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A review by atomic_tourist
My Volcano by John Elizabeth Stintzi
MY VOLCANO tells the story of an alternate reality where, in 2016, a volcano randomly emerged in New York City. However, the title is a bit misleading, as the volcano is not explicitly the focus here. Told from numerous points of view, the novel evokes an aura of mystery and intrigue. There were a few POVs that captivated me: a woman who, one day, wakes up inside of the body of a giant insect, but no one seems to notice the difference. There's another character who keeps having surreal nightmares about faceless people after she has a weird interaction with a stranger.
Overall, the book meanders and fails to feel like a cohesive work. Stintzi also includes a character (unnamed, referred to in the book as "the white trans writer") who is an explicit self-insert, and whose presence unnecessarily complicated the writing. Around the 50% mark, I developed a feeling that MY VOLCANO would have made a good short story collection, but it doesn't feel fully formed when written in novel form.
Overall, the book meanders and fails to feel like a cohesive work. Stintzi also includes a character (unnamed, referred to in the book as "the white trans writer") who is an explicit self-insert, and whose presence unnecessarily complicated the writing. Around the 50% mark, I developed a feeling that MY VOLCANO would have made a good short story collection, but it doesn't feel fully formed when written in novel form.