Sage Nestler's Blog, page 5

OFFICIALLY OPEN: Pride with a Bite Indie Publisher

Happy Wednesday, Horror Fiends!

I am so excited to announce that my indie publisher, Pride with a Bite, is now officially open! I have been working on this project for quite a while, and I am so excited to finally open it to the world. Pride with a Bite is an indie publisher of horror and horror-adjacent works by LGBTQIA+ creators. We feature a quarterly eZine, anthology opportunities, and independent projects (novels, novellas, and collections). We are also going to offer marketing assistance soon to already established LGBTQIA+ creators.

Mission Statement

“Pride with a Bite is an independent publisher of horror and horror-adjacent works by LGBTQIA+ creators. We aim to provide a safe space for diverse creators through our quarterly eZine, A Bite of Pride, anthology opportunities, and independent novels, novellas, and collections. We also offer marketing opportunities for established creators in this area.

Our mission is to help expand the queer horror space by providing unique opportunities and an inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ creators of all backgrounds to connect. We are dedicated to helping all of our creators get their voices out and honor the diverse range of voices that LGBTQIA+ creators represent.”

We are currently looking for creators to join our staff writing team for our eZine, “A Bite of Pride,” as well as reviewers, book tour participants, and beta readers to join our Bite Crew. We also have open opportunities for creators to submit novel, novella, or collection proposals. See the available opportunities below.

Creator OpportunitiesExplore Influencer Opportunities Explore

If you can help me to spread word about Pride with a Bite, I would deeply appreciate it! Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive so far.

Much love,

Ashley

OPEN CALL: X/Y – A JUNK DRAWER OF TRANS VOICES

HAPPY THURSDAY, EVERYONE!

I hope that you are having a great week. I just wanted to give you a heads up on a writing opportunity for any of you authors out there who identify as trans or are questioning your gender!

A friend of mine has been invited on as a guest editor for the next issue of x/y: a junk drawer of trans voices by The Dionysian Public Library. You can see more information about the open call in his Instagram post below, but I am including the info further on in this post as well.

QUICK NOTE: Deadline has been extended to July 14, 2024

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Knox (@lennox.rex.writer)

X/Y: A JUNK DRAWER OF TRANS VOICES

The true genesis of the project that would eventually become DPL, x/y was a zine that ran from 2018-2020, providing a platform for trans and gender-diverse artists to share their work, be it poetry, prose, visual art, or anything else that could conceivably be reproduced in a printed form. Rebooted in 2023 with new numbering, x/y is open to anyone who identifies as trans (or to those who are seeking a platform to explore their relationship to gender but aren’t quite sure how they identify). Don’t be afraid to send us your weirdest, most challenging work, and interpret the theme however you wish; we are not interested merely in neat and tidy trans stories about representation and empowerment, but in representing the totality of the trans experience, scars and all. Though we are not currently able to pay for submissions for x/y, we hope to see this change for future issues. For now, you will receive both a contributor’s copy of the zine and a printable PDF so that you can print as many copies as you want.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Prose, poetry, and other written work should be submitted as either a .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. Prose should be formatted in something approaching Shunn Manuscript Format, though deviations from this format will not disqualify you. After all, who are we to tell you what to do with your work. We have no guidelines or restrictions on content, and in fact hope to see your most challenging work, should you trust us with it. Other than that, we’re pretty loosey-goosey with what we’re hoping to see.

Please send your work to dionysianpubliclibrary@gmail.com, including your name, a few details about your piece, and a short third-person bio with any relevant social media links. Simultaneous and multiple submissions welcomed. 

I hope you have a great rest of your day!

Ashley Nestler, MSW

CEO of Peachy Keen Reviews & Bibliotherapy

Open Call: x/y – A Junk Drawer of Trans Voices

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

I hope that you are having a great week. I just wanted to give you a heads up on a writing opportunity for any of you authors out there who identify as trans or are questioning your gender!

A friend of mine has been invited on as a guest editor for the next issue of x/y: a junk drawer of trans voices by The Dionysian Public Library. You can see more information about the open call in his Instagram post below, but I am including the info further on in this post as well.

QUICK NOTE: Deadline has been extended to July 14, 2024

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Knox (@lennox.rex.writer)

x/y: a junk drawer of trans voices

The true genesis of the project that would eventually become DPL, x/y was a zine that ran from 2018-2020, providing a platform for trans and gender-diverse artists to share their work, be it poetry, prose, visual art, or anything else that could conceivably be reproduced in a printed form. Rebooted in 2023 with new numbering, x/y is open to anyone who identifies as trans (or to those who are seeking a platform to explore their relationship to gender but aren’t quite sure how they identify). Don’t be afraid to send us your weirdest, most challenging work, and interpret the theme however you wish; we are not interested merely in neat and tidy trans stories about representation and empowerment, but in representing the totality of the trans experience, scars and all. Though we are not currently able to pay for submissions for x/y, we hope to see this change for future issues. For now, you will receive both a contributor’s copy of the zine and a printable PDF so that you can print as many copies as you want.

General Submission Guidelines

Prose, poetry, and other written work should be submitted as either a .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. Prose should be formatted in something approaching Shunn Manuscript Format, though deviations from this format will not disqualify you. After all, who are we to tell you what to do with your work. We have no guidelines or restrictions on content, and in fact hope to see your most challenging work, should you trust us with it. Other than that, we’re pretty loosey-goosey with what we’re hoping to see.

Please send your work to dionysianpubliclibrary@gmail.com, including your name, a few details about your piece, and a short third-person bio with any relevant social media links. Simultaneous and multiple submissions welcomed. 

I hope you have a great rest of your day!

Ashley Nestler, MSW

CEO of The Horror Maven

ARC Review: A Female Rage Bonanza Not for the Squeamish

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim Release Date: June 25, 2024Synopsis

Feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.

Overall Rating

4/5

Spooky Rating

3/5

Quick Take

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim is an ingenious take on the making of a female serial killer through a Korean-American perspective. The body horror, eye horror, and cannibalism are nauseating, but the unhinged thoughts and female rage are what truly haunted me. If you can stomach it, this is a must-read for fans of female rage horror. It is sure to become as iconic as Maeve Fly by CJ Leede and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Tell Me More

Female rage horror is a favorite of mine, and going into this book I was intrigued by the Korean-American perspective. Objectification of Asian women is a big focus of the novel, and I was so happy to see the main character, Ji-won, and her sister, Ji-hyun, fight back against it. The book follows Ji-won after her father leaves their family and addresses the anger and grief that both Ji-won and her sister experience. Ji-won begins to slowly unravel, but things truly escalate when her mother starts dating a white man named George. George’s sense of superiority and objectification of Asian women is wild and disgusting. Through the ordeal, Ji-won’s hatred of him and her father begins to spread to other men as well.

George and my mother are sleeping deeply. Umma is still, but with every breath George hacks and coughs. I’ll watch as the life seeps out of him. His face will turn blue. The scene gives me so much pleasure that for a moment I run my hand over the blankets.

Grief, loneliness, and the feeling of being responsible for a parent’s emotions and wellbeing are main aspects of the story, making it was unexpectedly heartbreaking. While Ji-won’s actions and thoughts were unhinged, I did relate to her with her feelings of jealousy over her high school friends who all got into the same college without her. While her actions against them were inappropriate, they were surprisingly cathartic. Her loneliness caused her to become possessive over a new friend at her college, and it highlighted how difficult adult friendships can be.

While there were some repetitions in phrases and the constant mentioning of the color blue which felt a bit overdone, the overall arc of Ji-won’s character development was terrifying. Her obsession with eyes and the descriptions of the process of eating them was shocking, but they revealed just how unhinged Ji-won was. The imagery was fantastic, and I felt nauseated throughout, but I couldn’t put the book down.

“You both need to be careful,” she said. “I know that the plant is pretty, but poison is everywhere, even in the places where you least expect it.”

The book is fairly fast paced, and the ending completely shocked me, which is hard to do. I ate it up, and I’m still thinking about it and trying to dissect and make sense of some of what happened. However, it did feel like the ending was a bit hurried, and I wish that it had been drawn out a little longer.

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim is a horror novel unlike anything I have ever read. It features Korean-American issues, family drama, and deep body horror all with a serial killer twist. While it wasn’t perfect, it is a must read for fans of the genre. I am excited to see what this author does next!

Trigger Warnings: violence, body horror, eye horror, murder, cannibalism, descriptions of war trauma (non-graphic, starvation), stalking, sexism, and racism (Asian objectification).

*Thank you to Kensington Books, Erewhon Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. All quotes used have been compared with the final copy.

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Book Review: Satanic Panic Mayhem

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman

Synopsis

Inspired by the McMartin preschool trials and the Satanic Panic of the ‘80s, the critically acclaimed author of The Remaking delivers another pulse pounding, true-crime-based horror novel.

…

Richard doesn’t have a past. For him, there is only the present: a new marriage to Tamara, a first chance at fatherhood to her son Elijah, and a quiet but pleasant life as an art teacher at Elijah’s elementary school in Danvers, Virginia. Then the body of a rabbit, ritualistically murdered, appears on the school grounds with a birthday card for Richard tucked beneath it. Richard doesn’t have a birthday—but Sean does . . .

…

Sean is a five-year-old boy who has just moved to Greenfield, Virginia, with his mother. Like most mothers of the 1980s, she’s worried about bills, childcare, putting food on the table . . . and an encroaching threat to American life that can take the face of anyone: a politician, a friendly neighbor, or even a teacher. When Sean’s school sends a letter to the parents revealing that Sean’s favorite teacher is under investigation, a white lie from Sean lights a fire that engulfs the entire nation—and Sean and his mother are left holding the match.

…

Now, thirty years later, someone is here to remind Richard that they remember what Sean did. And though Sean doesn’t exist anymore, someone needs to pay the price for his lies.

Overall Rating

4/5

Spooky Rating

2/5

Quick Take

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman is a haunting and heartbreaking take on the Satanic Panic of the 80s. While it didn’t feel like a horror novel to me, I am very familiar with the true crime case it is based on, and I enjoyed the unique take on it.

Tell Me More

“What happens if you believe in a lie, believe it with every fiber of your body? Does it become real, somehow? Does the lie become the truth? Your truth?”

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman

I admit that I picked this one up because of the cover. The image of the kids circling a pentagram was fantastic, and I was intrigued by the Satanic Panic concept of the story. I have studied the case that this book was inspired by extensively, and I found it intriguing how it was told from the perspective of Richard – one of the children who accused their teacher of abuse. But instead of focusing primarily on Richard as a child, it pinpointed his perspective as an adult. Alternating chapters revealed flashbacks to his experience as a kid, and the chapters changed perspectives from first person to third throughout. This may bother some readers, but I ultimately found it helpful because it separated Richard’s adult and childhood experiences.

This book was definitely more of a psychological thriller and faux true crime than outright horror, and it was ultimately heartbreaking. Without revealing too much, it focuses on how the Satanic Panic and influence of urging children to say certain things about their teacher ruined so many lives. There were quite a few twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, and I loved the suspense. McLeod Chapman has a quirky voice that made his writing fun to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my first book by him, and it certainly won’t be my last! If you like unreliable narrators and psychological thrillers that mirror real cases, then you simply must read this book. It was unexpectedly filled with true to life horror and heart.

 ADDED BONUS: I appreciated the author’s note and reading/viewing list that were included in the back of the book. They provide more information on the Satanic Panic and the case that influenced this book. It was a great add on!

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Author Chat with Angela Sylvaine

Happy Wednesday, horror fiends!

We are halfway through the week, and I hope that the week is treating you well! I, personally, am hiding from the ever-encroaching heat as much as I possibly can.

I am excited to share with you today an interview I had with author Angela Sylvaine, or as she likes to call herself, The Cheerful Goth! I recently read and reviewed her newest collection, The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls, and it was absolutely brilliant. My review can be found here.

I hope you enjoy our interview and that you take the time to look into some of Angela’s work!

Much love,

Ashley

Interview Between Angela Sylvaine & Ashley Nestler, MSW

What made you want to go into writing horror?  Have you always preferred writing in this space, or are there other genres you have explored?

I came to writing pretty late, in my mid thirties, when I tried writing and was immediately hooked. I started writing YA paranormal romance, but my stories were naturally far darker than they should have been for that genre. So, I embraced horror as my happy place! I grew up reading and watching horror, so it was a natural fit. 

As a fellow Coloradoan, how has living in Colorado impacted your writing?

I think the setting of Colorado is a natural inspiration for horror, as Stephen King can attest to (what Colorado horror writer hasn’t visited the Stanley and gazed at the door of the room where he hatched the idea for The Shining?). What lurks in the woods and mountains? What can happen when a storm rolls in, and you’re trapped inside by several feet of snow? We live in a beautiful place, but with beauty there is always a tradeoff of what evil lurks within.

Do you prefer writing short stories, novel-length pieces, or any other formats in-between?

I really love writing everything from drabbels to novels! I started writing novels, but that is such a big-time commitment (sometimes years), and I’ve found peppering in working on shorter works helps me remain inspired, break through writer’s block, and build my writing resume. 

What is some advice you have for folks who want to get into the horror writing space?

I think the best way to break into horror is to write about something that scares you. Scared of the dark? Afraid to look in that mirror? Shriek at the sight of a spider? That’s a great place to start a horror story. Just remember to put your own spin on it!

Are there specific sub-genres of horror that you like to explore?

I dabble is pretty much everything- psychological horror, paranormal, sci-fi horror, gothic, splatterpunk, you name it. But if I had to choose my absolute favorite, it would be horror comedy. In real life, I am someone who breaks tension with jokes, and I also like my horror with a good dose of fun, so horror comedy is the perfect combo.

Author Bio

Angela Sylvaine is a self-proclaimed cheerful goth who writes speculative fiction and poetry. Her debut novel, Frost Bite, a 90s sci-fi horror comedy, and her debut short story collection, The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls, are available now. Her retro 80s mall slasher, Chopping Spree, will be available September 2024. Angela’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in or on over fifty anthologies, magazines, and podcasts, including Southwest Review, Apex, and The NoSleep Podcast. She lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her sweetheart and three creepy cats.

You can find her online:

Linktree

Author Website

Book Tour: Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli

I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing an early copy of Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli, a new LGBTQIA+ young adult horror novel that just released, and I am so honored to be on the book tour for this wonderful book! While it is classified as young adult, it is such an advanced story, and the writing is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t praise it enough! Please enjoy my review, as well as some of my favorite quotes from the book and author’s note.

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book for fans of Rory Power and Danielle Vega.

Chuck Warren died tragically at the old abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident — there’s a monster under the town, and she’s determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She’ll need the help of her crew — inseparable friends, bound by a childhood pact stronger than diamonds, distance or death — to hunt it down. But she’s up against a greater force of evil than she ever could have imagined.

With shifting timeframes and multiple perspectives, Lockjaw is a small-town ghost story, where monsters living and dead haunt the streets, the homes and the minds of the inhabitants. For readers of Wilder Girls and The Haunted, this trans YA horror book by an incredible debut author will grab you and never let you go.

Overall Rating

4/5

Quick Take

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli is a purely original young adult horror novel with gorgeous LGBTQIA+ representation and essences of IT and Cujo by Stephen King. I devoured it and would happily read it again.

Tell Me More

When I say that Lockjaw is one of the most original horror novels I have read, YA or otherwise, I truly mean it. While it has some subtle IT and Cujo vibes, the overall energy and concept were unique. Just about every character was diverse, and there was so much trans rep that it made my heart sing. But at the heart of this novel were the beauty, complexities, and pain of growing up – and growing up trans specifically. The ANGER that just about every character housed was magnificent – give me real and raw characters every time, and I will love them forever.

There were some horror moments that truly terrified me and were worded so well, which I don’t see often enough in YA horror novels. The twist itself was profound, fantastic, and surprisingly tragic – I didn’t see it coming all. The timeline shifts frequently, and there is a large cast of characters, which is why I rated it 4 instead of 5 stars because it can be difficult to follow – HOWEVER, it is one of those novels that makes you work, instead of spoon feeding you a story, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It took a few rereading of passages and chapters as they each cover a different character, but when you put the work in, it is absolutely brilliant.

I haven’t been able to stop talking about this beautiful book, and it is clear to me that Cerilli is leading the way in YA horror. I so wish YA horror had been this complex when I was younger, and I’m so proud of Cerilli for taking the jump and not dumbing anything down. Just pick up this novel, okay? It might be one of those that you either love or hate, but which I think are the BEST because they create such intense conversations.

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Pub Day Review: A Heartbreaking and Haunting Collection of Lost Girls

The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls by Angela Sylvaine

The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls is the debut short story collection from the author of FROST BITE and CHOPPING SPREE.

The Dead Spot. A corner drenched in shadow. An earthquake’s epicenter. The part of a roller coaster ride where the car rounds the final curve and all force dissipates, leaving those trapped beneath the safety bar feeling sick and hollow.

The Dead Spot is a heart-wrenching collection of seventeen stories where lost girls and women live and die, where they laugh, cry, and disappear from view around that final curve.

Introduction by JAW McCarthy (Shirley Jackson Award finalist for Sometimes We’re Cruel)

Release Date: May 21, 2024Overall Rating

4/5

Spooky Rating

4/5

Quick Take

The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls by Angela Sylvaine takes the concept of “lost girls” and creates an incredibly eclectic collection of short stories that explores all facets of the term. Each story could make its own novel, and so many of them left me wanting more. I couldn’t put this collection down, and I loved just about every story included. That is so rare for me when it comes to horror collections.

Tell Me More

I have to start this review by saying that I didn’t realize that the author and I live in the same area until I read the short story that bears the title of the collection. That made me appreciate this fabulous collection even more!

Horror collections are always so varied in their offerings, and The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls is one of the most eclectic collections I have read. It features flash fiction and novelettes, and no two stories are alike. Some are more brutal than others, and a lot of them are on the heartbreaking side. The theme is consistent in that it features stories of girls and women in tough and often violent situations – and many of the women featured were morally grey. I appreciated this aspect, because so many times women and girls who are deemed “lost girls” are assumed to be weak, but that was not the case with this collection. The term “lost” was explored in a variety of ways, including women who fight back against hatred and violence, girls who are seeking to fight back against their lower social status, and girls who are working to save their neighborhood from gentrification. None of these girls and women go down without a fight, and I loved it.

My favorite selections included Playing Tricks, Antifreeze and Sweet Peas, The Dead Spot, and Clutching Air.

The ending of Playing Tricks was deeply reminiscent of a Twilight Zone episode, and it took my breath away. It addressed perceived mental illness in a way that twisted it into more of the effects of manipulation by others.

Antifreeze and Sweet Peas was brutal, heartbreaking, and shocking. It addressed mother-daughter relationships and fighting back against violence towards women in a completely unique way. The twist of the story was also fantastic and unexpected.

The Dead Spot featured an old amusement park that I grew up around here in Colorado, so it was near and dear to my heart. It was haunting and supernatural, while being a bit bloody, which was a nice treat.

However, my absolute favorite selection was Clutching Air. It tackled the subject of gentrification and left me in tears. It follows a young woman fighting back against the changes in her neighborhood with an ultimately devastating ending.

Sylvaine knew how to address difficult subjects through a horror lens, and I was amazed by her intense imagination. I look forward to reading more of her work!

If you are a fan of horror that features feminine themes and doesn’t shy away from real-world horrors, you are going to adore this collection. I definitely need a physical copy now so that I can hold this gorgeous collection in my hands and revisit each story! I can’t recommend it highly enough.

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ARC Review: A Masterpiece Epistolary Novel Unlike Anything You Have Read

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer by Joshua Chaplinsky

Release Date: April 6, 2024

Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era. This epistolary novel explores the aftermath of his arrest and the psychological trauma of those who lived through it. The Pennsylvania native brutalized his way into the zeitgeist during the early part of the new millennium, leaving a trail of corpses across five states before his eventual arrest. All told, Williker was responsible for the rape and murder of 23 women, and is suspected in the deaths of dozens more. His calling card—a torn piece of fabric found on or inside the bodies of his victims—helped popularize his now ubiquitous nickname. The Purple Satin Killer.  In the years following his arrest, Jonas Williker received hundreds of letters in prison. Collected here, these letters offer a unique glimpse into a depraved mind through a human lens, including contributions from family, the bereaved, and self-professed “fans.” They represent a chilling portrait of the American psyche, skewering a media obsessed culture where murderers are celebrities to revere. What you learn about the man from these letters will shock you, but not as much as what you learn about yourself.

Overall Rating

5/5

Spooky Rating

3/5

Quick Take

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer by Joshua Chaplinksy is in the running for my favorite novel of 2024. It is a unique take on the serial killer subgenre and forces us to confront our obsession with true crime and the way our society characterizes serial killers as celebrities. Brilliant is an understatement. Go into this one blind, and you will be blown away!

Tell Me More

Let’s just say that this book took me by the throat and would not relent! 

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer is one of the most unique and ingenious novels I’ve ever read. Rather than being from the perspective of the serial killer or telling a full-length novel regarding the serial killer in question, it is written in letters sent to the Purple Satin Killer as he sits on death row. By utilizing this format, Chaplinksy gives the reader insight into who this man was based on how others viewed him, what he did, and the relation they had to him. But it also challenged the obsession our culture has with serial killers in general. It is written as though it is a true crime book (which took me forever to realize that it is actually fiction, it was that well formatted) and the amount of time and dedication Chaplinsky put into this story to keep track of the varying storylines was beyond impressive. 

There are quite a few twists and turns that I did not expect, as well as connections between some of the letter writers. Getting a sense of who this man was based on those he impacted was mind blowing – especially those who had no personal relation to him at all! I loved how dark it was, but in a subtle way, and the lingering sense of dread it produced was palpable. This book asks a lot of its reader by forcing the reader to piece together all of the little nods and hints, making it a kind of puzzle. The Purple Satin Killer is clearly based off of Ted Bundy, which made it feel like a satire, and I enjoyed it immensely.

I seriously cannot recommend this novel enough. It is in the running for my favorite book of the year, and I am recommending it to everyone! However, I do have to mention that there are some graphic and unhinged elements in some of the letters, so be forewarned about that. This book doesn’t shy away from some of the most grotesque atrocities that humans have committed, thought, or felt, and the level of discomfort you will feel upon finishing the novel will leave you changed. Go on, take the plunge! I dare you.

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ARC Review: A Heartfelt Examination of Grief, Female Relationships, and How the Past is Imprinted into Who We Are

Knife River by Justine Champine

Release Date: May 28, 2024

When Jess was thirteen her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother would do: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning fifteen years later she gets the call she’s been bracing herself for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

Overall Rating

4/5

Quick Take

Knife River by Justine Champine is an atmospheric and heart wrenching look at grief, loss, and the powers of female relationships. The writing is exquisite, and the twists and turns keep coming. I have read nothing else like it.

Tell Me More

Friends, we have the next Jodi Picoult on our hands! And if you know me at all, you know just how much Jodi Picoult means to me. 

At first glance, Knife River is a mystery following the discovery of the remains of a mother who went missing several years prior. The story follows Jess, the younger of two sisters who fled Knife River as soon as she was of age and spent most of her adult life moving from girlfriend to girlfriend before receiving a call from her older sister, Liz, that their mother’s remains had been found. Finding herself back in the town and the childhood house that she hoped to never see again, Liz is forced to relive the past, including confronting the first girl she ever fell in love with. 

Highly character driven, Knife River is an atmospheric and beautifully written exploration of the relationship between two sisters and female relationships in general.

I found Champine’s writing to be similar to Picoult’s in that she created a difficult and heart wrenching situation filled with mystery and intrigue but peppered it with deeply real and flawed characters. While the mystery behind how their mother died is the focal point of the novel, it is the surrounding situations involving the police and Jess’ and Liz’s personal lives that create the majority of the story. There are a few twists and turns that create a thriller aspect to the story, but in the end, it is the characters and their development that took my breath away.

I loved the possible neurodivergent representation of Liz’s character and the sapphic elements involving Jess. The problematic elements of small-town life and how those in the LGBTQIA+ community are often treated in these areas were addressed, and it was such an essential piece of the book.

The novel is at once heartbreaking and hopeful, and the ending was gorgeous. I only took off one star because the extensive descriptions could get tiresome at times, but other than that, it was a special and heartfelt book that will stick with me for a long time.

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