Helen Marshall (1) (1983–)

(What? This is not evocative of Pet Semetary at all!)

A tough read, one of those reads that is tough precisely because it does the things it sets out to do and does them well. A beautiful near future apocalyptic tale of death and loss and grief in the face of rising natural and social catastrophe, the cruelest thing this does, beyond making characters you come to love go through hell, is offer out a richly imagined tendril of hope through transformation. Damn you, Helen Marsall. That hurts. show more Well done. show less

Disturbing. Creepy. Haunting.
The stories in this collection purport to explore the human condition by juxtaposing supernatural elements with ordinary interactions. Marshall succeeds in weaving compelling tales that frequently leave the reader breathless, wondering what just happened and what it means on a larger scale.
Reading this was not always enjoyable, but it was fascinating, particularly the tale which relates to the cover image, a dead kitten with fish scales.
If you like to be weirded show more out, but not in a cheesy way (the call was coming from inside the house!), this book is for you. I'm interested enough to check out more work by this author.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher and NetGalley* show less

I've been savouring this collection, starting with the intriguing cover and moving through each heart-wrenching but beautiful story. When I find a writer who challenges me to step up my own creative game, I take note. Marshall is one of these writers. Her ability to draw you in and disturb you to your core is impressive. And I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

"Memory is a tricky thing. It isn't a ruler, a hard, straight line for measuring the past, the passage of days, months, years."

The basic plot of this book is - “... people with J12 are dying-but when they do, biologically, the bodies keep going, they keep—“. “Changing.” It’s an intellectual ‘zombie’ story, with climate change as a part of the tale. And it’s well written and kind of deep! For 150 pages or so. Then, right past the halfway point, toward the end of part two, show more the ‘change’ happens, and the book goes ka-thunk. Even with the biological explanation given on these pages, I call BS to the whole 'nymph' development. Total BS. All the good will that the author had bought in me went flying out the door. Really, nymphs? C'mon...

p.s. - I LOVED reading “The Paper Bag Princess” to my daughter when she was young! Special to see it mentioned in here!

“Sometimes memory is a noose. It loops back on itself, pulling tight round your throat.” show less