Monstrilio: A Novel by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

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.

REVIEWS

“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

“How to explain my love of this bizarre book? It is grotesque, heavy, gut-wrenching, and painful and I still loved it . . . There is a lot in this story to unpack around death, self-acceptance, unconditional love, and challenging social norms.” ―Cheri Anderson, Boston Globe

“In his masterful and surreal debut novel, Mexican author Gerardo Sámano Córdova revels in the mire of grief, then lifts the veil and gets playful with it, like the Brothers Grimm ghostwriting Stephen King . . . Monstrilio is full of surprises and delightfully messed up―at once precise and inscrutable and horrifying.” ―Patrick Rapa, The Philadelphia Inquirer

PRODUCT DETAILS
Paperback
Publisher: Zando
ISBN:  978-1638931607
Pages: 336