Flatiron Books
Anita de Monte Laughs Last: Reese's Book Club Pick (a Novel)
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REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK - New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death
A Best Book of 2024: Kirkus, TIME, NPR, Goodreads, Electric Lit and more!
"Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez asks some big questions, like who in art or history is remembered, who is left behind or erased and WHY. I have goosebumps just talking about this story." ―Reese Witherspoon 1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn't. By 1998 Anita's name has been all but forgotten--certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita's story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist. Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781250786210
EAN:
9781250786210
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
352
Authors:
Xochitl Gonzalez
Publisher:
Flatiron Books
Published Date: 2024-05-03
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Couldn’t put it down! Worthy and delicious read.
As an English major, I'd say skip this book. Too much complaining and too many stereotypical characters. The best part of the book is the afterlife of one of the main characters, but I found it a slog to get there. As an editor I would have sent the book back to be reworked.
I wish I could give this book more stars, because it really deserves it. It's one of those books I really wanted to chew, swallow and digest little by little to be able to enjoy it and even though it made me feel all sorts of emotions good and bad (but all for good reasons) I couldn't get enough of it. This is a love letter to Latina artists, their legacy and their relevance in this world. The ones that the world wanted to shut down and make invisible. I really loved "Olga dies dreaming" but "Anita de Monte Laugh Last" is an entire new level.
This book has all of what makes art enjoyable…surprise, mystery, balance, emotion, juxtaposition, tension. The characters and their journeys were super compelling. Even though there was enough foreshadowing that the reader would know what was coming next, it was still so enjoyable to ride along with the story and see how it played out in graphic detail. There was a point around the 2/3-3/4 mark that could have been edited down a bit…I wanted Raquel to make her big moves more quickly. But overall I read it in a day and couldn’t put it down.
Beautiful, chaotic, tortured, & powerful are all words that come to mind when I think of this book. If you’re a woman with passion who’s ever allowed people to make you feel powerless, this one’s for you. I feel so rejuvenated and empowered after reading this. I feel like I can conquer anything. This book is gonna stick with me, I can feel it
