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The Summer That Melted Everything

Tiffany McDaniel (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating details · 6,912 ratings · 1,521 reviews

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the

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Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Published July 26th 2016 by St. Martin's Press

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Jun 09, 2016 Jennifer Masterson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-2016, emotional-roller-coaster, audio, tissues-needed, favorites

I am a mess! I mean an emotional wreck! I have a migraine from crying! This is the best book that I have come across since "A Little Life". If I could give it 10 Stars I would! 11? I cannot believe that this is a debut novel!

I'm not going to give a plot summery. I think this book transcends it's plot. I want to share my feelings. This book moved me in a way I haven't been moved in so long. I listened to the audio version. For an audio to be this good it takes one heck of a narrator. Mark Bramhal ...more

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Jun 18, 2016 Chelsea Humphrey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: from-publisher, netgalley

I think something deep in my soul has shifted after reading this book. My gut is still churning after turning the final page 2 days ago, and its been years since a book brought me to the brink of tears. I read more psychological thrillers and dark fiction than one human likely should, yet none of that seemed as horrific as what I just read. Don’t misunderstand- this isn’t some bloodbath horror tale with cheesy specters of the devil and his minions. The only apparition in this story is a 13 year I think something deep in my soul has shifted after reading this book. My gut is still churning after turning the final page 2 days ago, and its been years since a book brought me to the brink of tears. I read more psychological thrillers and dark fiction than one human likely should, yet none of that seemed as horrific as what I just read. Don’t misunderstand- this isn’t some bloodbath horror tale with cheesy specters of the devil and his minions. The only apparition in this story is a 13 year old boy, but back to that in a minute.

“The heat came with the devil. It was the summer of 1984, and while the devil had been invited, the heat was not. It should’ve been expected, though. Heat is, after all, the devil’s name, and when’s the last time you left home without yours?”

Just like the blurb states, the setting is summer of 1984, and the book describes what was going on in the media during this time. I really loved all the small details she took the time to include; this seemed to put the level of writing over the top for me. Autopsy Bliss (yep, his real name), father to Fielding Bliss (our narrator), has placed an ad in the local paper inviting the devil to town. The reasoning behind this is explained in the final pages of our story, so you do get all kinds of closure, but the story starts out making you scratch your head and wonder “where is this lady going to take us with this?”. Yes, then a 13 year old black boy with green eyes shows up holding said ad claiming to be the devil, but this book is not what you’re thinking it is. I admit, I saw my friend Shelby’s review and my curiosity was piqued, but I was already overloaded with NetGalley books so I figured I’d catch it some time after publication. Thankfully the author contacted me and convinced me to read it now! Fact: Chelsea never re-reads books. Fact: Chelsea is going to have to re-read this book sometime in the future.

“You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake…
A snake that could harm you, you don’t have much choice to kill. You wouldn’t be able to leave a cobra in your sock drawer. But a snake that is no threat will greatly define the man who decides to kill it anyways.”

The characters are what really sold me on this story. Each one was deep, flawed, and broken in their own ways, yet still lovable as I felt attached to each member of the Bliss family, including Sal. We get to see snippets of Fielding’s life as he ages from memories he shares with us as a man in his 80’s. We know early on that something major will happen at the end of the summer of ’84, and the tension grows in a slow, yet powerful way. Each chapter brought new revelations on the character’s personal struggles, as well as the impending doom that lingers over the entire town of Breathed. This story was crafted with so many real issues that were relevant then and are still relevant now- mob mentality, racism, homophobia, and the ever failing criminal justice system. The ending was nothing short of disturbing, mainly because it is so easily pictured and believable. I was completely shocked with all aspects of the ending; I did not see one thing coming with how this story concluded and it made me feel this weird cross between horrified and satisfied. I don’t want to put any spoilers in here, but I felt I had grown close to this family and was broken with them every step of the way. This is a must read that is deep, compelling, and timely for what is consuming our state of current affairs. My heart broke and wept openly as a reader, as a mother, and simply as a human being. PLEASE read this book; it will certainly be a pick in my round up for TOP 10 books I’ve read this year.

*Many thanks to author Tiffany McDaniel and St. Martin’s Press for providing my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. Please stay tuned as I’ll be posting an interview with the author and a giveaway for a signed copy of The Summer That Melted Everything near pub day! ...more

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Jul 12, 2016 Jeffrey Keeten rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, gothic

”It was a heat that didn’t just melt tangible things like ice, chocolate, Popsicles. It melted all the intangibles too. Fear, faith, anger, and those long-trusted templates of common sense. It melted lives as well, leaving futures to be slung with the dirt of the gravedigger’s shovel.”

Slipping Away by Tiffany McDaniel. If you preorder the book you can sign up here Tiffany McDaniel's Preorder Contest to win some cool stuff including a signed print of this watercolor.

The heat wave that hit Br ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Always Pouting rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I really really loved this book. I know people didn't like the metaphorical writing but I always have been a sucker for poetic writing. I like when books make me question the way I think about things and I enjoy symbolism and when things are woven so intricately with the plot line. Like the story is just so well woven and elegant and the author just expressed things so eloquently. It all just fit together so perfectly and I really felt affected when reading the book. Definitely a favorite. ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-publisher-or-author

after seeing the news on mel's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

i figured i would help spread the word, too, because this book could definitely use an award. if you agree, vote for it here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MB6DT2D

”That’s the ending of the story,” he said. “Something broken.”

this is a darkly satisfying southern gothic tale of what transpired when a lawyer named autopsy bliss invited the devil to the small town of breathed, ohio in 1984.

the problem with extending an i ...more

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Mar 30, 2016 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-as-night, read-2016, netgalley

I thought this was a young adult book when I requested it from Netgalley. Umm it's not. Not that I have a problem with that, I love some dark 'stick-your-head-in-the-oven' books.

Dark is good sometimes.

This one though, took me awhile to read because I had to put it aside several times because dang..

I will say that 1984 was a year that understood how to make history. Apple launched it's Macintosh computer for the masses, two astronauts walked the stars like gods, and singer Marvin Gaye, wh ...more

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Jan 17, 2021 Swaroop rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

"Up I go, up so high,
I pray I do not fall and die.

But if I should, let it be said,
I'm mighty missed, now that I'm dead."

~ from Tiffany McDaniel's The Summer That Melted Everything

(Hot weather/ Source - Steve Rasnic Tem, Pinterest)

"It was a heat that didn't just melt tangible things like ice, chocolate, popsicles. It melted all the intangibles too. Fear, faith, anger, and those long-trusted templates of common sense."

The Summer That Melted Everything is beautiful, poetic, profound, captivat ...more

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Aug 10, 2016 Perry rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Dismal Dirge for Q anon Crowd
Published in Summer 2016, as an Omen of Trump’s Election

I wanted to hear the water go down the drains so I wouldn't have to hear myself doing the same.

Miss McDaniel peppers her baroque prose with such eyerollers. Here's another: "something about his eyes made me think of Russia. Perhaps because they were so large, the largest country in the world of his face."

No coherent theme gels as the novel attempts to throw in every social ill collected in a file by the author ...more

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Nov 14, 2016 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ok....update: A SMALL REVIEW ... but read OTHERS. This community has written amazing ones!!!

I'm changing my vote -- SO FAR....( still waiting to read The Nix and The Gentleman From Moscow)... but as of today....I vote this book ( of books I've read) , BEST FICTION in the Goodreads voting.

Review:

"Why, upon hearing the word 'Devil', did I just imagine the monster? Why did I fail to see the lake? A flower growing by the lake? A mantis praying on the very top of a rock?"
"A foolish mistake, it is, ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Dan Schwent rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: man-tears, 2016-books, pants-shittingly-awesome, 2016, summer-of-love

During a heat wave in the summer of 1984, Fielding Bliss's father invites the devil to town. When a 13 year old boy shows up claiming to be the devil, the Ohio town of Breathed will never be the same again...

I passed on this when I originally saw it on Netgalley, mostly because of Autopsy Bliss's name. Seriously? Autopsy? Anyway, Tiffany McDaniel emailed me a review request, mentioning how hard it was for first time authors to get reviews, and I caved in after my Grinch-like heart grew two sizes During a heat wave in the summer of 1984, Fielding Bliss's father invites the devil to town. When a 13 year old boy shows up claiming to be the devil, the Ohio town of Breathed will never be the same again...

I passed on this when I originally saw it on Netgalley, mostly because of Autopsy Bliss's name. Seriously? Autopsy? Anyway, Tiffany McDaniel emailed me a review request, mentioning how hard it was for first time authors to get reviews, and I caved in after my Grinch-like heart grew two sizes.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this but I knew I'd struck gold right away. I read a lot of books where the prose is nothing spectacular. I could tell this one was special from the first paragraph or so.

The Summer That Melted Everything is Paradise Lost written by Flannery O'Connor, a southern Gothic tale with the power of a hurricane. It's a tale of families, racism, religion, small town mob mentalities, the evil that people hold in their hearts, and a lot of other serious themes.

The Summer That Melted Everything is Fielding Bliss' fall from grace, from being an optimistic 13 year old to be a broken adult decades later. The devil's arrival, Sal's arrival, turns his life upside town.

The Bliss family and their relationship with Sal fuels the narrative. Fielding Bliss and Sal are fast friends. Sal, devil or not, is wise beyond his years. Father Autopsy is a lawyer and mother Stella is a homemaker who is afraid to go outside. Brother Grand is good at everything, seemingly the boy every girl wants to be with. Sal's arrival changes all of them irrevocably.

There is a lot of emotional packed into this book and it sure dredged up some emotions in me. The part with the dog was just the tip of the emotional iceberg. It's thought provoking and has some serious weight to it. As I wrote earlier, it reads a lot like Flannery O'Connor and I felt wrung out after reading it.

The building hysteria of the townsfolk toward Sal reminds me of Needful Things a bit. I had no idea how the book would end but I knew it would be comparable to the destruction of Castle Rock. And it was. The last 20% was like watching the end of Old Yeller four or five times.

The Summer that Melted Everything is a first novel that reads like a lost classic. A bleak, emotional classic. Five out of Five stars.

Note: You can read my interview with Tiffany McDaniel here. ...more

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Jun 22, 2016 Nat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, magical-realism

“Don’tcha wanta live forever?”
“I’m the devil. I am already forever.”

description

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year his father, Autopsy Bliss, invited Breathed’s own devil.

“Dear Mr. Devil, Sir Satan, Lord Lucifer, and all other crosses you bear,
I cordially invite you to Breathed, Ohio. Land of hills and hay bales, of sinners and forgivers.
May you come in peace.
With great faith,
Autopsy Bliss”

And on a particularly warm day in June 1984 ...more

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Jul 01, 2016 Larry H rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

It's the summer of 1984 in the small town of Breathed, Ohio. Fielding Bliss is a fairly typical teenager until the day his father, Autopsy (is Autopsy Bliss not one of the best character names you've ever heard?), the town's prosecutor, puts in the newspaper an invitation for the devil to visit Breathed.

"If the devil was going to come, I expected to see the myth of him. A demon with an asphalt shine. He'd be fury. A chill. A bad cough. Cujo at the car window, a ticket at I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

It's the summer of 1984 in the small town of Breathed, Ohio. Fielding Bliss is a fairly typical teenager until the day his father, Autopsy (is Autopsy Bliss not one of the best character names you've ever heard?), the town's prosecutor, puts in the newspaper an invitation for the devil to visit Breathed.

"If the devil was going to come, I expected to see the myth of him. A demon with an asphalt shine. He'd be fury. A chill. A bad cough. Cujo at the car window, a ticket at the Creepshow booth, a leap into the depth of night."

Imagine Fielding's surprise when a tattered-looking young boy arrives in town, claiming to be the devil. It seems hard to believe, and many think the boy, who calls himself Sal ("From the beginning of Satan and the first step into Lucifer. Sa-L."), is probably a runaway or a kidnap victim, not the devil himself. But he brings an unending heatwave to town, and suddenly, disasters begin to occur in his presence, although no one is quite sure whether he is causing the incidents or if it is people's reactions and fears that are to blame.

It isn't long before Sal becomes an integral part of the Bliss family, but their fellow Breathed residents are less than enamored of this fact, as they get riled up by a neighbor and former friend of the Blisses. As the heatwave continues ceaselessly, tempers flare, damaging insults are hurled, friendships end, rumors are spread, and Fielding finds himself suddenly confused by his family. Sal continues to maintain that he is the devil, and he brings about changes in people willing to talk to him, leading them to self-discoveries that change their lives. And as Fielding uncovers secrets his family and others hold, he knows he should react a certain way, but instead he acts like a typical teenager, which only adds fuel to the fire. So many things happen that remain unmentioned by his family, and this lack of discussion causes even more hurt and harm.

The Summer That Melted Everything is utterly mesmerizing, and it took me by surprise just how much it touched me. It's a book touching on powerful issues—racism, homophobia, fear of AIDS, agoraphobia, child abuse, religion—yet it never seems heavy-handed or preachy. This is a tremendously moving book; while much of the plot may not be surprising, Tiffany McDaniel did such a great job giving complexity and heart to her characters that you can't really distinguish which characters you should root for and which ones you should view as villains. I completely understood what motivated everyone to act the way they did.

The book is narrated by a much older Fielding, who reminisces about that life-changing summer, and the scars it left him with throughout his life. At times it was hard to distinguish when the plot was unfolding as it happened and when Fielding was recounting memories of other times in his life, and the emotional trauma Fielding suffered makes his older self a fairly unsympathetic character periodically. But when the story is fully told, much of his motivation becomes clear (although some plot twists confused me a little).

I've often commented that I read from a place of emotion, and if a book is well-written and it touches me emotionally, it resonates for me more than one that does not. It will be a long time before I'll be able to get The Summer That Melted Everything out of my mind. This book might not be for everyone, but if you open your mind, you'll be affected and moved.

Tiffany McDaniel, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo.... ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Debbie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: debuts, family-drama, sibling-love-and-hate, lgbt

This is just me, this is just me, so hold your horses!

I’m not saying that this isn’t a brilliant work of fiction—it certainly is. I’m just saying it’s not for me. First, we have a devil dude as the hero. I can maybe handle a devil if I open myself up to magical realism, which is tough, but I can do it if I try really hard. But I have a cow if a book is full of the word “god,” and here it’s all over the place. I mean it seems like the name came up a million times. I know the book is not trying t ...more

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Jul 16, 2016 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: family-relationships, 2016

Breathed, Ohio is a small town in southern Ohio, in the Appalachian foothills, bordering West Virginia and Kentucky. Fielding Bliss is 13 years old, his brother Grand will be leaving for college soon enough, his father, Autopsy is an attorney, and his mother is a stay-at-home mom, literally. She used to go places, but it’s been years since she’s left the shelter of their home.

“I once heard someone refer to Breathed as the scar of the paradise we lost. So it was in many ways, a place with a perf ...more

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Jun 01, 2016 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

An incredible novel, genuinely different from anything I've read before.

I've taken a few days to think about this book before writing a review. It's one of those novels that haunt the mind by asking the kind of questions that cut straight to the heart of who you are. Despite the 80s setting, the themes are so relevant, so pertinent that it made for an extremely uncomfortable read. Racism. Homophobia. Mob mentality. Religious extremism. Just when you are busy congratulating yourself that you don An incredible novel, genuinely different from anything I've read before.

I've taken a few days to think about this book before writing a review. It's one of those novels that haunt the mind by asking the kind of questions that cut straight to the heart of who you are. Despite the 80s setting, the themes are so relevant, so pertinent that it made for an extremely uncomfortable read. Racism. Homophobia. Mob mentality. Religious extremism. Just when you are busy congratulating yourself that you don't live in a small town in 80s America, you remember the news over the last few weeks and it occurs to you that things haven't changed all that much. People haven't changed all that much. After hitting you hard with the story within the pages, the book follows it up with this lasting taste of human behaviour. All I can think about since reading it is that quote from Gandhi about being the change you want to see in the world. I hope everyone who reads this asks themselves: what would I do?

The language is fundamental to the story; the originality of expression is that of a master wordsmith, not a debut author. It is difficult, layered, and complex; providing a stark contrast to the simplistic language of hate the forms the darker currents within the novel. The single words used to embody an entire doctrine of superiority and negation: Faggot, demon, devil, black, nigger. At the same time, there are so many quotes that seem to say so much about the world, but that are also specific to the singular time and space of the novel. I put the book down many times to think about what was said, to roll it around in my mind and even say it out loud. The dichotomy between language and theme was both jarring and beautiful.

So did the Devil really accept the invitation to go to Beathed? It hardly matters, it is our free will that makes us who we are. In any case, if we all chose to act like the community of this small town, the Devil would soon be out of a job. It just goes to show that when it comes to horrible acts of violence, us humans don't need any help.

My heartfelt thanks to Tiffany McDaniel, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 19, 2016 Mel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, owned, favorite-books, read-in-2016, 5-stars, read-in-2017

Reread 2017 - 5 stars.

Tiffany McDaniel has done something truly unique with this novel. As a debut novel (though I know from conversations I've had with her that this is not the first book that she's written, just the first published) she is able to do something that has not happened to me very often in my reading life. She has made this feel like I'm not reading. This has never felt like a book for me, this has felt like something I've lived. Like something someone I love has lived. This has fe ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a weird, strange, engrossing book this is. It defies description. Beautifully written and with ideas that will have you thinking for days. Like the idea that hell is a place without Hope or that the devil prays for forgiveness. But the story itself grabs you. Is this young boy truly the devil?

I love that the author chooses 1984 as the year the novel takes place. The book constantly harkens back to Orwell’s novel with its groupthink and ideas of “truth”. But it's also a book that fits with ...more

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Jun 27, 2016 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The first thing I noticed when I started reading this novel was the tone, the writing. Southern gothic in Southern Ohio? Okay, I can go with that. Know little about Southern, Ohio so maybe it has more Southern in it than I thought. Takes place over the course of a single summer, a summer with an unprecedented heat wave, a summer that will change forever a family and the people in this town. The summer a devil appeared in answer to an invitation tendered by Autopsy Bliss. A devil that appears to ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Debbie "DJ" rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, netgalley, 2016-favorites

Holy moly, this is McDaniel's debut novel? It is my favorite read so far this year, and spoke to me like few books do.

It's the 80's and McDaniel starts by reminding us of the hysteria over child abuse at the time. I remember the McMartain trial, the social workers giving children toy dolls, asking leading questions, dooming innocent caretakers as pedophiles. It was also the decade we learned of AIDS, how many believed God was exacting judgement for those who defiled Him. These memories set the s ...more

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Jun 25, 2016 Zoeytron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Posted in the newspaper, a formal invitation is extended to the devil requesting his presence in Breathed, Ohio. A heat wave ensues, the likes of which has not been seen before in this small town. Tempers flare, bad feelings smolder, hot words bubble from the lips of those who are typically slow to anger. A sort of madness descends, and all common sense melts away.

And now, here is a young boy in tattered overalls with a pure love of ice crea ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 Ɗẳɳ 2.☊ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommended to Ɗẳɳ 2.☊ by: Dan Schwent

Shelves: literary-fiction

“You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake.”

Autopsy Bliss is a prosecuting attorney in the small town of Breathed, Ohio. A religious man who believes that the courtroom, when ran correctly, should function like “God’s filter,” trapping all the devils of the world. As the court’s attorney, the responsibility falls on him to sift out those devils. However, he suffers a crisis of faith, after discovering he’d sent an innocent man to his death—a man in whose guilt he was absolutely “You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake.”

Autopsy Bliss is a prosecuting attorney in the small town of Breathed, Ohio. A religious man who believes that the courtroom, when ran correctly, should function like “God’s filter,” trapping all the devils of the world. As the court’s attorney, the responsibility falls on him to sift out those devils. However, he suffers a crisis of faith, after discovering he’d sent an innocent man to his death—a man in whose guilt he was absolutely certain, nonetheless. So he decides to pen a letter inviting the devil to come to town. He’d like to meet the man himself. Size him up to try and determine if he’d ever seen him before in the courtroom, in the eyes of all those men and women he’s sent away. If so, then maybe he did some good after all. But, how many good deeds does it take to balance the scales with that one horrible mistake?

Autopsy and the rest of the town are taken aback when the devil actually accepts his invitation; bringing with him a heatwave the likes of which the town has never experienced before. However, the devil in the guise of a thirteen-year-old black boy is not exactly what anyone was expecting.

The story is told by Autopsy’s son, Fielding, who’s now an old man looking back on the summer of 1984, which changed the course of his entire life. In Fielding, the reader sees a man haunted by his past—a man who’s become this wretched human being, this ruined and broken individual, so much wasted potential. As he’s telling his story, one can’t help but sense the looming disaster that hangs over his head like the Sword of Damocles. While the reader may not yet know what lies in store for Fielding, one can only assume that it will be some tragic, soul-crushing event to hollow out this boy into the bitter husk of a man we see before us. There’s an omnipresent sense of foreboding throughout. The pain and sorrow are palpable.

At first, I couldn’t quite put my finger on the crux of the problem I was having with the story. The writing had a beautiful, even lyrical quality to it. And, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to one of my favorite books: To Kill a Mockingbird with the small town setting, and a morality tale focused on a group of kids and their attorney father. It seemed as though the author had some profound things to say about sin, prejudice, racism, homophobia, hero worship, mob mentality, and shirking the blame for all your troubles onto some devil, rather than taking responsibly for your own life. Then finally it hit me—that festering tickle in the back of my mind turned transparent—the reason as to why I wasn’t falling head over heels for this charming little tale: the entire story is just an endless parade of metaphors. Eventually, all those metaphors began to feel like a knife, and the slow slicing became a form of torture—a literary lingchi if you will, or death by a thousand cuts.

Another problem was that the story revolved around a couple of kids who didn’t talk or act like kids at all. They were wise beyond their years, with deep insight into all the goings-on of the town, and forever speaking in metaphors. Sal, in particular, had a seemingly endless number of parables to relate to any situation. Amazing indeed for a thirteen-year-old boy from a broken family, with little to no education. Or was he the devil? You tell me. That’s one of the lingering questions throughout.

Look, the novel was clearly written to impress the literary crowd, but maybe it was a little too clever for its own good. Exquisite writing like that can be breathtaking when taken in small doses, but when stretched to novel lengths it can become a real chore to wade through.

Who knows, maybe you’ll love the symbolism and all those metaphors and parables. I wish you luck. But I’m a simple man with simple cravings. I’m content with my burger and fries. This Duck à l'Orange with foie gras ravioli is all yours.

For anyone curious to sample the author’s writing style and a few of those countless metaphors, check the spoiler tag.

(view spoiler)[“You know, Fielding, the thing about breaking something that no one much thinks about is that more shadows are created. The bowl when intact was one shadow. One single shadow. Now each piece will have a shadow of its own. My God, so many shadows have been made. Small little slivers of darkness that seem at once to be larger than the bowl ever was. That’s the problem of broken things. The light dies in small ways, and the shadows—well, they always win big in the end.”
…
“Then there was the strawberry jam I’d believed was blood. It seeped from the broken jars, oozing wide and then tapering as if the way to eternal glory is one long, narrow passage. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to get there. Our sins widen us until the narrow way is something we can never go through. We have no choice but to languish in the boiling of what’s left, as I have been languishing.”
…
“THIS IS ME. Teeth marks here. Teeth marks there. Being eaten one bite at a time. I smell myself on my breath. Feel myself swallowed and plopped to my stomach. Clean myself out from my own teeth with a toothpick.”

“It was Carl Jung who said shame is a soul-eating emotion. It doesn’t eat you in one big gulp. It takes its time. Seventy-one years, it is still taking its time.

I am for my own teeth. I am for my own stomach. I alone eat myself to the dark.”
…
“ALL LOVE LEADS to cannibalism. I know that now. Sooner or later, our hearts will devour, if not the object of our affections, our very selves. Teeth are the heart’s miracle. That a mouth should burst forth on that organ without throat and crave another’s flesh, another’s heart, is nothing short of a miracle.”
…
“MADNESS. THE COMPASSING violin when in our head, the directionless chaos when out of it. Isn’t that what madness is, after all? Clarity to the beholder, insanity to the witnessing world. My God, what madness this world has witnessed. What beautiful, chaotic madness.”
...
“THE YELL IS permanent, the wrong is lasting, the damage is complete, and the goddamn is eternal when a young man goes into the woods and in his fray turns the sword inward.”
…
“I was so sure of what was evil, of what was good. But then Sal came, and the panther ate salad, and the devil—well, he turned out to be the only angel among us.” (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Aug 13, 2016 Irena BookDustMagic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Here is the truth: this book is perfect.
When you look at every single element of this story, every single character, phrase and all of the parts of the plot, you get one perfect whole, compliteness that leaves you breathtaken in an absolutely literal way.

I am sorry if I already used the word perfection too many times at the very beginning of my review, but the truth is, I am lost for other words. This book, to me, was pure perfection.

It played with my emphaty in a way I can't describe, it broke ...more

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May 31, 2016 Esil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

3.75 stars. I'm struggling with my reaction to The Summer That Melted Everything. Set in a small town in Ohio in the 1980s, the story is narrated by Fielding Bliss who was 13 during the summer when the story takes place. It was a ridiculously hot summer, and Fielding and his family welcomed a homeless black teenaged boy who presented himself as the "devil" -- aka Sal -- in response to an ad Fielding's father placed in the local paper. Following Sal's arrival, the town and Fielding's family are p ...more

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Dec 30, 2016 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone. But maybe not TL?

Recommended to Edward by: Dan Schwent

I could go on for days about how well written this book is. I will not do that, though. You can judge for yourself how amazing are the turns of phrase and similes and metaphors. McDaniel knows her way around the written word. You can feel her attention to detail in every line. The word "masterful" comes to mind.

I hesitate to recommend this book to some of you. Unfortunately, the list of people who this book might break over its knee is far too long to name each and every one of you. Up until the I could go on for days about how well written this book is. I will not do that, though. You can judge for yourself how amazing are the turns of phrase and similes and metaphors. McDaniel knows her way around the written word. You can feel her attention to detail in every line. The word "masterful" comes to mind.

I hesitate to recommend this book to some of you. Unfortunately, the list of people who this book might break over its knee is far too long to name each and every one of you. Up until the 85% mark the book is manageable in how it deals with loss and grief. But then 95% comes in like a Mac truck through your emotions. Unfortunately, your feels get caught in the grill and you're dragged for the final 5%. By the end of the book, you're nothing but scraps of flesh on a skeleton. Not since Stephen King's Revival have I felt so utterly drained after finishing a work of fiction. Usually I don't like repeated punches to the gut, as I stated in my review of The Kite Runner. It gets old. It gets boring. You're just waiting for the next tragedy and the book suffers due to that. Or the book is lighthearted in its sorrow, as with A Man Called Ove, and the tragedy feels glossed over and paperthin. Sure it's sad. But you know the Grinch's heart is gonna grow three sizes this day and blah blah blah...

The most striking difference between the aforementioned books and this one is the terrifically quirky characters. You have a little person who's role in the book is far from just a supporting character; a cute little girl with a prosthetic leg and a shitty home life; a character who's terrified of being rained on; and some of the most unique names I've come across. Too often I'll read a book with unique names like Fuquery or Papa Platypus or Jim-Jim Jimmy Jimkins and I'll roll my eyes and wish the author had done better. Here, the character names fit their respective characters. The odd names are not just for show. They are functional. I like that. But more than that, I came to really love these characters. They were real people to me. Which made what happened to them that much more soul crushing.

Suffice it to say that this book is way above the level of tragedy porn. There is tragedy. Loads of it. But, oddly enough, I never felt it to be too much. Actually, it did feel like too much, as in too much to handle. But never did it feel gratuitous, I guess is what I'm trying to say. I never felt like Tiffany McDaniel was thinking "How can I make the next tragedy even worse than this last one?" The horrible happenings herein seemed to follow a natural timeline, as if progression was not only needed, but wanted. I wanted to know what happened next because the last thing was so goddamn horrific I couldn't imagine what might come next. Well, sports fans, this motherfucker's ending is a blistering experience. I believe my exact words were, "Holy fucking shit."

I've read some disturbing scenes in my day (hell, I've even written my fair share), but none of them compare to what happens in this book. You can tout that you're the KING OF EXTREME HORROR! and label your books with PUSSIES NOT WELCOME! but you will never match the strength of something as emotionally powerful as McDaniel has accomplished. So you guys can have your shockfests. I'll take real literature over that nonsense any day. Because if you don't care about the people this horrific shit is happening to, what's the point?

In summation: Tiffany McDaniel is too cool for school. I will not drop the age-old cliche of "I can't believe this is a debut novel!" because that wouldn't be true. This feels as if someone poured their entire self into a book, and if McDaniel never writes another novel I'd be sad but okay with that. Because this novel is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And I will say that until another author proves me wrong.

Final Judgment: Tiffany McDaniel is my generation's Harper Lee. ...more

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Nov 29, 2016 Sam Quixote rated it did not like it · review of another edition

FUCKING HORRIBLE. That’s the only way to describe Tiffany McDaniel’s The Summer That Melted Everything!

My head aches just thinking about this garbage… it’s about a Southern kid in the 1980s who meets another kid called Sal who claims to be the Devil (the first two letters from Satan and the first letter of Lucifer = SAL. Faceplant). Southern summers are mighty hot. To make this seem like an intelligent novel, here are some quotes from Paradise Lost ‘cos Sal is a sort of sad and tragic Devil li FUCKING HORRIBLE. That’s the only way to describe Tiffany McDaniel’s The Summer That Melted Everything!

My head aches just thinking about this garbage… it’s about a Southern kid in the 1980s who meets another kid called Sal who claims to be the Devil (the first two letters from Satan and the first letter of Lucifer = SAL. Faceplant). Southern summers are mighty hot. To make this seem like an intelligent novel, here are some quotes from Paradise Lost ‘cos Sal is a sort of sad and tragic Devil like John Milton’s Satan. That’s it.

That the book has a premise rather than a story bothered me but not nearly as much as McDaniel’s ultra-shitty writing style which tried my patience to the point where I had to abandon the novel for my own sanity at Chapter 16 rather than endure another monotonous 11 chapters. Not a fucking thing can just happen in this book – nobody can simply walk into a room, everything has to be accompanied with a ton of preamble and pretence as well.

The structure is basically this: begin with folksy wittering about nothing relevant, mention the setting or weather and make a contrived metaphor. Then have a character say something pointless, do a simple thing - the point of all this nonsense - make another strained metaphor or maybe a time-wasting simile, then end with a useless anecdote about nothing usually involving more folksy blather, another shite metaphor, and more extraneous dialogue. Repeat IN EVERY SINGLE PARAGRAPH ON EVERY SINGLE FUCKING PAGE UNTIL YOU WANT TO BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT.

It’s like reading latter-day Stephen King minus the sometimes compelling characters and stories and just enduring his irritating homespun, conversational nattering which has become such a big insufferable feature of his work now that I’ve had to give up his books. McDaniel’s style is endless waffle waffle waffle, drivel drivel drivel punctuated by a cast of stereotypical hillbillies gosh darnin’ their way through one tedious sentence after another. I lost count of the number of times I muttered to myself GET. THE FUCK. ON WITH IT.

Would you like an aneurysm? Read this book. The Worst Novel of 2016. ...more

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Aug 10, 2016 Dem rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: not-for-me

2.5 Stars

I Guess I couldn’t take the heat…………………….

The Summer that melted everything is a unique and interesting story set in Breathed, Ohio. A deep and dark story of the summer the Devil comes to town in the form of a teenager called Sal and a series of horrific events occur and the reader must decide whether these events are actually the work of the devil or humans. Of course the town are quick to point the finger at Sal but could a fifteen year old teenager really be the devil in disguis ...more

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Dec 02, 2016 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Make no mistake, this is a book that’ll suck you in, chew you up and spit out the gristly bits. It’s slow to get going but from the mid-point onward it’s intense, very intense. And the last section of the book might just leave you an emotional wreck. So choose a good day, a happy time, to pick this one up.

Set in a small town in Ohio in 1984, we are introduced to the fact that it’s the beginning of the hottest, driest Summer anyone can remember. We meet a family, the parents and their two sons: F Make no mistake, this is a book that’ll suck you in, chew you up and spit out the gristly bits. It’s slow to get going but from the mid-point onward it’s intense, very intense. And the last section of the book might just leave you an emotional wreck. So choose a good day, a happy time, to pick this one up.

Set in a small town in Ohio in 1984, we are introduced to the fact that it’s the beginning of the hottest, driest Summer anyone can remember. We meet a family, the parents and their two sons: Fielding, aged 13, and his elder brother, Grand. The father’s name is Autopsy Bliss (yes, there’s a lot of strange names here), a lawyer and a religious man. For reasons I haven’t quite grasped, Autopsy decides to write an open letter inviting the devil to visit this town. And the devil duly arrives, at least he says he is the devil, in the shape of a thirteen-year-old black boy.

The town is populated by rather strange folk and the atmosphere feels like that of a place lost somewhere in the 19th Century, so far removed is it from the 1980’s England I grew up in. In fact, the town is so estranged from any other conurbation that after the stock of ice cream is destroyed at the local store it takes the whole of the Summer for it to be replenished.

We follow the story of the family and of ‘the devil’ (given the moniker Sam soon after his arrival) through the ramblings of a 71-year-old Fielding looking back on that insufferable season. We know it’s not going to end well, Fielding’s stumbling thoughts and uncoordinated actions make that clear. His memories are not good ones.

In all honesty the prose is not entirely to my taste. There are some brilliant lines and some genuine wisdoms that made me pause and think, but there are also long, overblown sections that prompted to to drift off and to lose, temporarily, the thread of the narrative. It didn’t seem to flow in the way the best novels do, but at the same time I retained enough interest to keep me turning the pages. In particular, there were glimpses of Sal’s background that began to piece together the life he’d had before he arrived in the town. I wanted to follow this through, to see where it took me.

I’m not sure I was ever totally taken in by events but I can say that towards the end I was totally captivated by the power of the piece. I found it hard to read but impossible to put down. Most reviews I’ve subsequently read are from readers who absolutely loved this book and I’m sure it will capture a good deal of attention. Despite some personal reservations, I do feel that this is an extraordinary potent piece of literature from the hands of a young writer.

My thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 13, 2016 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: huggable-books, recent-favorites, buddy-read-with-beth

I love this author. Her writing speaks for itself, and I cannot wait to pick up her newest, Betty, today.

EPIC! This book was absolutely epic. I crawled inside this story, and I did not want it to end. I lived with the Bliss family during that hot summer of 1984, and I was attached to each character who was beautifully drawn, yet deeply flawed -- and all so real and genuine. The issues of 1984 are still relevant today. The writing has incredible flow and pacing, and the descriptions, wow. I foun ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 Carol added it · review of another edition

Shelves: debut

The Hook - The tug of war that comprise the force of good vs. evil. The outcome of what happens when the devil comes to call.

The Line - ”Sometimes I think not having tears meant we cried even more.”

The Sinker - A beautifully written debut novel with a creative take on a story that’s been told many ways before.

The Summer That Melted Everything has received lots of praise. I was not certain I wanted to read it but there it was sitting on the library shelf and before I knew it, it was in my book ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Taryn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: received-from-publisher, netgalley

“You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake.”

Fielding Bliss looks back on the life-altering summer of 1984, when his father invited the devil to their hometown of Breathed, Ohio. The invitation is accepted by Sal, a thirteen-year-old black boy who claims to be the devil. After his arrival, an overbearing heat descends upon Breathed and tragic events begin to occur with frequency. The townspeople fixate on Sal and view him with suspicion. Is Sal actually the devil or just a runaway? Elohim, a neighbor who is friendly with Fielding, immediately dislikes Sal and seizes on the opportunity to focus the town's rage against him. While the community's lashes out at Sal, trouble is also brewing inside the Bliss home.

“No one wants to say one word and then realize it means so many more.”

I practically ran to Netgalley the moment I read the summary! The Summer That Melted Everything is such a unique book. The synopsis above barely scratches the surface of what this book is about. It has a whimsical, magical feel, but it's also very dark. Atmospherically, it reminds me of Big Fish (movie), Beasts of Southern Wild (movie) and The New and Improved Romie Futch. Romie Futch is described as a "Southern Gothic tall tale"; I'm not sure if Ohio counts as the South, but I think that label fits this book too! The writing is impressive. It addresses heavy themes such as racism, homophobia, AIDS hysteria, and domestic violence, but it never felt heavy-handed. Each chapter begins with an epigraph from Paradise Lost by John Milton, which helps sets the mood. Every word and name feels intentionally chosen and the story is well-constructed. The story is told by 84-year-old Fielding Bliss, primarily in flashbacks. He is consumed by guilt and regret, so we know this story probably doesn't have a happy ending. How did the caring thirteen-year-old we meet in the flashbacks turn into this self-destructive old man? He was so close with his family during the summer of 1984, so why does it seem that he lost all contact with them?

Cowardice is always too late to the fact that bravery has the better chance. Our better chance could’ve been understanding. It could’ve been soaring from that which has too long been believed to be a sin. And yet it’s far too easy to be the coward when it requires nothing more than a lie.

The book is filled with peculiar and interesting characters. Fielding's father Autopsy Bliss reminded me of Atticus Finch (TKAM). He's a fair-minded man who welcomes Sal into his home with open arms, despite the growing concerns of the community. Stella Bliss, Fielding's mother, won't step out of the house out of fear of the rain. Instead of leaving the house to travel, she decorates each room of her house as a different country. Fielding idolizes his older brother Grand, a high school baseball player whose reputation fits his name. Fedelia Bliss, their aunt, wears ribbons in her hair as a reminder of each of her husband's betrayals. Sal quickly bonds with the Bliss family and becomes especially close with Fielding. He's thirteen, but he speaks in parables. He seems much wiser than his years, but he's also seen more than any child should have to. These are just the people inside the Bliss household. There are so many more memorable major and minor characters.

“What these poor souls were desperate for was a light. But the thing about light is it all looks the same when you’re in the dark, so you can’t tell if what powers that light is good or if it is bad, because the light blinds you to the source of its power. All you know is that it saves you from the darkness … They reached for that brightness, and while the light distracted them, while it comforted them in its false rescue, the dark power behind it did its work, and before any of them knew it, they were not being saved by the light, they were being changed by it."

This book illustrates mob mentality. A charismatic leader whips people into a frenzy and the townspeople easily rationalize their atrocious behavior. There are hints of the terrible events to come, but it begins with disturbing rhetoric. Over the summer, the situation slowly escalates to horrifying levels. When the people of Breathed find a "monster" to pin blame on, they become blind to their own monstrous behavior. Many of the strange events attributed to Sal were actually caused by the townspeople. "Sometimes the things we believe we hear are really just our own shifting needs." The "devils" in Breathed aren't the ones who you would expect. They are neighbors and friends. There were no visual markers or previous indications of the evil they were capable of. I recently read an interview with a man talking about his professional colleagues. I can't remember the exact quote or numbers, but it was something like ≈10% were consistently bad, ≈10% were consistently good, and the behavior of the other ≈80% depended on who they worked with that day. Many of the citizens of Breathed reminded me of that 80%. This book makes it clear how easy it is to be led astray by blind certainty or a trusted individual. Even the character with the purest heart had moments where they were certain and proven wrong after it was too late.

“When glass is whole, it’s good. When it’s broken, it’s bad. It’s swept up. It’s thrown away. Sometimes thrown away too soon. Think of a window, Sal said. Imagine a violence breaking that window. All those shards of broken glass fall to the floor. The violence is inside the house now, wrestling you. It could kill you, so you grab one of the shards and stab. The violence dies and you are saved. Saved by the broken glass. Isn’t that a funny thing? To be saved by the bad. Sometimes, not sweeping that bad up and throwing it away will save you in the end. It just might. So to defend the devil means defending the good of the bad. That’s what I was doing, Fielding. Hoping that all those folks are just shards of broken glass and one day in the future, they’ll save someone by being just that."

The events at the end were so horrifying that it did make it difficult for me to put on my grey-tinted glasses. However, when I go back to “You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake" and the context, I understand why the story went the direction it did. I also have a personal issue where stories with allegorical characters make me hyper-aware that I'm in the middle of a story, so I am not 100% invested in the character's fates. Even though I didn't feel as ripped apart by tragedy as I probably should have, I did feel deeply for these characters. It felt like a gut punch when Fielding uttered the one word to his brother that changed their relationship forever. When the Bliss family hit their lowest point, my heart broke. Sal's stories are so beautifully told that they bring tears to my eyes. (Without giving anything away, the stories about the fall and the rope really stick out in my mind.)

"Isn’t it time we put the shovels down instead of digging more holes? The more holes we dig ... the less solid ground any of us will have to stand on.”

I would love to go on and on about my favorite parts, but it's best to experience it for yourself! This book's message will always be relevant. Part of what makes it terrifying is that the events are so recognizable. It's been hard for me to watch the news lately without thinking about Sal and Breathed, Ohio. There is so much in this book that it is impossible to unpack it all in just one read. The first read is really good, but it will definitely reward a reread. The Summer That Melted Everything is a deeply affecting book that will provoke much discussion. Highly recommended!

_____________________
Quotes I was reminded of while reading:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Bruce Wayne: We're criminals, Alfred. We've always been criminals. Nothing's changed.
Alfred: Oh, yes it has, sir. Everything's changed. Men fall from the sky, the gods hurl thunderbolts, innocents die. That's how it starts, sir. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel.

Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado
Doubt isn't the enemy of blind justice--blind certainty is.

I received this book for free from St. Martin's Press & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also had brief contact with the author, but I had already received the book at that point. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This title will be released on July 26, 2016. ...more

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About Tiffany McDaniel

Tiffany McDaniel

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Tiffany McDaniel is a novelist, poet, and visual artist born and raised in Ohio. She is the author of The Summer That Melted Everything and BETTY.

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“A snake that could harm you, you don’t have much choice to kill. You wouldn’t be able to leave a cobra in your sock drawer. But a snake that is no threat will greatly define the man who decides to kill it anyways.” — 53 likes

“A foolish mistake, it is, to expect the beast, because sometimes, sometimes, it is the flower's turn to own the name.” — 36 likes

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