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katnortonwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
sunflowerhexe's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good anthology! I let myself take my time and appreciate each story as it went through, and none disappointed me. I was very grateful for my basic Spanish skills so I didn’t get lost in places.
gingerbread_void's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really good anthology. I really enjoyed all of the stories in this collection. I learned a lot about culture and folklore i had no idea about as well which was great. This book is perfect for spooky season as well as Hispanic Heritage Month.
vanessamariebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
4.0
meaganmart's review against another edition
5.0
I am a school librarian and love to read during my lunch break. I usually pick books of short stories because I can read one or two and then put the book aside until the next day. "Our Shadows Have Claws" made it impossible to follow my usual formula. I made it a day and a half before I caved and absolutely devoured the rest of the stories. It was impossible to dole them out as a treat! Instead, I had to gorge myself on the imagery, the folklore, and the monsters hiding behind each story. I can confidently say this is the best collection of short stories I have ever read. I have already book-talked it to several classes of students and have a waitlist so long that I'm planning on ordering 5 copies for our library. "Our Shadows Have Claws" is nothing short of a masterpiece and readers will be hooked from page one.
drbex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Sometimes monsters are monsters and sometimes it's the humans. This collection of short stories gives a bit of everything. Some stories are straight allegory, others are reactions/responses/retaliations to social and cultural norms.
donasbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the authors, and editors Yamile Saied Mendez and Amparo Ortiz, and publishers Algonquin and Hachette Books for a complimentary paperback copy of OUR SHADOWS HAVE CLAWS. Thank you also to Libby for an accomanying ebook. All views are mine.
"I make beautiful things to balance out the cruelty in the world," her abuela said.... "OUR art is like a prayer--when we make beautiful things, the gods listen...." "The Hour of the Wolf" p324
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I love the Latin American themes these stories share. For me, it means exposure to some wonderful myths and legends I hadn't heard of before! Great examples of use of legend and myth is "El Viejo De La Bolsa" p49
2. I love that most of these stories are socially and stylistically subversive. Makes the reads challenging and enjoyable and also meaningful and outspoken.
...
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
Find the rest on my blog!
Closing quote: The blue ribbon that had fallen from her hair was like a heartbreak you could touch. "The Other Side of the Mountain." p245
Rating: ☠️
Thank you to the authors, and editors Yamile Saied Mendez and Amparo Ortiz, and publishers Algonquin and Hachette Books for a complimentary paperback copy of OUR SHADOWS HAVE CLAWS. Thank you also to Libby for an accomanying ebook. All views are mine.
"I make beautiful things to balance out the cruelty in the world," her abuela said.... "OUR art is like a prayer--when we make beautiful things, the gods listen...." "The Hour of the Wolf" p324
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I love the Latin American themes these stories share. For me, it means exposure to some wonderful myths and legends I hadn't heard of before! Great examples of use of legend and myth is "El Viejo De La Bolsa" p49
2. I love that most of these stories are socially and stylistically subversive. Makes the reads challenging and enjoyable and also meaningful and outspoken.
...
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
Find the rest on my blog!
Closing quote: The blue ribbon that had fallen from her hair was like a heartbreak you could touch. "The Other Side of the Mountain." p245
Rating: ☠️
hdcamp's review against another edition
3.0
Anthologies are hard to review, but I think if I were to rate each of these individually and take the average rating, it would be something like 3.75 stars, so obviously I will round up. Since I didn't actually take the time to do math or note individual ratings for these, I will round down to "I liked it."
The Nightingale and the Lark I loved this - beautiful writing, poignant storytelling, just the right amount of heartbreaking.
¿Dónde está el Duende? Okay okay this was equal parts "ew" and "WHAT THE HECK"
El Viejo de la Bolsa There was something almost nice about this one, until the ending which was deeply unsettling.
Beware the Empty Subway Car This was surprisingly sad. I don't think I liked it just because it was unsettling, but I think it was meant to be that way. Otherwise it was good.
Dismembered This one was definitely for an older audience, language and horror-wise. This was weirdly sweet, but it also had much more of the horror vibes
The Nightingale and the Lark I loved this - beautiful writing, poignant storytelling, just the right amount of heartbreaking.
¿Dónde está el Duende? Okay okay this was equal parts "ew" and "WHAT THE HECK"
El Viejo de la Bolsa There was something almost nice about this one, until the ending which was deeply unsettling.
Beware the Empty Subway Car This was surprisingly sad. I don't think I liked it just because it was unsettling, but I think it was meant to be that way. Otherwise it was good.
Dismembered This one was definitely for an older audience, language and horror-wise. This was weirdly sweet, but it also had much more of the horror vibes