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ashleyjewell's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Peach Pit was a wonderfully insane collection of short stories. Each story added something different to the whole, and I enjoyed most of them. I will say, some of the characters weren’t exactly morally grey as the editor’s note at the beginning mentioned since several of the main characters committed murder, however, I loved what this book is doing for the unsavory female lead! It’s definitely not for the faint of heart (Maps in particular) so check the content warning before giving it a scoop. My favorites where The Devil’s Doorbell by Amanda Leduc, Amaranth by Lauren Groff, and Manifestation by Sarah Rose Etter!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Child abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit
mackinseyjoy's review
challenging
dark
funny
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
4.25
Peach Pit is a collection of sixteen short stories that can each be described as individual villain origin stories, all centered around women. Historically, origin stories for 'bad women' often revolve around tragedy: bad women aren't bad, they are simply victims of bad circumstances.
What I found striking about Peach Pit was just how unsympathetic many of the central characters were (Maps and Mrs. Wrong, I'm looking at you BOTH). Their choices were motivated by greed, lust, or rage. Each writer brings their own specific writing style, making the reading experience more fun.
My favorite stories were Fuckboy Museum, A Scholarship Opportunity, and Aquafina, but all of the stories were unique and horrifying in very different ways. This collection will serve as a starting point for me to explore these authors. This book was deliciously wicked, yet refreshing. Please review my content warnings before reading this book as each story focuses on intense, dark themes.
Thank you so much to Dzanc books for an eARC and happy publication day!
What I found striking about Peach Pit was just how unsympathetic many of the central characters were (Maps and Mrs. Wrong, I'm looking at you BOTH). Their choices were motivated by greed, lust, or rage. Each writer brings their own specific writing style, making the reading experience more fun.
My favorite stories were Fuckboy Museum, A Scholarship Opportunity, and Aquafina, but all of the stories were unique and horrifying in very different ways. This collection will serve as a starting point for me to explore these authors. This book was deliciously wicked, yet refreshing. Please review my content warnings before reading this book as each story focuses on intense, dark themes.
Thank you so much to Dzanc books for an eARC and happy publication day!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Excrement and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality and Vomit
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