached horror. Sometimes it’s not the ghosts that are horrifying, sometimes it’s what living people do to each other. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

I’d recommend this to those who already like Enriquez’s brand of horror, or even those trying her writing for the first time. This would be a good collection for those looking for a different kind of horror.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and the author for providing me with an ARC for review.

Honestly, this was so disappointing. The majority of these stories felt so unfinished and undeveloped that it feels like the author just threw half-finished stories from the WIP pile to make a buck. I’m shocked and almost insulted.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I could tell pretty quickly into reading this that the style and pacing wasn't for me.

A Sunny Place for Shady People is such an interesting concept. The collection of short stories draws you in with its mix of lighthearted settings and darker themes, and I found myself hooked on a few of them. Not every story landed for me, but the ones that did really stood out. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes unique and morally ambiguous characters, or who enjoy short stories.

I enjoyed many of the ghost stories, but some of them fell flat for me, personally. Compared to "The Dangers of Smoking in Bed," these stories didn't have the same "oomph" to them. I still enjoyed this book and would recommend to fans of Mariana Enriquez.

Not a short story person but these were great! Just enough creep and mind games to keep me interested. Excited for the next full length novel

This is my third book by Mariana Enriquez, having previously read her other English-translated short fiction collections, Things We Lost to the Fire and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. Like her other collections, these are stories that will confront, unsettle, and perhaps shock. Mariana Enriquez never shies away from the horrors of everyday life. Some stories touch on supernatural beings or occurrences, but it's the stories that deal with the very real and very horrific things that happen to people - usually women - in the corporeal world that will get under your skin and haunt you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a review copy.

I've never met a Mariana Enríquez short story collection I didn't love, and this is no exception. I don't know how she keeps churning out such fully formed microcosms of horror. What I love most about all of these stories is how how whatever paranormal or supernatural occurrence is only there in glimpses, and when the story ends, you're left with the real horror, which is always decidedly human.

I am not a huge fan of short story collections as they are often hit or miss. There are sometimes a few bangers and sometimes a few flops: overall a decent collection.

Okay, first let me say that this cover is absolutely stunning. This is the most aesthetically pleasing cover er that I have ever seen for a short story collection, the overall artistic style is so chic, and interesting, and appealing and was 100% responsible for bringing my attention to this collection.

As is common in most short story collections, I enjoyed some of these more than the others. My favorite was probably the first one, it cut through to the heart of me and I found it very relatable personally. I also am a huge fan of the supernatural and absolutely loooove reading ghosty stories, although it's a very specific genre that isn't always handled to the best of it's ability, but in this case I think the topic of ghosts was handled in a reasonable, realistic way so that it still felt like normal fiction rather than fantasy.

Enriquez's writing is top notch, her specific authorial voice is so pleasing to read that it made even the less good stories fun to get through.

Nothing that I could write could ever sum up how absolutely perfect this collection of short stories was to me. My faves were: My Sad Dead, Face or Disgrace, Different Colors Made of Tears, and Black Eyes, but every single story was a banger. Enriquez excels at crafting a unique and horrifying setting in just a few pages. It's been a while since I read this (I got a little behind on life) but some of the stories are still on repeat in my brain.

I will not stop reading and recommending this author. Short stories are my favorite and this is an excellent collection.

Another winner of a collection. Enriquez takes on everyday horrors, from generational trauma to violent misogyny, with a hefty dose of the supernatural. Her previous collection, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, remains my favorite.