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“Burnings are the work of men. They have always burned us. Now we are burning ourselves. But we’re not going to die; we’re going to flaunt our scars.”

Release Date: February 21st, 2017

Genre(s): Adult fiction, short story collections, contemporary, horror

Publisher: Hogarth Press

Pages: 208

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Synopsis

Things We Lost in the Fire is set in Argentina where three girls turn to drugs and pain amidst a government-enforced blackout. Their responses and protests demonstrate a haunting, yet familiar reality for many and demonstrate what happens in a world where inequality, corruption, and violence prevail.

Review

It’s been quite some time since I read a short story collection, and this book being one of the three group reads for the Fortnight Frights readathon had me curious.  Things We Lost in the Fire has the combination of fully-fleshed out characters, a touch of unreality, and the realities that many Argentinians face.

As I continue to delve into novellas and short stories, I’m continually amazed by the power that can be created in such a short span, and Things We Lost in the Fire is no exception. It doesn’t take long for Enríquez to set the stage in terms of the characters, the setting, and the social issues surrounding that story and setting. And while some stories were more memorable for me than others, I don’t think there was a single one that felt weak or dull compared to the others. Additionally, each story incorporated its own element of horror that really contributed to not only the overall uniqueness of the story itself but also the themes that were being emphasized in them. Two of the most memorable stories in this collection for me were ones that appear to be opposite in nature. One of them is the first story in the book, which details a woman’s encounters with a homeless boy. The other involves several young characters and what happens when they visit a haunted house. And despite all of these different stories, they all tie together in different ways.

Given the nature of this book, there were several particularly gruesome scenes in this book. That being said, much of Things We Lost in the Fire can be quite graphic and unsettling while reading. It’s a different kind of horror from what I’ve read because of its close ties with reality and the themes that it portrays.

Much of the unsettling nature of Things We Lost in the Fire comes from the way many of these stories end. It’s extremely chilling the way many of these stories create the anticipation and buildup that they do, all the way to the end. However, while I am personally a fan of open-ended endings, I wish I had a little more from several of these stories. In terms of horror, I understand why the stories ended the way that they did. But between the other elements that were built up in the stories, including the characters themselves, I wish some of them were a little more closed off. But with others, I think the endings really brought me into the world and continuing with the rest of the stories made me that much more unsettled, but equally as invested, while reading. 

All in all, Things We Lost in the Fire is an incredibly unique and captivating short story collection. This was unlike what I expected in the greatest way, and a collection that I definitely recommend.