About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherZando

ISBN-101638930368

ISBN-139781638930365

eBay Product ID (ePID)24057246482

Product Key Features

Book TitleMonstrilio : a Novel

Number of Pages336 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicHorror, Magical Realism, Literary

Publication Year2023

GenreFiction

AuthorGerardo Sámano Córdova

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in

Item Length8.2 in

Item Width5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2022-945255

Reviews"An extraordinary act of imagination, an extended meditation that begins in grief, family, belonging, and moves past that, into a deeper discovery of the power of love--and the powerlessness of love, as well its strangeness. With Monstrilio , Sámano Córdova makes a remarkable, kaleidoscopic debut." --Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova's Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova's spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother's grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten " Monstrilio is the monster story about grief I've been craving. Bloody and full of longing, it gets under your skin and doesn't let you go. A thrilling and heartbreaking ride from Mexico City to NYC to Berlin, brilliantly capturing what it means to lose someone you love with ferocious tenderness. Gerardo Sámano Córdova is an international revelation and one of the boldest new voices writing today." --Akil Kumarasamy, author of Meet Us by the Roaring Sea and Half Gods " Monstrilio is unlike any other book I've read. Genuinely scary at times, it moved me with its humanity, made me laugh, and ultimately, made me cry. Gerardo Sámano Córdova has written a stunning exploration of grief, belonging, and familial love in prose so beautiful you won't want to rush through it--even as you need to know what happens next." --Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines, One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023 Goodreads * Barnes & Noble * Electric Lit * Jump Scares "An extraordinary act of imagination, an extended meditation that begins in grief, family, belonging, and moves past that, into a deeper discovery of the power of love--and the powerlessness of love, as well its strangeness. With Monstrilio , Sámano Córdova makes a remarkable, kaleidoscopic debut." --Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel "Simply exquisite. Easily one of my favorite reads this year." --Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Like Home and The Echo Wife "Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother''s grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten " Monstrilio is the monster story about grief I''ve been craving. Bloody and full of longing, it gets under your skin and doesn''t let you go. A thrilling and heartbreaking ride from Mexico City to NYC to Berlin, brilliantly capturing what it means to lose someone you love with ferocious tenderness. Gerardo Sámano Córdova is an international revelation and one of the boldest new voices writing today." --Akil Kumarasamy, author of Meet Us by the Roaring Sea and Half Gods " Monstrilio is unlike any other book I''ve read. Genuinely scary at times, it moved me with its humanity, made me laugh, and ultimately, made me cry. Gerardo Sámano Córdova has written a stunning exploration of grief, belonging, and familial love in prose so beautiful you won''t want to rush through it--even as you need to know what happens next." --Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines "In this wicked debut novel, Sámano Córdova combines queer themes touching on identity, kink, and consent with Latin American mysticism for an unusually visceral coming-of-age tale . . . There''s no doubt there''s nothing quite like it. A Promethean fable about reconstruction, reinvention, and the occasional human-sized snack." --Kirkus Reviews "Grief takes the shape of a monster in Sámano Córdova''s disturbing yet touching literary horror debut . . . Sámano Córdova creates complex characters who make difficult decisions that blur the lines between being human and being a monster. Fans of Eric LaRocca, Agustina Bazterrica, and Carmen Maria Machado will appreciate this unique take on the horror genre." --Verónica N. Rodríguez, Booklist "The beastliness of grief is heartbreakingly rendered in Córdova''s folklore-inflected first novel, which follows a bereaved mother taking the lung of her recently deceased son and nurturing it back into the boy she lost. But death can never be totally thwarted, and the son that returns isn''t quite the same." --Michelle Hart, Electric Lit "Sly and unsettling . . . Sámano Córdova does a good job elucidating the contours of grief and love. This creepy work of psychological horror gives readers plenty to chew on." --Publishers Weekly, "An extraordinary act of imagination, an extended meditation that begins in grief, family, belonging, and moves past that, into a deeper discovery of the power of love--and the powerlessness of love, as well its strangeness. With Monstrilio , Sámano Córdova makes a remarkable, kaleidoscopic debut." --Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel "Simply exquisite. Easily one of my favorite reads this year." --Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Like Home and The Echo Wife "Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova''s spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother''s grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten " Monstrilio is the monster story about grief I''ve been craving. Bloody and full of longing, it gets under your skin and doesn''t let you go. A thrilling and heartbreaking ride from Mexico City to NYC to Berlin, brilliantly capturing what it means to lose someone you love with ferocious tenderness. Gerardo Sámano Córdova is an international revelation and one of the boldest new voices writing today." --Akil Kumarasamy, author of Meet Us by the Roaring Sea and Half Gods " Monstrilio is unlike any other book I''ve read. Genuinely scary at times, it moved me with its humanity, made me laugh, and ultimately, made me cry. Gerardo Sámano Córdova has written a stunning exploration of grief, belonging, and familial love in prose so beautiful you won''t want to rush through it--even as you need to know what happens next." --Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines "In this wicked debut novel, Sámano Córdova combines queer themes touching on identity, kink, and consent with Latin American mysticism for an unusually visceral coming-of-age tale . . . There''s no doubt there''s nothing quite like it. A Promethean fable about reconstruction, reinvention, and the occasional human-sized snack." --Kirkus Reviews "Grief takes the shape of a monster in Sámano Córdova''s disturbing yet touching literary horror debut . . . Sámano Córdova creates complex characters who make difficult decisions that blur the lines between being human and being a monster. Fans of Eric LaRocca, Agustina Bazterrica, and Carmen Maria Machado will appreciate this unique take on the horror genre." --Verónica N. Rodríguez, Booklist "The beastliness of grief is heartbreakingly rendered in Córdova''s folklore-inflected first novel, which follows a bereaved mother taking the lung of her recently deceased son and nurturing it back into the boy she lost. But death can never be totally thwarted, and the son that returns isn''t quite the same." --Michelle Hart, Electric Lit "Sly and unsettling . . . Sámano Córdova does a good job elucidating the contours of grief and love. This creepy work of psychological horror gives readers plenty to chew on." --Publishers Weekly, "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova's Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova's spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother's grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten " Monstrilio is unlike any other book I've read. Genuinely scary at times, it moved me with its humanity, made me laugh, and ultimately, made me cry. Gerardo Sámano Córdova has written a stunning exploration of grief, belonging, and familial love in prose so beautiful you won't want to rush through it--even as you need to know what happens next." --Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines, "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova's Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova's spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother's grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten, "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself, "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova's Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, "An extraordinary act of imagination, an extended meditation that begins in grief, family, belonging, and moves past that, into a deeper discovery of the power of love--and the powerlessness of love, as well its strangeness. With Monstrilio , Sámano Córdova makes a remarkable, kaleidoscopic debut." --Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel "Simply exquisite. Easily one of my favorite reads this year." --Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Like Home and The Echo Wife "Gerardo Sámano Córdova's dark, soulful magic puts me in mind of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (and further back, Mary Shelley). The horror of grief has rarely been so viscerally or movingly evoked." --Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself "Haunting and often bleakly humorous, Gerardo Sámano Córdova's Monstrilio is a captivating tone poem of trauma, grief, and transformation. Córdova writes with the lyrical precision of a master surrealist and creates an uncompromising vision of literary horror that is so wholly unique and utterly his own." --Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes "In Gerardo Sámano Córdova's spare, soulful, and singular Monstrilio , a mother's grief turns monstrous, literally taking on a life of its own. As tender and terrifying as its titular character, Monstrilio is just as likely to work its way into your heart as into your nightmares. Prepare to unhinge your jaw and devour it whole." --Maria Adelmann, author of Girls of a Certain Age and How to be Eaten " Monstrilio is the monster story about grief I've been craving. Bloody and full of longing, it gets under your skin and doesn't let you go. A thrilling and heartbreaking ride from Mexico City to NYC to Berlin, brilliantly capturing what it means to lose someone you love with ferocious tenderness. Gerardo Sámano Córdova is an international revelation and one of the boldest new voices writing today." --Akil Kumarasamy, author of Meet Us by the Roaring Sea and Half Gods " Monstrilio is unlike any other book I've read. Genuinely scary at times, it moved me with its humanity, made me laugh, and ultimately, made me cry. Gerardo Sámano Córdova has written a stunning exploration of grief, belonging, and familial love in prose so beautiful you won't want to rush through it--even as you need to know what happens next." --Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines

Synopsis"Heartfelt, bizarre, and unexpected. . . . At once a novel about family and love, a creepy tale that questions what it means to be human, and a celebration of queer stories, Monstrilio is as shocking as it is profound, and as humorous as it is thoughtful." --Gabino Iglesias, The Boston Globe A "wholly unique" and "uncompromising" literary horror debut about a boy who transforms into a monster, a monster who tries to be a man, and the people who love him in every form he takes (Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes ) Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago's lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family's decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses--though curbed by his biological and chosen family's communal care--threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life. A thought-provoking meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty, Gerardo Sámano Córdova blends bold imagination and evocative prose with deep emotional rigor. Told in four acts that span the globe from Brooklyn to Berlin, Monstrilio offers, with uncanny clarity, a cathartic and precise portrait of being human., Heartfelt, bizarre, and unexpected...At once a novel about family and love, a creepy tale that questions what it means to be human, and a celebration of queer stories, Monstrilio is as shocking as it is profound, and as humorous as it is thoughtful.' -- Gabino Iglesias, Boston Globe Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago's lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family's decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses -- though curbed by his biological and chosen family's communal care -- threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life. A thought-provoking meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty, Gerardo Sámano Córdova blends bold imagination and evocative prose with deep emotional rigor. Told in four acts that span the globe from Brooklyn to Berlin, Monstrilio offers, with uncanny clarity, a cathartic and precise portrait of being human.

LC Classification NumberPR9200.9.S16M66 2023