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This Is Not Miami

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( 5,542 ratings, 963 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
This Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor blurs the line between reality and fiction, diving into the gritty and often surreal stories tied to the Mexican coastal city of Veracruz. Through a series of gripping accounts, Melchor uncovers the raw and untold narratives of crime, corruption, and the daily struggles of its inhabitants, offering a striking reflection on society and human nature.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by the gritty and compelling narratives of real-life events. Fernanda Melchor's writing blends vivid storytelling with deep insight into the darker side of human nature, making it a fascinating read for those interested in uncovering the unseen layers of society.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Set in and around the city of Veracruz in Mexico, This Is Not Miami delivers twelve devastating stories that spiral from real events. These cronicás—a genre unique to Latin American writing, blending reportage and fiction—probe the motivations of murderers and misfits, compelling us to understand or even empathise with them.

Melchor is like a ventriloquist, using a range of distinctive voices to evoke the smells, sounds, and words of this fascinating world that includes mistreated women, damaged families, refugees, prisoners, and even a beauty queen.

As in her hugely acclaimed novels Hurricane Season and Paradais, Fernanda Melchor’s masterful stories show how the violent and shocking events that make the headlines are only the surface ruptures of a society on the brink of chaos.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

This Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor has been praised for its powerful and unsparing narrative voice, often described as both devastating and skillful. Reviewers draw comparisons to authors like Flannery O’Connor and Marlon James, noting Melchor's muscular, sensory-driven prose. Her storytelling is seen as a dissection of Mexican society, unafraid to expose harsh realities, yet it is crafted with a hypnotic beauty. Despite its dark themes, the book offers a captivating and provocative exploration of truth, demonstrating Melchor's strong, emerging voice in literature.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922790200

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 April 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Contributors:

  • Translated by Sophie Hughes

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Fernanda Melchor was born in 1982 in Veracruz, Mexico. She is widely recognised as one of Mexico’s most exciting new voices. She won the Anna-Seghers-Preis and the International Literature Award for Hurricane Season, which was also longlisted for the National Book Award, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and was a New York Times Notable Book. Her most recent novel, Paradais, was published in 2022 and was longlisted for the International Booker Prize. This Is Not Miami is a collection of narrative non-fiction pieces. Melchor’s books are published in thirty-four territories. She lives in Mexico.

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