"Aura" by Carlos Fuentes

"Aura" by Carlos Fuentes is one of those books that make the reader confused in the end and rethink the hidden messages throughout the text. The thing that made this book creepy for me was the fact that it was in second person point of view and that little questionable incidents. By writing in second person point of view, Fuentes situates and pulls the reader into the story to make them feel like they are actually experiencing the storyline as well. There were some strange and questionable events that occur throughout the book. The first noticeable event is how the ad seems to be directed towards Felipe as if it is specifically asking him to do the job. Another strange event is how Felipe hears cats screaming which we later learn is Consuelo's way of making their love favorable since she isn't able to have kids.  Overall, I think "Aura" is more frightening than "The Haunting of Hill House" because it directly addresses the reader and the magical realism adds anxiety to readers because the characters don't seemed frightened by strange events. 

-Alice Lee