In the celebrated Ecuadorian author's first work to appear in English—a noir, feminist eco-thriller—venally corrupt politicians and greedy land speculators finally get their just comeuppance.
The piece has the atmosphere of a journalistic feature, not only because Varas—the journalist—is our hero, but because the division between fiction and nonfiction is blurry ... Throughout the book, Alemán embroiders a series of characters that are at times ironical, and other times fall into the depiction of cartoons. They are playful and ironic, however (at times) it feels like the outcome of their actions is predictable or too good to be true. But the masterfulness of the piece lies in how language plays a fundamental role to understanding the interaction between places (the ground and the underground), belief systems (religion and patriarchy), and power (politics and money). If you are looking for an exciting story to take your breath away—non-stop— Poso Wells is the answer ... [Alemán] draws a full circle of political and social criticism while still preserving the freshness of her voice. After getting to the end, we might look for an excuse to read her again.
Mixing satire with fantasy and ribald humor, [Alemán] creates an imaginary wasteland called Poso Wells where hundreds of women disappear mysteriously and grotesque occurrences happen every day ... Dick Cluster, the translator, has fused the poetic with the tabloid and brought the work of one of Latin America’s rising literary stars to readers in North America. Poso Wells can be read with pleasure in one long sitting and then reread for nuances and subtleties that surprise and entertain.
Poso Wells is a perfect complement for the current political state of the United States and the hopelessness caused by constant access to terrible news via social media. The story speaks to the delusion and god complex involved in wanting to lead an entire nation and the destructive power of indifference and greed. It also touches on the silence behind the pervasive violence women encounter in their daily lives. Alemán has created a disturbing, absurd, at times heart-wrenching story about the atrocities committed by patriarchs in power and the difficulty in fighting against colonialism.
