Many thanks to my friends at @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

Vivid.  Grotesque.  Intense.  This is quite possibly the most thoughtfully disturbing book I’ve ever read.  

 

Synder’s note from her editor read, “Lucy, WTF is wrong with you? Good grief that story was messed up.  Thanks, I think.”

 

That pretty much sums up my thoughts.  

 

What the hell did I just read?  And WHY did I keep reading??? 

 

I was completely disturbed.  I was horrified.  There were times I thought I might vomit.  And often, I couldn’t even understand the depravity of what I was reading.  

 

YET… I couldn’t look away.  I didn’t want to look away.  I was fully immersed in this horrific world and had to watch every gory detail play out.  I binged this book (as fast as my buddy Becky would let me.)

 

It’s worth noting: This read isn’t just shock and awe.  My friends and I had a truly great discussion over this book.  Beyond the outrageous,  this book was incredibly thought provoking.  With symbolism and theming that ranged from religion to reproductive rights and carnal desires, our conversations solidified this read, in all its obscenity, completely worthwhile.  

 

The book is broken into three sections, almost like connected novellas, each told from a different point of view.  My favorite of the sections was the first, which is based off of Snyder’s Bram Stoker award winning short story, “Magdala Amygdala.”  But in the last section, we get Baby Greogory.  So it’s not to be counted out.  

 

To be sure, this book is *not* for everyone.  It’s gruesome, it’s erotic, and it’s downright disturbing.  

 

But it’s also a book I keep thinking about… whatever that says.