Cenote City

by Monique Quintana

Lune’s mother cannot stop crying after all the hospitals shut down.  She cries and cries and finally she is exiled to the cenote, where her tears endlessly fill the giant sink hole. She becomes a big tourist attraction. People come from miles to see Marcrina cry into the cenote— part prisoner, part carnival attraction, part saint, Marcrina’s story is one of heartbreak, love, and endurance. This is the story of Lune, of Marcrina, of Lune’s son Nico, and of a strange place called Cenote City, where the world of magic and the dead entwines with daily life in enchanting and unsettling ways.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Fiction

156 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read horror day in and day out. It's my happy place but sometimes, I enjoy slipping into something a little more magical. CENOTE CITY by Monique Quintana is a colorful, cultural celebration of the people of the Yucatán.
Readers should expect to approach this book with the same expectations one would bring to a lyrical fable or collection of poems. Don't anticipate a linear story. I think the back of the book suggests that there is a storytelling narrative but the reality is that it reads more like folktales stitched together to create one tapestry.
There are some central characters that made me feel grounded in the dreamy, magical realism of Cenote City but it was still easy to lose my footing and feel a little disoriented.
The title headings were a huge help acting as sign posts to announce the beginning or ending of an idea. Quintana's charming, vivid prose is luscious and dazzling, I honestly felt spellbound; mesmerized. But I can't keep it a secret that more than once, I felt confused. It had nothing to do with the rich atmosphere or the strong themes of culture, poverty, death, and magical illusions but more to do with the style and the ambiguous form of the storytelling.
I didn't mind feeling lost though, Cenote City is an amazing place to lose oneself.
Recommended for readers who need an escape from the norm.

[exorcismemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She began to cry and cry and cry tears that felt like needles and blades."

3.5⭐

Cenote City is Monique Quintana's gorgeous debut novella. Her writing is vivid and poetic, and this book was a great introduction to Quintana's style. I would say this book is speculative fiction / bizarro with some magical realism, horror, and fantasy vibes. It's a really unique story.

I really enjoyed this story, but I struggled with the format. It's not told chronologically, and I had a hard time keeping track of characters. There is a lot of jumping around, and I think it will be totally fine for other readers, but I had a difficult time with it. It was just a little too disjointed for my brain, and I was confused at times.

Although I had a hard time with the format, this was an entertaining and creative read. It takes you through all the emotions, and you feel for the characters and their situations. I would definitely read another book from this author.

[Dustin]

Description from Amazon:

Lune's mother cannot stop crying after all the hospitals shut down. She cries and cries and finally she is exiled to the cenote, where her tears endlessly fill the giant sinkhole. She becomes a big tourist attraction. People come from miles to see Marcrina cry into the cenote--part prisoner, part carnival attraction, part saint, Marcrina's story is one of heartbreak, love, and endurance. This is the story of Lune, of Marcrina, of Lune's son Nico, and of a strange place called Cenote City, where the world of magic and the dead entwines with daily life in enchanting and unsettling ways. Monique Quintana's words will pull you under, down to the depths, where tears flow, hearts break, and dreams are reborn every day.

Here's an excerpt, courtesy of the nice folks at CLASH Books:
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%...

[V. Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

”I was wearing a yellow blouse with oversized Pachuca pants, crisp at the crease and grey like smoke”
How I need and want to read more descriptions like that. Those were the girls I went to middle school with. That is a girl I know. 😭🖤👸🏽
But what is really interesting about this book is @quintanadarkling has created a place where brown babies are born dead and tourists flock to see an imprisoned woman cry into a cenote. The Generales are in charge so you better stay where you belong. Where is this? It’s Cenote City. You don’t know if you are visiting a dystopian version of our world or a parallel universe somewhere far off. The characters are also just as mysterious as their surroundings. Clowns, magic, pomade haired men, all give this story a dark charm you won’t forget. I recommend this book if you want fresh prose that take you to a place like no other I’ve read recently.
Support a Latinx author and read this book!

[Tattooed Horror Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cenote City by Monique Quintana, a place where the everyday intermingles with magic and death is a constant, almost comforting presence. This slim book could easily have been a rushed through page-turner, but the beauty of the writing called for slowing down & submerging into the prose. Highly recommend for lovers of magical realism, of death as part of life, and the many ways love can manifest. @clashbooks
#booksofinstagram #bookstagram #magicalrealism #moniquequintana #cenotecity #clashbooks #nightworms #reader #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendation

[Nikolai Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird an magical is how I would describe this book. As a poet I enjoyed so many good lines in this novella. The Author also created an amazing world filled with well developed characters and magical realism. I hope the author writes another book based in Cenote City so I can revisit this place again. A truly fun read.

[Margaret Adelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads less like a single story and more like a collection of surreal short stories told with recurring characters. It's non-liner and poetic to the point where I wasn't sure what's a metaphor and what's literal.

Rating this is difficult, as it set out with a specific artistic vision and definitely achieved that technically. But I found myself confused and rereading often. A large part of that is my own ignorance of the Mexican culture, so take that with a grain of salt.

My favorite part was the interactions between characters, especially Lupe and her group of friends. I also enjoyed Nico's devotion to his grandmother. But the ending seemed strangely unfinished. Like there was something else that needed to be added.

In short, the book achieved exactly what it meant to. It just turns out that it's not my particular cup of tea.

[Abelardo Valdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cenote City reads like a dream thanks to poetic writing coupled with the magical reality of the story. I was propelled to read deep into the night because I wanted to experience the next beautiful simile, metaphor, or image. The titles of each chapter/section were enough to persuade me to reject sleep. Thankfully Quintana does not sacrifice character development for poetry. All the main actors are well fleshed out.

Because it is a magical realist work, comparisons to Pedro Páramo, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and House of Spirits are inevitable. While those three are classics, Cenote City feels like the most unique of the four. It´s definitely essential reading for those who love magical realism but it´s also a book I can recommend to people who are not afraid of reading a dream.

[Kevin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like making your way through fever dreams, half-remembered nightmares and religious visions all stitched together in a swirling story.

There are gorgeous passages like this peppered throughout:

“He wanted all the women in Cenote City to walk in there and drink from that poem that was like trees and vapor and shade and blood and jewels on the wall.”

And:

“I could hear tree leaves rustle outside and the smoke of Yuri’s lit cigarette was a necklace that I want to choke myself with.”

Could I explain the story this book is telling to you? No.

But I will encourage you to read it and enjoy the otherworldly experience.

[Ruben Degollado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monique Quintana has created a new genre with Cenote City: Barrio Magical Realism. You will find yourself reading and rereading passages, trying to find the places where our familiar reality bleeds into the reality of Cenote City and back again. I look forward to reading more from this powerful author.

[Marley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing imagery and use of language.
I want to read more from Monique Quintana!

There were a few editing/consistency issues that I found distracting as I read and detracted from staying within the mindset of the story. However, overall it was beautiful and magical!

[Julia DeBarrioz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a poem that will bite you in the heart then offer you a flower.

Exquisitely sad.

Defiantly beautiful.

I devoured this in two sittings. Ms. Quintana's prose is like a fever dream I didn't want to wake up from.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the way this book interweaves the multiple worlds, if in fact there is a difference and we just don’t think there is. It makes the story both clear and ephemeral, and a delight to read. Beautiful and haunting.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous!