ARC gifted by the publisher

This searing collection tells the stories of madness—the literal type and those private feelings that drive one mad. From familial and societal expectations, the sense of not belonging in one's own family, teenage angst and jealousy, insatiable desire, and the hypocrisy of adults, Okonkwo deftly explores the multitudes of madness via 10 unique stories.

I adored the vivid writing in MADNESS, which, through sparse yet potent prose, provokes a profound sense of grief and helplessness. Each story shares a distinct angle of "madness," and I'm utterly impressed with this collection. My favs are:

• Shadow: a lonely boy finds solace in his childless aunt and plans his "adoption escape"
• Animal: a chasm splits a family in half after a police encounter
• Milk, Blood, Oil: a girl with sickle cell disease, her overprotective caretakers, and her friend who grows jealous of the special treatments
• Eden: two siblings discover their dad's porn video collection
• Burning: a mom takes her daughter to different local shamans to "treat her disease"