Myriam and Allison are just like any other sapphic couple…except their relationship is ever-changing through the lens of several different realities. One day they find a baby in an alley and raise it together. Next Myriam falls into a deep depression and the only cure is Allison’s flesh. Then maybe Myriam has a degradation kink and is the CEO of the company Allison works for. And what happens if they’ve fallen out of love and turn to running a marathon to save them?
With each each sapphic scenario Myriam and Allison peel back another layer in this unique exploration of queerness. From naive young love to falling out of it, they explore timeless questions through nuanced lenses. If you loved Everything Everywhere All At Once but wished it was gayer and in book form then How It Works Out is for you.
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and the writing style is sharp but soothing. I think the main draws are how layered the overall themes are and how widely varied the hypotheticals are in exploring Myriam and Allison’s relationship.
An interesting theme in each story is that of Myriam’s germaphobia and depression. Which we see through her own eyes and the perspective of Allison. Although displayed more prominently in stories such as “Love Bun” and “The Sequel”, her struggles are consistent throughout the book. Germaphobia is not an issue I would commonly associate with the body gore detailed and I think this lends itself to a unique sense of queer irony. How society pushes queer people into any box in an attempt to make them somewhat palatable for the dichotomies of the heternormative matrix. Yet here is Mariym, a cannibalistic germaphobe who is prone to bouts of depression cured only by her lover’s flesh.
Not to mention the overarching commentary on how co-dependent and all-consuming queer, specifically sapphic, love can be. Allison is seen frequently losing herself to Myriam’s manic highs and depressive lows. Although she is initially understanding and almost has a compulsive “need to be needed” it does eventually wear on her. We see her grow increasingly complacent and dissatisfied as the stories go on and her perspective shifts to resent Myriam. The difference in Allison from “Love Bun” to “Love and the Dark” shows the mental toll being a people pleaser can take on how someone views themselves and their partner.
Metaphors aside this book is exceptional on a line level. It is a truly beautiful piece of prose, which can be hard to do with some of the more “taboo” subjects. Topics such as cannibalism or mental illness are often used for shock value and not much stock is put in the actual crafting of the scenario. This book is a fantastic example of how to incorporate these subjects thoughtfully. Of course, certain scenes left me feeling a little nauseous but it was purposeful and with care. There wasn’t eating flesh just for the sake of eating flesh, it allowed for empathy and reflection on the emotions behind the cannibalism. Which is a very hard task to accomplish without grossing out the reader too much.
All in all, if you are a lover of the stranger side of sapphic literature then this is the book for you. Perfect for fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Julia Armfield. This cluster f- of queer love, kink, and gore will have you unable to put the book down. However please make sure to check the trigger warnings as there are some situations not suitable for all readers. If you like wild queer shorts, unique metaphors, and unreliable narrators then this is the book for you. Happy reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
CW: Abusive relationship, alcohol, amputation, animal abuse, anxiety, attempted r*pe, blood, bones, cannibalism, cheating, child abuse, child death, death, depression, emotional abuse, gore, homophobia, hospitalization, kidnapping, murder, PTSD, sexual assault, sexually explicit scenes, and terminal illness.
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