u/stormbutton

5/5 - listened to the audiobook and then immediately went out and bought the paperback to reread.

This is a novella, only 140 pages, and like the best books of any length it left me wanting more.

I love folk horror, feelings of cracks in reality, and weird lit in general. This book hit all of those feelings for me in the same way as Adam Leslie’s Lost In the Garden.

This story is told by a seemingly omniscient first person child narrator, who is at a family vacation home with some of her cousins, their parents, and their grandfather. None of the characters are named, instead having titles based on their character traits. The Liar, The Crybaby, The One With The Beautiful Voice, etc.

Growing up with lots of cousins myself, this book took me back to that liminal space in childhood where we spent semi-feral summers in the woods, forming little tribes while our parents faded into the background. The only adult the children really interact with is the Young Aunt.

Strange things start to happen in the woods. A tree fungus that looks like The Baby, gnarled trees that seem to be other children, stars that look wrong. Children come back from the woods and lake a little changed, unsure of how exactly.

Not everyone will be satisfied by the ending, but I absolutely loved it and when I reread it I picked up on so many “Ohhhhhh…..” moments.

If you enjoy folk horror, creepy fairytale vibes, and Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, I’d give this a go.

Headed to the beach in a few days and cleaning out the fridge and freezer, so this is all stuff I already had. I used a box of Trader Joe’s shrimp burgers, half a package of sliced white mushrooms, some lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Puréed into a sad gray paste with my immersion blender.

Salad is a bag of coleslaw mix, sliced cucumbers, and half dead cilantro, all tossed with lime juice and topped with Thai peanut sauce.

Chopped Yukon golds and cherry tomatoes tossed with oil and seasonings, then roasted. Topped with shredded chicken I had in the fridge. Cucumbers, pickled tomatoes, and hummus cup (I have a bunch to use up) on the side.

Indoor/outdoor seats so I wanted to layer. Excuse whatever the fuck my eye is doing in the second picture. 25 years, I like to make sure to my husband feels mildly uncomfortable every now and again.