This was a compelling and nuanced collection of stories that I really enjoyed. Some were horrific, others mundane, still others hopeful, but they all shone with the strong voice of the author, which was vibrant throughout. My personal favourites were 'The Hearts of my Enemies' and 'Snow' but all of the stories had a lot to give and were both interesting and entertaining. Overall, this was a great debut and I will be eager to see what Dantiel comes out with next.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A lot of solid writing in here, but I struggled with the number of stories that used the "I'm having a personal relationship issue where ___ and I don't see/understand each other anymore --> I met a random person who was able to magically, incisively understand my issue/I did a random activity that totally shook up my routine ---> I realize something important" structure.

3/5

Did not finish. This book initially sounded interesting but the execution of the book wasn't for me. I'm sure other people would enjoy though!

Milk Blood Heat was highly anticipated for me after seeing so many people talk about it. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the description but I was intrigued. This was fast moving and very enjoyable. I really liked the ending as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 for this compelling collection of short stories by a talented new voice. By far my favourite in the collection was Milk blood heat - a story about the friendship between two young girls in Florida - one Black and one white. For fans of Danielle Evans or Edwidge Danticat.

The stories in this book encapsulate girlhood and motherhood in a way that isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There's an element of darkness and realness to these stories. Being a girl, going through puberty, growing up, and going through motherhood is bloody, painful, and complex. Moniz captures the complexity of being a girl and woman in vibrant, lyrical, and visual ways. I loved these stories and recommend the audiobook so that you can hear the way the words play off each other.

Such a beautiful collection of stories. The characters are so rich and real, and the stories are authentic, dark, challenging, and lifelike. The writing is so emotional and the only way I can describe it is raw and vulnerable. If you love short stories or if you are drawn to stories that are authentic and cover the good and the bad, I highly recommend!

Daniel Moniz's talent is undeniable. The stories in this collection are gripping and evocative. A warning to readers with anxiety- read when you are in a calm state... there are a lot of triggers in the stories.

This is an exquisitely written collection of short stories, all set in the cities and suburbs of Florida, each story is about the ordinary worlds of young girls, women and men, dealing with moments of violent personal reckonings. Each story captivated me and really had me thinking about the lives we all lead. The author really articulated the tragedies and stresses that people encounter in their lives. Sometimes heartbreaking but also hopeful, I really liked this book.

This collection of short stories was not only beautifully written, but wonderfully narrated. The focus on girlhood and and the way these characters were depicted was so visceral and relatable. Dark and thought provoking, Moniz blows us out of the water with her talent and mind.

This book was riveting from start to finish - truly a stand-out collection of stories. Moniz’s work here is rooted in a specific sense of place, yet feels universal. She conveys the intimacy and intensity of girlhood friendship with particular heartbreaking clarity - and reverence. The stories cohere thematically, yet there is not enough overlap for anything to feel redundant. 5 stars from me, and I’d recommend this volume to anyone. Rachelle Williams’ work on the audiobook is spot-on, too, in case you prefer to listen.

Released earlier in February, Moniz’s collection of short stories focuses on a wide variety of characters across all ages. Set in Florida, Moniz’s prose explores family, friendships, relationships, love, race and parenthood.

I loved some of the stories in this collection, but only about a third. The first one about two thirteen year old girls with a complex friendship as well as one about a woman grieving a miscarriage stood out to me. Some of the others were good but not as captivating as those two (in my opinion). Moniz’s stories contain vivid imagery and a vivacious tone. Thank you to @netgalley, @librofm and @highbridge for my ALC.

TL;DR REVIEW:

Milk Blood Heat is an absolutely fantastic short story collection, sharp and riveting. You should definitely read (or listen to) it.

For you if: You enjoy short stories, or you’re thinking of trying short stories and want to start with something excellent.

FULL REVIEW:

First, thank you to Grove Atlantic and HighBridge Audio for granting me advanced digital and audio copies of this book on NetGalley. I’m a big fan of switching back and forth between print and audio, and also listening along while I read the words. This short story collection is freakin excellent, and the audio production and voice acting was also so, so good.

Milk Blood Heat is everything the title promises it to be: sharp, searing, visceral, and human. It’s hard for me not to compare this to Danielle Evans’s The Office of Historical Corrections, because I read them very close to one another. While of course they’re not the same, I do think that if you liked one, you’ll like the other — both collections are just incredibly written and deal with some overlapping themes.

I think my favorite stories were “Milk Blood Heat” (obviously), about two preteen girls who develop a friendship out of a mutual feeling of drowning in the world; “The Loss of Heaven,” about a man who derives his worth from providing while his wife is dying from cancer; “Snow,” about a bartender whose perspective on marriage is tested by a unique patron; and “Necessary Bodies,” about a woman who is newly pregnant but not sure she wants to keep it in a world like ours.

You won’t regret reading this one!



TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Suicide; Death/grief; Miscarriage; Pregnancy; Cancer; Sexual assault

Moniz digs in deep. We are talking some seriously intense stuff in her debut collection of short stories in “Milk Blood Heat”.

Loss, illness, death, entitlement, family toxicity, love, pain, and some “taboo” subjects I won’t giveaway. I have already had numerous conversations about these stories with people who have not read the book. These are stories that stir discussion.

As with most collections, we all have our favorites and some that are not. Her collection shows the range of her storytelling. It’s a portfolio, possibly showing us which direction she may choose to head next. I look forward to see what is coming from Moniz and hope it leans toward the stories that I think are 5 star. But from the other reviews I’m reading, hitting 5 stars isn’t going to be a problem for her.

Thank you so much Highbridge Audio, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing me an ARC version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#MilkBloodHeat #NetGalley

Milk Blood Heat is a stunning story collection by Dantiel W. Moniz. The stories are set in the 'burbs and cities of Florida, most feature young women coming face to face with a difficult choice in their lives. The characters are dealing with racial differences, loss, miscarriage, religious zealotry, sex/power dynamics and more. The stories all expose a truth about our world. I loved the writing and will definitely keep my eye out for more from this author She definitely packs a punch with a sly eye towards society. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Machelle Williams and I'd give it two thumbs up.

If you're like me and less likely to pick up a short story collection than a novel, you might really enjoy this as a palette cleanser. Bringing incisive commentary about society and the human condition, Dantiel W. Montiz spins half a dozen tiny worlds of characters reckoning with painful moments and, often, making equally painful decisions. "Milk Blood Heat" is intense, but it's also short (a 6-hour audiobook or 200 pages). Above all, it's memorable. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for this author's next work!

This is an excellent collection of short stories. They are sharp, insightful and moving. Each one takes a different set of relationships and holds them to the light, making the strengths and weaknesses plain to see. Moving from youth to old age, male to female, right to wrong, these stories perfectly encapsulate the human condition and everything that is wonderful and terrible in between. I would definitely recommend this to friends and family, even those people that don’t enjoy reading will get drawn in by the absolute delight that is Moniz’s gorgeous prose. I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the stories to life. Her sparse style was a good contrast to the language, which is rich and full. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy.

Wow! What an amazing collection of short stories. I truly loved each and every one of them. It takes an amazing amount of talent to grab you right away in a story and get you invested in a character so quickly. Each story has an event that centers it, but the stories really are about being human and emotions. Dantiel Moniz is incredibly talented and I’m just so thrilled to have received an early audio copy from NetGalley. Machelle William’s narration is on 🔥🔥🔥.

Some of these short stories were simply haunting. The reader was immediately immersed into stories. Content warning: miscarriage, psychosis, depression played a part in some of the stories. All were well done and each one “sounded” different. This was an interesting read!

Thank you to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This collection of short stories is extremely well written in a way that engages the reader leaves them feeling ALL of the emotions. The themes in the stories involve harsh realities that are experienced everyday, such as family and friendship, and every hardship that comes along with them like infidelity, trust, religion, grief, and mental health.

I'm not usually a huge fan of short stories, because I find they are only little snippets of an experience or a moment. I always love to have the big picture, the context of a story, a character and how they evolve through their experiences, and the aftermath of these moments. I need to know everything so that I can put the story down with closure. However... not with Milk Blood Heat! I was so immersed in each of these stories and didn't want them to end. But when they did, I was so excited to hear about a new, unique experience. Moniz did a great job by including powerful prose and emotive language and I am looking forward to her work in the future!