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annamorgan27's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Racism
mezzano's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Milk Blood Heat is exquisitely written, with a tight understanding of language creating an entrancing reading experience. I went into this book blind, as I had heard that this collection of stories were examples of beautiful prose but nothing of its contents. Before I can recommend this book to anyone, be aware that these stories are dark and at times horrific. Moniz's stories deserve to be sipped and ruminated on, rather than read quickly in one sitting.
Although each story is written expertly, it's likely that a couple stories will linger in your mind more than others. The story about a woman grieving after her miscarriage and another woman realizing her child is in a romantic relationship with her teacher in particular stand out a day or two after reading the book. Readers should be warned that while these stories do have a beginning, middle, and end, their resolutions are at times not as clear or complete as some may hope for. (The open ended nature of these stories are part of the reason that each story should be dissected and interpreted by the reader before starting the next one.)
For readers who are fans of horror elements or literary fiction, this book is certain to live up to expectations. For a debut short story collection especially, Milk Blood Heat is a triumph. Despite its taboo elements described in the book, it's clearly capable of hooking its readers.
Although each story is written expertly, it's likely that a couple stories will linger in your mind more than others. The story about a woman grieving after her miscarriage and another woman realizing her child is in a romantic relationship with her teacher in particular stand out a day or two after reading the book. Readers should be warned that while these stories do have a beginning, middle, and end, their resolutions are at times not as clear or complete as some may hope for. (The open ended nature of these stories are part of the reason that each story should be dissected and interpreted by the reader before starting the next one.)
For readers who are fans of horror elements or literary fiction, this book is certain to live up to expectations. For a debut short story collection especially, Milk Blood Heat is a triumph. Despite its taboo elements described in the book, it's clearly capable of hooking its readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
franklybookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
4.25 / 5 stars
CW: suicidal ideation, rape, sexual abuse, miscarriage, abortion, cannibalism, suicide, grief
"What is the nature of hate? What's it useful for? And Zey imagines the townspeople, their whispers, and cruel laws, their narrowed eyes. How they ostracized the women [The Scarlet Letter], conspired to contain her light.
They were scared of her, Zey tells the teacher, realizing it as she speaks, and he jabs a finger in her direction. Yes! Exactly that, he says. Now he's getting excited, pacing before their desks, and Zey tilts forward in her seat, angling closer to his truth. Hate, he continues is almost always a cover for some perceived psychological threat-- our guilt or pain. Our fear. And how do we treat things of which we are afraid?" from 'Tongues'
Review: I found this debut to be a remarkable, authentic, and poignant collection of moments, interactions, relationships, and individuals grounded in common situations, yet hidden in the dark spaces of what we keep out of public eyes. Written in a lyrical, truly raw, and unencumbered way it's impossible to not feel compelled and emotionally linked to these characters. Moniz, in so few pages, draws the reader in and develops foundational relationships, in many ways better and stronger than many 200+ page novels do. Many of these stories, although ambiguous in nature and lacking traditional resolutions, find great success in the emotional transference to readers of what the characters are going through, how they are attempting to navigate life, and the impact of their relationships.
As with most short story collections, some stories were stronger than others. 'Milk Blood Heat' the first story presented and from which the whole collection is named, is one of the stronger pieces. Additionally, 'Tongues' and 'The Hearts of Our Enemies' stood out to me, though none of the stories stood out as a true "week link", the entire collection is strong. I personally loved the darkness of these stories, to me that darkness mimicked true life and meant there was no shying away from the truth of difficult situations and the impact of mental health.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advanced e-copy in exchange for a fair review*
CW: suicidal ideation, rape, sexual abuse, miscarriage, abortion, cannibalism, suicide, grief
"What is the nature of hate? What's it useful for? And Zey imagines the townspeople, their whispers, and cruel laws, their narrowed eyes. How they ostracized the women [The Scarlet Letter], conspired to contain her light.
They were scared of her, Zey tells the teacher, realizing it as she speaks, and he jabs a finger in her direction. Yes! Exactly that, he says. Now he's getting excited, pacing before their desks, and Zey tilts forward in her seat, angling closer to his truth. Hate, he continues is almost always a cover for some perceived psychological threat-- our guilt or pain. Our fear. And how do we treat things of which we are afraid?" from 'Tongues'
Review: I found this debut to be a remarkable, authentic, and poignant collection of moments, interactions, relationships, and individuals grounded in common situations, yet hidden in the dark spaces of what we keep out of public eyes. Written in a lyrical, truly raw, and unencumbered way it's impossible to not feel compelled and emotionally linked to these characters. Moniz, in so few pages, draws the reader in and develops foundational relationships, in many ways better and stronger than many 200+ page novels do. Many of these stories, although ambiguous in nature and lacking traditional resolutions, find great success in the emotional transference to readers of what the characters are going through, how they are attempting to navigate life, and the impact of their relationships.
As with most short story collections, some stories were stronger than others. 'Milk Blood Heat' the first story presented and from which the whole collection is named, is one of the stronger pieces. Additionally, 'Tongues' and 'The Hearts of Our Enemies' stood out to me, though none of the stories stood out as a true "week link", the entire collection is strong. I personally loved the darkness of these stories, to me that darkness mimicked true life and meant there was no shying away from the truth of difficult situations and the impact of mental health.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advanced e-copy in exchange for a fair review*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
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