Feels like a necessary book, though I have mixed feelings about Anita’s voice as a second life. I thought it was funny and relevant, but I think I didn’t really love the use of it as a plot device. Also, my revenge lust wasn’t quenched enough. I would’ve preferred to see Jack dealt with greater consequences.

Content Warnings

adventurebound7's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Content Warnings

okiecozyreader's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I really loved Olga Dies Dreaming and I was so excited that Anita de Monte Laughs Last was so much fun to listen to. I highly recommend the audio with multiple narrators. Jessica Pimentel does an incredible job as Anita de Monte in the 1980s. She adds so much to the reading, it truly is like listening to a movie.

Anita de Monte is based on the life of Ana Mendieta who was an artist who died in 1985 when she fell or was pushed out of an apartment window (and was married to sculptor Carl Andre). As someone who loves art, this book (and others like Still Life by Sarah Winman) make you think about how few women artists we really know. Author Xochitl Gonzalez found Ana Mendieta in an art history class.

Anita de Monte tells her story as a ghost, recalling the event that caused her death and moments with her husband Jack after her death.

In another timeline, Raquel is in art history classes at Brown studying Jack and and discovers Anita de Monte. We find similarities between their relationships and the way women artists are treated and valued.

There is also some magical realism woven into this story as she tells it from a ghost’s perspective and her interactions with her husband (iykyk).

“And, from what I was eavesdropping in the gallery that night, most of these men not only hated feminist art, but I suspected, hated women as well.”

“And then. And then I was sent to America, and rendered invisible. Rendered lifeless. Alone.”

“Well, it felt like even when I bury myself in your f*ing soil, I’m still not American enough. … To prostrate myself, in some way, for having gone to such pains to become one with a place that rejected me over and over and over again.”

“ presume her to be grateful for it, even - was only possible because he had told her, in ways great and small, that he knew best and she had signaled that he was correct.”

“She realized that so much of what she thought as good art had simply been that which had been elevated by John Temple, because it was understood by and spoke to and created by men just like John. And that in the omission of things that were made by or understood by or in conversation with people like her, Raquel had, unconsciously, begun to see those things as lesser. And that revelation sparked one that was even more painful: the reason that Raquel subconsciously believed that Nick knew “better” than her was that it was Nick’s point of view had been affirmed and internalized by the white walls of every museum or gallery that had ever been told was worth looking at.”

“…she had firmly placed them behind a wall called her past; a section of her mind she didn’t like to visit much.”

Content Warnings

jerica_mercado's review

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

cesca_natalia's review

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emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Title: Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 5, 2024

I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Theatrical • Electric • Haunting

📖 S Y N O P S I S

1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.

But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After being captivated by Xóchitl González's writing in her debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, I immediately added Anita de Monte Laughs Last to my list of anticipated releases for 2024. I was graciously offered an ALC, which I tandem read with the book once it was released.

The audiobook, narrated by a full cast of Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, and Stacy Gonzalez is absolutely fantastic. I would even venture to say the narration takes this book to the next level. The narrators really bring their characters to life and I could hear the emotion of the narrative in their voices. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and in a nonlinear fashion it was definitely easier for me to tandem read than listen alone.

The pacing starts out on the slow side, yet it builds steadily to a satisfying ending. I will admit to being slightly caught off guard by the ghost element, but somehow it fit perfectly into the narrative. There is ample commentary on race and womanhood and when the two stories start to converge the story gets stronger.

I don't know that I enjoyed this one as much as her debut, yet it was definitely worth my time. It's easy to imagine Anita de Monte Laughs Last transitioning to the big screen down the road. This book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it establishes Xóchitl González as a force in the literary world.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• art history
• strong female characters

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, death, murder, cursing, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, infidelity, mental illness, eating disorder, anorexia, body shaming, fatphobia

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit."

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Anita de Monte Laughs Last was a fabulous read, an absorbing tale with an unforgettable character, a story that was really easy to sink into and which was exactly what I was craving when I picked it up. It is told from the perspectives of three different narrators - Anita de Monte, a Cuban artist whose life is tragically cut short, her American husband Jack Martin, a highly regarded artist, and Raquel an art history student who originally plans to write her thesis on Martin but becomes more interested in de Monte, her art and her death. This book has lots of smart things to say about race, class and gender, and about their intersection particularly in the world of art. The erasure of women, particularly women of colour, was a strong theme. Anita was such a fabulous character, full of fire, passion and energy, someone who lived for her art, believed in herself and her talent totally, but sadly seemed to have bad judgement when it came to men, one man in particular. Her rage was so justified and so wonderfully depicted. I’m not normally a fan of magical realism, the supernatural or of ghosts but this book is an exception. These elements were used to perfection; the ghost of Anita haunting Jack and knowing the best and most subtle ways to mess with his mind and totally piss him off was both hilarious and empowering. Jack himself was just awful - pretentious, with not nearly as much talent as he believed, threatened by Anita’s talent and rising success, controlling and abusive but, infuriatingly, able to use his privilege to avoid the consequences of his actions. Raquel’s storyline initially showed some alarming parallels with Anita’s and I worried she was in danger of losing herself to her white boyfriend, another sad example of masculinity. Thankfully she eventually wised up and I loved the way she fought for recognition of Anita’s work and challenged her professor on the way he and the rest of the art world ignored Anita and Jack’s connection to her death. It was to his credit that he acknowledged the validity of Raquel’s criticism.
This novel was a winner for me due to Anita, such a strong and memorable character, its entertaining storytelling and satisfying narrative arc, plus the thought proving, relevant themes. I just wish an author’s note had been included acknowledging Ana Mendieta, whose life, work and death served as an inspiration for Anita’s story.

Content Warnings

swbowers's review

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dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

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