Melody Writes

“I’m hungry and it’s two in the morning. The fridge is empty. And Mom is dead on the couch.” Right from the first paragraph, Liz Kerin yanks you into her world and keeps you there with her juxtaposition of simple phrases - “Fifth grade started last week” - with heart-stopping ones like “The couch is stained purple. It used to be blue.” and all its implications. This style reflects the life of the main character, Mia. She must navigate an outwardly ordinary life while her home is the literal playground of monsters. We learn about Mia through alternating timelines of her in her early twenties growing up with a monstrous mother. Monstrous, not only because she’s a vampire, but how she treats her daughter. Unable to have friends, lovers, or anything of her own, Mia sacrifices everything for her mother, who shows little remorse for taking it. Everything changes when Jade enters Mia’s life. Jade has all the markings of a manic pixie dream girl, but that is exactly what Mia needs to come into...

My third Natalie Haynes book after the Children of Jocasta and 1000 ships, and to be honest, my least favourite of the three. I had high expectations about what she would bring to the tale of Medusa and Perseus, but I wasn't ready for the pure, raw hatred of Perseus that permeates this story, or the lack of Medusa herself. Like 1000 ships, Haynes rotates viewpoints giving voice to a myriad of unexpected characters. This works well with the Trojan War, as it allows her to bring neglected female characters to the forefront, but the cast in Medusa's tale is much smaller and the added creatures (olives, crows, etc) only serve to detract from the characters that interested me. Haynes is faithful to the myth as most know it, so instead of focusing on what she does with the plot, I'd like to discuss the major characters and what she does with each of them.     Spoilers for the Book from here on out.   Medusa Medusa is still a bit part in her own narrative. Her point of view is ...

I found Ruth Anna Evans through Twitter and have become a quick fan. Her work is always dark and upsetting, but cathartic in that special way good horror is. Accidental Death, her latest short, is a heavy, but engaging read. I blasted through it in one sitting and even though I knew something horrible was going to happen, I had to see it through.  Jeremiah is a young man struggling with his responsibilities as a new parent. He makes a series of choices with dire consequences. What is particularly chilling about this story is that anyone could make the same choices. A night out with the guys or stay at home? Rush to the hospital after a few beers or let someone else drive? These are the choices that many face just in their regular lives. Unfortunately for Jeremiah, he chooses poorly and destroys several lives. The first half introduces us to Jeremiah and even though it's only a short story, I felt like I knew Jeremiah well. Evans brings him and his little family to life quite effici...