Reviewed by Donna Meredith Kristen Arnett’s novel With Teeth (Riverhead Books, 2021) is a literary novel that bites. From the first scenes, it sinks its teeth in and refuses to let go. Yet it is a deeply troubling read. It left me wondering if some women, like the protagonist Sammie, might be born without mothering […]
“The Wrong Side,” by Robert Bailey
August 11, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Claire Matturro The Wrong Side (Thomas and Mercer 2021) is very much a Robert Bailey legal thriller—which is to say it is a riveting book full of intrigue, last ditch chances, compelling characters, an enthralling, well-paced energetic story line, and a plot twist at the end readers won’t see coming. Bailey, as an […]
August Read of the Month: “Wayward Girls,” by Claire Matturro and Penny Koepsel
August 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith What dark secrets lurk behind the walls of Talbot Hall for Girls? Which adults might prove allies of the teens—and which ones can’t be trusted? Can the girls even trust each other? Sizzling with tension and intriguing characters, Wayward Girls, by Claire Matturro and Penny Koepsel, is set in a creepy […]
“Pop: An Illustrated Novel,” by Robert Gipe
July 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Julia Lindsay Pop closes out Robert Gipe’s Appalachian illustrated novel trilogy with a wonderfully queer and apocalyptic coda. It ties up loose ends from the two previous novels that share the same subtitle, Trampoline (2015) and Weedeater (2018), while still acknowledging that life is not neat, that not all loose ends can be […]
Julia Lindsay
July 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Julia Lindsay was born and raised in North Carolina and received her B.A and M.A in English from Appalachian State University. She is now a Ph.D candidate at the University of Georgia, combining her interest in SF and Southern literature in her research on contemporary Afrofuturist texts taking place in the American South. She has […]
“The Cape May Carving Tree,” by John Riddle
July 21, 2021 by 1 Comment
Essay by John Riddle On a recent trip to Cape May, New Jersey, I needed a few moments to get out of the sun. It was a hot and humid day, and the shade from three nearby trees was calling my name. As I stood beneath the center tree, I noticed there were about three […]