Book description
Translated by Sophie HughesSet in and around the city of Veracruz in Mexico, This Is Not Miami delivers a series of devastating stories - spiralling from real events - that bleed together reportage and the author's rich and rigorous imagination. These crónicas - a genre unique to Latin American writing that blends reportage, narrative non-fiction and novelistic forms - probe deeply into the motivations of murderers and misfits, into their desires and circumstances, forcing us to understand them - and even empathize - despite our wish to disdain them as monsters. As in her hugely acclaimed novels Hurricane Season and Paradais, and once again brilliantly translated by Sophie Hughes, Fernanda Melchor's masterful stories show how the violent and shocking aberrations that make the headlines are only the surface ruptures of a society on the brink of chaos.'Fernanda Melchor has a powerful voice, and by powerful I mean unsparing, devastating, the voice of someone who writes with rage and has the skill to pull it off.'- Samanta Schweblin, author of Fever Dream'Time spent with her writing leaves no doubt: the unholy noise she creates is the work of someone who knows exactly which notes to hit.'- Chris Power, Guardian'Melchor evokes the stories of Flannery O'Connor, or, more recently, Marlon James's A Brief History of Seven Killings. Impressive.'- Julian Lucas, New York Times'She isn't holding a Stendhalian mirror up to Mexican society; she's dissecting its body and its psyche at the same time, unafraid of what she might find. ... In Melchor's world, there's no resisting the violence, much less hating it. All a novelist can do, she seems to suggest, is take a long, unsparing look at the hell that we've made.'- Juan Gabriel Vázquez, New Yorker'Skillfully translated by Hughes, this is a book that's as gorgeous as it is dark, and it proves that Melchor is one of the finest writers working today. Absolutely stunning.'-Kirkus starred review
Dahlia Bumble
I'm amazed at how immersive the experience is – it's like being inside the story. With this app, I've found a way to make my daily errands more enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. With ListenBook, downloading audiobooks has become hassle-free, thanks to the various download options. Perfect for listening to lectures and speeches. Highly useful app. ListenBook is the best audiobook player I’ve ever used. The app is packed with features like customizable skip intervals, playback speed, and sleep timers. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, making it a joy to use. Five stars!
Judge
💼 Making work hours enjoyable – audiobooks turn my tasks into learning opportunities and moments of joy. 💻📖 The app's compatibility with CarPlay is a dream for road trips. It keeps me entertained.
Lucifurious
This app has made waiting in lines and queues an opportunity for exploration and enjoyment. Every moment is a chance to explore new stories with this app. Its intuitive features and compatibility ensure my audiobook journey is seamless. 🌌🎧
Gunhawk
Listening to audiobooks has become my guilt-free indulgence, and I love it. This app's library is a treasure trove – I'm always discovering new favorites. ListenBook’s support for Apple Watch is a great touch. I can control my audiobooks on the go.
Avenge Paws
With ListenBook, I can enjoy my audiobooks with enhanced sound quality and personalized settings. This app's sleek design and effortless controls have made audiobook listening an immersive experience. 💃 Dancing through chores with audiobooks – this app turns cleaning into a lively and literary affair! 🎶📚 ListenBook's player features are incredibly helpful. Chapters and bookmarks make navigation easy.
ThoughtTrail
🎶📚 Tuning in to the symphony of stories – audiobooks are the soundtrack of my daily routines. 🎵📚 ListenBook has truly transformed my audiobook experience. The sleek interface, extensive format support, and easy downloading options make it my go-to app! ListenBook has become my go-to workout companion. It keeps me motivated and entertained.
Delirium
ListenBook's compatibility with various formats means I can now enjoy all my favorite audiobooks in one place. ListenBook's support for CarPlay and Apple Watch is a game-changer for my on-the-go listening. Audiobooks have become my constant companions, and this app's seamless functionality and diverse compatibility ensure that every tale is a captivating journey. 🌌🎧 ListenBook's interface is so intuitive. I was up and running in no time.
Guillotine
ListenBook has brought stories back into my life, making every moment a new adventure. 📚 Accessing my favorite authors and genres is a breeze with this app's user-friendly functionality. 📱🎧 I love the download options. ListenBook gives me so many ways to get my audiobooks onto my device. The app is perfect for multitasking. I can listen while doing other things. A functional audiobook. It kept me entertained, but I wasn’t blown away. The narrator’s performance was competent, though some emotional scenes fell a bit flat.
Bleeker
I'm absolutely in love with this app! It's like a library of stories in my pocket. I'm hooked on this app's intuitive features – from chapters to playback controls. ListenBook has made my daily activities more interesting and meaningful – I'm hooked!
SkyGod
As a language learner, this app has been invaluable in improving my listening skills. ListenBook's dedication to excellence shines through in its performance and features. 🎉 The ease and functionality of this app make it my go-to choice for immersive audiobook experiences. 📱🎧 This app has completely transformed my daily routine. I can't imagine my commute without it! The app is perfect for people who love to listen to books while commuting.
Rope
Great for fans of this genre! The pacing, narration, and production quality were all excellent. It felt like a movie playing in my mind. I’ll be checking out more from this narrator for sure. Incredible character voices! Each person felt distinct without being over-the-top. The emotional scenes gave me chills with how well they were delivered.
Parallax Sugar
ListenBook has made my daily activities more interesting and meaningful – I'm hooked! ListenBook has taken my audio content to new heights, making every moment more meaningful. 🏃♂️📚 Running through chapters, literally! This app keeps me motivated on the track. 🏃♂️📖 The app is perfect for people who love to listen to books while exercising. I love the ability to change the playback pitch. It’s a unique feature.
Gothic Gucci
Audiobook multitasking made simple – this app's functionality is a true delight. My audiobook collection has never looked better. Thanks to automatic artwork and metadata. ListenBook has become my workout buddy. It's seamlessly integrated with Apple Watch. With its powerful audio downloading features, I can have my favorite audiobooks ready to go, anytime and anywhere.
Zero Corn
With ListenBook, I've unlocked a world of educational and entertaining content right at my fingertips. ListenBook's audio filters are a fantastic addition, enhancing the sound quality of my audio files. Automatic artwork and metadata retrieval is a time-saver. My library looks fantastic. Automatic extraction of artwork and metadata adds a touch of elegance to my audiobook collection. I don't have strong feelings about this one either way. The narration was competent but forgettable. The story itself was more engaging than the performance.
Sir Shark
I'm rediscovering my love for literature through this app – it's revitalizing. This app's seamless integration with CarPlay and other devices has revolutionized my audiobook experience.
Parallax Sugar
I've become the go-to storyteller at bedtime with the help of this magical app. ListenBook's user-friendly controls and innovative features have made it an essential tool for my audiobook enjoyment. With this app, my daily commute has transformed into an engaging journey through captivating stories. 🚶♂️🌟 Strolling through captivating narratives has never been easier – this app's intuitive controls make audiobook listening a delight. 🎧🏞️ This audiobook made my workouts fly by! The engaging narration kept me motivated to keep listening, which meant longer gym sessions. The narrator's energy matched the material perfectly - upbeat when needed, somber when appropriate. A great example of how narration can enhance text.
Spicy Thunder
This app's compatibility with various devices ensures that I can enjoy my audiobooks wherever I am. Elegant design and easy-to-use interface. Very happy with ListenBook. This app is perfect for anyone who loves audiobooks. The interface is sleek and modern, and the playback controls are super responsive. I also appreciate the cloud integration, which lets me access my books from anywhere. Great work! What a fantastic listening experience! The narrator brought the characters to life with distinct voices and emotional depth. The pacing was perfect - not too fast to lose details, not too slow to become boring. I particularly appreciated how well the narrator conveyed the atmosphere of key scenes.
Snow Hound
Thanks to ListenBook's extensive statistics, I can track my audiobook consumption and celebrate my progress. This app's support for various formats has made my audiobook collection even more diverse and exciting. The statistics tracking feature is eye-opening. I never realized how much time I spend on audiobooks until now!
Dewdrop Doll
Thanks to this app, listening to audiobooks has become a delightful habit. Book groups are a thoughtful addition. They help me keep related titles together for a seamless experience. I can’t believe how easy it is to manage my audiobook library with ListenBook. Highly recommended!
Apex
Sharing audiobooks with friends through AirDrop and Sharing on ListenBook Pro is fantastic. 📚 Embracing reading in the digital age – this app makes accessing books a seamless and enjoyable experience. 📱🎉 The narrator was good but spoke a bit too slowly for my taste. I had to speed it up to 1.2x which then made some parts sound slightly unnatural.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience