Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In her first collection, Hunt (Mr. Splitfoot) explores various relationships between women and men; the dead and the undead (literally and metaphorically); and lust, longing, and loneliness in 10 stories designed to jolt and beguile. In "Cortés the Killer," a brother and sister witness the gruesome death of their horse during a Thanksgiving outing to Walmart. It sparks questions about their father's death from lung cancer. In "Love Machine," an FBI agent falls in love with the robot he designed to take out Ted Kaczynski. An extramarital tryst between two strangers opens a loophole and brings a seemingly dead dog back to life in "The Yellow." In "Wampum," a mother's ex-boyfriend seduces her precocious 14-year-old daughter, or is it the other way around? In "A Love Story"-one of the fiercest and funniest in the bunch-a pot dealer turned aspiring writer vents her frustrations with married sex life (or lack thereof), complains about raising children in the age of helicopter parenting (her critiques are witty and spot-on), and runs through the lives of women she's encountered-her "own private Greek chorus"-in the dark before bed. She describes an uncle as being "so good at imagining things [that] he makes the imagined things real." This excellent, inventive collection does the same; it is rife with observant asides, sly humor, and surprises. Agent: PJ Mark, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Hunt's collection of supernatural stories is an imaginative gathering of characters from both this world and other worlds. Included are stories about a woman who changes into a deer, a man who falls in love with a robot, and a woman whose world keeps getting smaller and less detailed. These unusual and magical tales will draw readers into a darker place. Narrator Christa Lewis does an exceptional job of differentiating the stories and characters, so listeners can easily identify when one from another. -VERDICT Suggested for fans of magical realism and authors such as Aimee Bender and Kelly Link. ["Effortless writing, indelible images, and unforgettable stories": LJ 6/15/17 review of the Farrar hc.]-Donna Bachowski, Orange Cty. Lib. Syst., Orlando, FL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
These short stories are works of dark, dark magic that skitter between worlds both recognizable and wholly new.Fans of Hunt's work (Mr. Splitfoot, 2016, etc.) will revel in her first story collection, which marries her signature flare for the fantastic with keen observation and sharp prose. In "Beast," a woman transforms into a deer each night and frets about how her newfound wild side will affect her marriage. The strip mall sadness of rural Pennsylvania pushes the grown siblings in "Corts the Killer" to make a series of terrible decisions. A woman moves to Florida to escape memories of a miscarriage, but they come flooding back during a hurricane in "The House Began to Pitch." And, in "Love Machine," a lonely FBI agent botches a mission in order to consummate his love for a killer robot. Even when things get strange, Hunt pins language to the page with such precision that you'll never doubt her for a moment. Not even when, in "All Hands," 13 teenage girls get pregnant in an homage to the Founding Fathersthen steal a moment between classes to "[lift] off the ground" like "floating balloons...full of grace." Hunt also has a knack for writing about the particular sadness and anxiety of middle-aged women in suburban and rural America, whether precipitated by motherhood, marriage, or loneliness. As one narrator remarks in "Love Story," "while no one wants to hear about middle-aged female sexual desire, I don't care anymore what no one thinks." Thankfully, Hunt is more than good enough to make you care. Grab your comforter and a flashlight for this tour de force collection from one of our most inventive storytellers. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
