In her debut book, Moniz gives the reader eleven short stories focused mainly on women/girls (there is only one story in the collection illustrating the male perspective). The author tackles many difficult topics from miscarriage, sexual harassment to loss of a loved one, focusing on presenting an intimate portrait of modern women, mothers, daughters and friends.
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I must admit I was hoping for something a little better. As it happens with short stories, there were better and poorer ones, some of them really appealed to me (e.g. "Milk Blood Heat" or "Exotics") others didn't hit me at all (e.g. "Feast" or "Outside the Raft"), but what I regret most is that I have the impression that they won't stay with me for long.

Fantastic collection of stories. The writing is precise and sharp. I trust Moniz's writing and where it does and does not take the reader. I enjoyed pondering and mulling over the stories for days after.

A work of fiction that was searing and haunting. I could not stop thinking about the characters for weeks after reading the book. I was sad once I finished. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I’m not surprised this short story has the word heat in it, because it certainly brings the fire!

From the minute you finish the first story (or quite possibly when you start it), you know that darkness and violence awaits. This collection is the antidote to all the happily ever afters out there, filled with sorrow, anger, passion and regret. From a young teenager who watches her best friend do the unthinkable, to the woman terrified by the thought of bringing a child into this world, and equally terrified not to, these stories will likely shock, upset and repulse you - and that’s what makes them so powerful.

The writing is fearless and hypnotic - whilst part of me wanted to turn away from the violence of it, another part couldn’t put it down. This is what life is made of - birth, love, sex, death - and the author isn’t afraid to show the darker side of it all. Whilst I might not recommend this if you’re in a dark place, if you’re looking for a memorable and fierce collection of short stories that will knock your socks off, this could be the one for you!

TWO-CENT TUESDAY
Below are a few (somewhat) brief, $.02 opinions about books I've read or listened to recently but don't have the time, inclination, or opportunity to review in full. Their appearance in this recurring piece often has little to nothing to do with merit. Some I enjoyed as much or more than those that got the full court press. I hope you'll consider one or two for your own TBR stack if they strike your fancy whether they struck mine or not.

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Milk Blood Heat, by Dantiel W. Moniz


I very much enjoyed this set of short stories by Dantiel Moniz, which happens to be her debut. A Florida native, her stories are also set there. I've never been to Florida and we all know the "Florida Man" jokes, but I always have a keen interest in stories set in Florida. It's almost as though there's no limit to what story can be told in Florida.

It's hard to describe this collection other than that they are stories of people, mostly women and young, who are facing an issue or adversity and/or trying to understand who they are. White/Black friendships, the loss of a child (resulting in the mother seeing parts of her baby everywhere), the stories range so much they are hard to put in one box. Which I love, because if I don't connect with one I know something vastly different is next. This collection sucked me in from the start, as two young girls, one white the other Black, forge their relationship as "blood sisters" by cutting their palms and mixing their blood with milk to drink it.

A five star review is a feeling. It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly what I loved about Milk Blood Heat, but I loved it.
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Maybe it's the narrative range spanning this slim collection. Maybe it's the nuanced character development, showcasing both depth and breadth. Maybe it's the realistic scene settings that leverage the swampy Florida heat. Dantiel tackles a series of unique powerful voices and their stories, which artfully touch on both the banalities of daily life and the face of extraordinary trauma.
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I think this book is totally deserving of all the hype it's getting. I don't often love short stories, but I loved this book.

Each of these shorts were meaty and sinewy -- juicy but took a lot of time to digest. I had to take time in between each short and could not read too much at once. Each short contains just a modicum of evil that makes you question the unspoken and darker sides of humanity. I can't say I loved this collection but I did enjoy it a great deal. The writing is fantastic and definitely makes you feel some type of way. My favorites include the title's namesake, Milk Blood Heat, Outside the Raft, and Feast.

This one blew me away! I love these stories and the voices Moniz brings to life. I am so moved and impressed by the writing style. It truly makes this one come to life and feel like a life changing read. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review a copy!

These stories were heavy and often left me wanting more than I was given, but Moniz's writing is sharp and thoughtful. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

An incredible and heart rending book of short stories. This book is not afraid to dive into the sticky mess that is existence, and its characters are flawed but still people that we know in our own lives.

Milk Blood Heat unfortunately proved to be a very forgettable read for me. It's been a couple of months since I read this and I remember exactly zero of these stories, which is not a good sign lol. My lukewarm feelings about this collection ultimately come down to two key things:

1. The stories felt staid. The more stories I read from this collection, the more tiring I felt it became. And tired is not exactly something you want to feel when you're reading anything. A lot of these stories felt too similar in that they were all pretty morose, and not in a particularly dynamic way. Every story I read felt like a slightly different variation of the same Vague Malaise.

2. I really didn't like how these stories ended. An ending can make or break a short story; it can clinch the tension it's building, or just completely deflate it. The stories of Milk Blood Heat did the latter. They didn't have abrupt endings so much as they had complete non-endings. I'd be reading a story, and it would be solid, and then it would just...terminate. Not in an understated or quiet or subtle way, but, like, in no way at all. It felt like such a waste to just completely deflate the tension of a story with a total subpar ending, to develop characters and plot and then leave the reader with nothing to hold on to in the end.

An amazing short story collection from the streets of Florida, these stories of young and older women are spiritual, mesmerizing and ultimately uplifting.

Gorgeous collection of short stories by a debut writer! It is often difficult to connect with characters in a short story collection but Moniz's writing is beautiful and masterful and makes the colors and culture of Florida palpable. Cannot wait to read more!

I loved this book. I love character studies. It was a great set of short stories. It ended up being a belletrist pick which increased the popularity I saw among my friends. We are really loved it. As a woman I like to see stories about girls and women. There’s so many make centered books so it is refreshing to read about the female experience.

I loved every story in this book. Incredible and thought provoking. All the stories worked well together and I could see the connections between each of them.

If you love short stories, stop what you are doing and read this. I could feel Florida seeping out of the pores of this book as I read it. The sense of place was EVERYTHING. I devoured every story and I don't even know if I can pick a favorite - they are dark, but they are wonderful.

Short story anthologies are not my favorite genre of books but this debut collection of tales depicting Black family and community experiences in North Florida is an impressive achievement by Dantiel Moniz. The author writes with a memorable, elegant style. Her protagonists are vibrantly depicted and complex, inviting empathy from the reader even when they are wallowing in questionable behavior, as is the case is “The Loss of Heaven” when a man losing his wife to cancer reflects on his past shortcomings while drowning his worries at the bar and leering at the comely staff. Other storylines surprise and even shock with their elements; in “Exotics”, staff at an exclusive Supper Club serve their hedonistic patrons while holding their noses and masking disdain.

But most of the stories movingly portray adolescent female/adult mother relationships, and family life in general, in a finely crafted manner. Your heart hurts to see a mother’s neglect in “An Almanac of Bones”, and breaks further in “Thicker than Water” to read about the root cause of an estranged brother and sister’s damaged relationship as they come together to bury their dead father.

Some stories missed the mark for me, but this could be just personal preference and on the whole, I was impressed by Moniz held my interest, and more importantly, succeeded in getting me to feel invested in the characters, even in the limited framework of a dedicated chapter at a time.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Grove Atlantic Press, and Dantiel Moniz for this ARC of beautiful stories in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this collection of stories! Each one left me wanting to start the next. Some made me sad, some made me laugh or gasp. I don't usually read short story collections and this one held my attention all the way to the end.

4.5

This debut collection of short stories written by Dantiel W. Moniz is incredible! Set in Florida and told mostly from the perspective of Black girls and women, each story is compelling, poignant, vivid, and intense. The writing is exquisite. There is such authenticity and believability to the characters, I was deeply invested in their feelings and experiences. I appreciate the author's ability to explore some pretty dark subject matter and balance it with the triumphs and joys of life. This is a work of art and I look forward to future books by Dantiel W. Moniz.

I really enjoyed the first two stories, but the rest fizzled for me. Probably a combination of the stories not being as memorable for me as the first two, but also my attention drifting while I'm listening. I can absolutely appreciate Moniz's stunning writing, and would love to read a novel from her.

A snippet of the summary from Goodreads: Set among the cities and suburbs of Florida, each story in Milk Blood Heat delves into the ordinary worlds of young girls, women, and men who find themselves confronted by extraordinary moments of violent personal reckoning. These intimate portraits of people and relationships scour and soothe and blast a light on the nature of family, faith, forgiveness, consumption, and what we may, or may not, owe one another.