I’m going to gush again about McDaniel. What an amazing flare for writing these themes that are dark- good vs evil.
The devil has come to Breathed, OhiI’m going to gush again about McDaniel. What an amazing flare for writing these themes that are dark- good vs evil.
The devil has come to Breathed, Ohio. It’s a blazing inferno of heat that summer in 1984. The hottest it’s ever been. Sal, a teen boy, claims to be the devil. Received an invitation from the town lawyer, Autopsy Bliss.
A chain of events begin to happen. The town starts to believe Sal is the root of evil- Even when these things can be rationally explained.
McDaniel has us dig deep in this debut with her metaphors, her characters, her demands that we look at evil and how we are the ones who create it: by ignoring it, by buying into it, by being fearful of it.
Themes of family, friendships, racism; discrimination; anxiety, agoraphobia.
Some earlier physicians were doctors, bona fide surgeons; others claimed to be doctors but were inept butchers. When it came to medical science in theSome earlier physicians were doctors, bona fide surgeons; others claimed to be doctors but were inept butchers. When it came to medical science in the early 1800’s, Dr. Silas Weir, led his own research into the field of “gyno-psychiatry”. WHAT?
This is a fact based story as well as fiction so buckle up and be prepared to be horrified.
We follow Silas' life through his son’s POV. The earlier days, when the apprenticing doctor Weir, was exiled from his family and town for taking needless & reckless risks. A few years later, a distant uncle anointed Silas the Director for the Trenton Asylum for Female Lunatics. Here is where the mad scientist began his experiments. No code of ethics; no governance; Often no anesthetic. Here he had the freedom to test and document his research to ensure publication. Driven by arrogance, ignorance and pride.
This was a compelling yet horrific account of women imprisoned for reasons only a man could determine and treated inhumanely by a man. Weir may have made some significant contributions to the medical field with tools that were never patented, however, given the brutality these women suffered at the expense of his god complex, he was a sadistic torturer who went into a field that he was repulsed by.
JCO, you got my full attention with this one. 4.25⭐️...more
What begins as a sad story becomes a warped and twisted one. And it’s intense.
Marianne, a mother, is the centre of the universe for her 2 teen daughteWhat begins as a sad story becomes a warped and twisted one. And it’s intense.
Marianne, a mother, is the centre of the universe for her 2 teen daughters, Mae & Edie. But when she attempts suicide, the girls are forced to move in with their estranged father. The story is told from multiple POV’s -each voice distinctive in their own perceptions of what they've witnessed in this dysfunctional family.
This is about mental illness and abuse- how they become entwined; the victims; the social injustices - the obvious ones but also the hidden ones; the betrayals from the ones who should have been the most trustworthy.
The prose is beautiful and poetic; the subject is brutal and raw. A debut from 2018 that flew under the radar. Clearly an author to watch for (Apekina has a new release coming out this year!)
Thank you to my GR friends who brought this one to my attention although I’m now emotionally drained. 5⭐️...more
Sally is strange. And quirky. She has a tendency to interpret things quite literally which draws unwanted attention to her now, at the age of 43. PeopSally is strange. And quirky. She has a tendency to interpret things quite literally which draws unwanted attention to her now, at the age of 43. People remember Strange Sally Diamond. Her autism; her odd behaviours. Some even remember the horrors she endured before she turned 7. She doesn't. But now those memories are creeping to the surface. And maybe Sally isn’t all that strange after all. Maybe her awkwardness and weirdness stems from her horrific childhood. Maybe that can explain her complex behaviours.
Nugent, you thrilled me! But this was not a delightful story. It was dark. It was disturbing. It was compelling. And Sally. What an authentic character. 4.25⭐️...more
This is a spicy dish served up with a side of sex, betrayal, sex and murder. Until the main course begins and it all goes to hell.
The themes - postparThis is a spicy dish served up with a side of sex, betrayal, sex and murder. Until the main course begins and it all goes to hell.
The themes - postpartum depression, loss of identity, desire, infidelity, friendship, eating disorders, parenting or lack of, and the kicker -the aftershocks that will last forever for the victims- the children left broken; struggling to pull their lives together for many, many years.
This one was raw. Twins born to a junkie. A tragic upbringing that had nowhere to go but down. They say twins are 2 halves of each other. Arc & Daisy. BThis one was raw. Twins born to a junkie. A tragic upbringing that had nowhere to go but down. They say twins are 2 halves of each other. Arc & Daisy. Both sharing the same eye trait- each having one green and one blue. Identities tied together. The early neglect and abuse leading to the euphoria of drugs and the dark side but still they were able to find fragments of love and beauty.
The reality, haunting. Women missing or found dead in the river. Women who the town wanted forgotten. Sisters, mothers, daughters. Addicts.
McDaniel can write. This was intense and will stay with me for a very long time. These Queens who wore their crowns on the savage side of life....more
My hair has been standing on end for the duration of this read. My nerves, frayed. This story pushed me over the edge.
Motherhood not all perfect. ButMy hair has been standing on end for the duration of this read. My nerves, frayed. This story pushed me over the edge.
Motherhood not all perfect. But there are moments as moms I’m sure we can relate to. The fatigue, the irritation, the frustration. It’s not all joy, love and adoration. At times it can verge on insanity.
Fear of inheriting the abuse that has cycled through the last 2 generations, Blythe Connor, who has become a mother, is trying desperately to not be the one she had. So much so, that it seems to have skipped a generation and jumped right into her daughter -fresh out of the womb.
This was so disturbing yet I had to keep reading. It was like watching a train wreck.
It could only end the way it did. Gasp. 4 ⭐️...more
On the Savage Side shook me. It was raw. I’m now circling back to Betty, an earlier work by McDaniel, to see if this has similar sharp edges. It does.On the Savage Side shook me. It was raw. I’m now circling back to Betty, an earlier work by McDaniel, to see if this has similar sharp edges. It does.
Betty is one of 8 children. Her father is Cherokee and her mother white. They experience discrimination, mental illness, abuse and grief. The struggles and challenges of poverty due to their circumstances. A father who shares his deep roots and traditions of the Cherokee with his children through his story telling and through the connection with the land and wildlife. He is the screw that keeps this family from unhinging.
But, sometimes a dad can’t keep a family from from collapsing. Sometimes small tears turn into unmendable rips.
Betty will bend your heart with all she has witnessed. But even in that darkness, she finds hope, truth and strength.
I remain your faithful fangirl, McDaniel. You’ve blown me away with this one now, too....more
I feel violated for having read this yet couldn’t stop. This is dark & disturbing. A teacher taking advantage of his student. 15 years later he’s been I feel violated for having read this yet couldn’t stop. This is dark & disturbing. A teacher taking advantage of his student. 15 years later he’s been accused by another student. The structure takes us back to Vanessa’s year when this started. The way the manipulation began. Targeting her as being lonely. No friends. Whispering to her things to build her confidence only to break it down. The verbal and physical abuse. The shame and the fear. The coercion. The complicity. The power an abuser holds over their victim. The trauma inflicted that can take years to confront.To heal.
This one left me feeling conflicted. I hated it but couldn’t stop reading it. I could feel my stomach lurching. This will make your skin crawl. And although the author stresses at the beginning of this story that it is a work of fiction, it’s undeniably authentic. Def not for anyone with abuse triggers. 4⭐️...more
Little Sally Horner sitting on a corner. Except Sally is not Jack and this is no nursery rhyme. Instead this is a horrific and tragic story of the abdLittle Sally Horner sitting on a corner. Except Sally is not Jack and this is no nursery rhyme. Instead this is a horrific and tragic story of the abduction of an 11 year old girl in 1948. This is based on the true story where Sally is given voice of who she may have been and how she survived an experience that would shape her life drastically as well as those who knew her.
This is not an easy read - It’s disturbing as this child was molested repeatedly. But, there are relationships that bring a dimension of hope. There are moments of beauty when everything seems dark and ugly. It’s the story of a girl who will forever be lost but touched by the stars to make her whole and it will break your heart. 5⭐️...more
My Absolute Darling is absolutely disturbing. And dark. And depressing. Turtle is 14 years old and is being abused by her father - physically, sexuallMy Absolute Darling is absolutely disturbing. And dark. And depressing. Turtle is 14 years old and is being abused by her father - physically, sexually and emotionally. He is an extreme renegade survivalist and has isolated Turtle from friends, from people.
They live in a remote part of California along the coast where she often escapes in order to breathe and sort out the emotional mess and confusion she is gripped with. During one of these escapes, she makes a friend. A boy who is a little older than her and she is forced to confront the lies she has been living with.
Did I like this? I'm not a sadist. But it was gripping, intense and evoked such a visceral repsonse from disgust, to hate, to hope. I think this author has talent, but not sure he needs to spin a tail in such detail to capture our attention.
This is one is tough to rate. It was gripping but if you aren't comfortable with being uncomfortable, this is definitely a novel to stay away from.
Would I recommend it? Hmmm. I have an iron stomach but this one tested its strength. I have to give it 4⭐️ though. It had me by the seat of my pants for the whole ride. I’m holding back a star because I'm not sure Tallent had to go the places he took me. But, at the same time, I'm not sure I would have arrived there if he hadn't. This one will stay with me....more
There is a whole lot of ugly going on in this novel. It made me feel uncomfortable and squirmy as I read it. But....
Wavy is the daughter of meth addicThere is a whole lot of ugly going on in this novel. It made me feel uncomfortable and squirmy as I read it. But....
Wavy is the daughter of meth addicts. Parents who often ignore her and abuse her. She's silent most of the time, preferring not to speak and not to be touched as she has been taught by her mom it's dirty. She is; her body is; her mouth is. The wonderful is her quandary of a relationship with a man, Kellen, whom she met when she was 8 and has allowed into her heart. He is her protection and safe haven in a life no child should have. Kellen, genuine and sincere, loves her - nothing intimate for several years until she turns 14. Now, I'm not condoning a relationship with a child and an adult. No way, no how. It isn't ok. However, he was the only sure thing that held her steady during those formidable years. The only love she received unconditionally. In this case, Orion was aligned.
This book will turn you upside down and have you question your own morals. Was it wrong? Without a doubt. Was it right? For this story, as much as I don't want to admit, it was her saving grace.
Bryn, you've created a controversial and shocking story. It was beautifully written and although quite ugly, I will not be forgetting this one, likely ever. And for that, it is wonderful. 5*****...more
This narrative shocked me; enraged me; then frightened me. Krakauer exposes a rape culture that resides in the University of Missoula, Montana. Rape iThis narrative shocked me; enraged me; then frightened me. Krakauer exposes a rape culture that resides in the University of Missoula, Montana. Rape is the most under reported, prevalent violent crime against women and often committed by men whom they are acquainted with. This looks at 3 specific cases where the accused are football players. No more than 20% of rapes are reported. Why? Just look at how they are adjudicated. The victim re-victimized and traumatized physically through the collection of evidence and emotionally through the retelling to school officials, police, lawyers. Their own lives being scrutinized, smeared. The accused regarded as heroes; icons; untouchables; holding a sense of entitlement; impunity; immunity. Krakauer debunks the rape myth that victims are drunk, promiscuous, or sending mixed messages. Stats reflect this to be an issue of a much larger scale. It’s an epidemic in the U.S. I’d like to think being in Canada this doesn’t happen here. I’d like to think that as my daughter prepares to embark on her university education in less than 12 months. But that’s a fallacy. The reality is: rape is real and more prevalent in these communities where victims know their assailants. We need to be more compassionate and supportive of these victims who are courageous enough to come forward. We need to be advocates and also ensure our young men know what’s right, what’s wrong and what is NOT ok. EVER. 4*...more
Canadian Jen
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