Hey Ava!

I think you'll like this one (and it comes out tomorrow!). It's one of those stories that starts out normal, then gets kind of strange, then subtly creepy, and then smashes headlong into WTF territory when you're too far in to stop. Since it's so short, the effect is doubled! And of course the mystery-ish aspect of trying to get a better sense of what exactly is going on in Acadia Gardens will definitely keep you going.

Alright... I'm... a little embarrassed about how long it took me to figure this one out. It wasn't until I was basically bashed over the head with it that I realized. But let me tell you, once I realized? I suddenly saw all the I had already read with clear eyes, and understanding rushed in carrying a flurry of admirable details that snapped together. Suddenly all those little moments that had seemed odd to me -- but I couldn't quite figure out what was going on -- made sense! Each click came with a tiny spark of satisfaction at the knowing. And damn if that isn't just such a perfect mirror of Sophia's experience in this.

The horror comes from when I realized what Sophia couldn't yet know. Man, when I as the reader know something that the character doesn't? It really gets me riled up! It's like the equivalent of shouting at the characters in a slasher film because *I* know the killer is behind the door they're about to open, but *they* don't know, and I just have to watch helplessly while it happens! The grim knowledge is the thing.

This is a short story (which I didn't realize at first, so just a heads up that this is a quick read), and yet it packs so much into it. Around the middle, I admit I was getting a little fuzzy with it because the strangeness and the (deliberately) unclear writing was wearing me out. And then I came to the moment where everything made sense and I was reinvigorated!

I got this one from NetGalley (thanks Tor!), but as always you know these are my thoughts. :)

Enjoy!!
~Jennifer

I appreciate when an author stretches themselves and does something different - even if I really don't appreciate the end result.

I did not care for this.

Without spoilers, the book is bizarre, which is intriguing. However when I found out what everything meant, I was bitterly disappointed. Forgive the 'had I but known' moment, but honestly? Had I known what this was all about, I would not have read this book.

The prose manages to be both beautiful and disjointed. There are real reasons for that disjointed feeling, however, the writing left me confused and, when all is revealed, irritated.

I will read the author in the future...just not this book.

*ARC via Publisher

This was such a bizarre little book! I mean, don't get me wrong, I had a good time reading it, even if I am not completely sure what the heck I just read. And it's a fast one- I read it in one sitting, so that earns it extra points for sure! The length works really well for this one really, because I think it would have felt way too drawn out for a full-length novel. (And maybe we'd have all lost our minds with 300+ pages of bizarre, yeah?)

It truly would be a disservice to tell you anything about this, really. So I won't. Also, I don't think I fully understand all the symbolism (this is a very "me" thing, I have always been absolute crap at figuring those things out), so just... go in blind. If it sounds at all like your cup of tea, do it! In fact, I may re-read it to see if I glean any more info ( Tammy's review talks about clues in chapter headings, and now I kind of need to know, because I did not realize this myself)!

Bottom Line: My note at the end of the book: "Well, that was a bizarre yet entertaining story!"

THIS WILL BE POSTED ON NOVEMBER 12, 2021

Valente is a prolific author with a variety of genres under her belt. She tends to write of the fantastic as well as the unreal. Her work is hard to categorize which puts her in a league all of her own.

Comfort Me With Apples, billed a thriller, isn't. Not really. It's a retelling of a creation myth with a twist. A big turn of a twist but the reader is too lulled by Valente's deft words in this slim volume. It reminded me quite a bit of Speak Easy, another slim volume by Valente that came out in 2015.

(INTERESTINGLY, Speak Easy  is not listed on her site nor is it often listed when her bibliography is reproduced in magazine articles.)

Two different topics, yes, but the writing is very similar: it breathes as you read, a pulse that is sometimes hard to put your finger on but you know it's there. Much like the two hearts of The Doctor. But unlike Speak Easy, review here, Comfort Me With Apples is much more cohesive. Valente has grown as a writer, which seems impossible because she's always been fantastically good at her job, but her work is stronger here in words and plot.

This could read that I'm being superfluous, but I'm not, not really. That's how Valente reviews work: you praise her writing, marvel at her imagination, and ponder how many muses she must kill to write this well. I'm kidding. Sort of.

Let's cut to the chase: Why should you read Comfort Me With Apples? Because it will be an underrated book that is both thoughtful and thought provoking. It will present a topic we rarely think about with a new perspective. It will have you thinking long into the night to not open up locked vanity drawers if you're not ready for the truth. It's clever and a quick read. A perfect cleanser no matter what you just read. A baby thriller that shows that one day Valente is going to let loose; really loose, and it will be a joy to behold.

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente is a strange and poetically written novella about Sophia, who seems to have the perfect life. She is a devoted wife with a lovely home and is friends with her neighbors. She resides in a closed patriarchal community with strict rules, where transparency and homogeneous behavior is paramount. Though she seems to have it all, she becomes curious about her life when she finds some strange inexplicable items in her home. The plot moves quickly and mystery of what was going on intrigued me. We learn what's happening/happened with Sophia and things become more unsettling with a grim conclusion. I listened to the audiobook which was well narrated by Karis Campbell and kept me interested in the story.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

Fast, creepy, allegorical. Deeply weird.
I expected this book to be strange because Cathrynne Valenti’s books are STRANGE.
This did not disappoint. It’s a very short domestic noir that is a bit Stepford Wives and a bit Bluebeard and a lot of another story that would ruin the twist (do NOT read other reviews!). I went in totally blind and I’m so glad.
I’ll keep reading Valenti’s work!

I immediately reread this surprising dark thriller novella as soon as I finished it. I assumed that I knew where this was going, after all I had just seen a movie that was kind of similar to the setup ("Elizabeth Harvest".) I. Was. So. Wrong! The reveal ¾ of the way through was really interesting and the 2nd reading exposed all of the things I just hadn't noticed. This might not be a story for everyone, but Ms Valente writes beautifully and it was cleverly done.

This was a real WTF did I just read book. Flew through it though and perfect for this time of year. Don't know who to reccomend this to, but if you enjoy weird books than try this one.

An air of unreality hovers over this novella. The protagonist is a woman named Sophia who lives in a gated community named Arcadia Gardens. Her life is simple and uncomplicated; she has friendly neighbors and a husband she feels she was made for. The community has bylaws limiting not only things like lawn length and paint colors; but also prohibitions on overnight guests, children, and "suffering of any kind."

Sophia does not remember much about her marriage and previous life, and has only a vague notion about what her husband does at work--just that it often keeps him away from home for days at a time. And everyone keeps asking her if she's happy. She says she is, but is starting to have doubts. She finds things around the house that make her distrust her husband, bit by bit. A forbidden jaunt outside after nightly curfew confirms her fears. The situation becomes completely clear at the climax, but spoilers prevent saying anything more about it.

The conclusion is both chilling and satisfying. The end of one story, and the beginning of another, which most readers think they know. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

I LOVED this book. I've enjoyed Catherynne M. Valente's work before and find her writing quite fun. This was a different spin than I'm used to in her books, with a very dark tint, but it was just as enjoyable and I finished this book just wanting more.

The premise is fantastic and readers should go in knowing as little as possible. The plot is very clever and slowly unravels with magnificent subtlety. I would have very much liked a full length novel about this tale...I would even go for a prequel and/or sequel. The narrative is just creative and interesting and plain entertaining.

There is a lot packed into this little novella and I can't say much about it without giving the whole thing away. This was just brilliant and I loved it. I can't gush enough.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novella from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Sophia is perfect for her husband—she was made for him. She spends her days tending to her overly large house in the gated community Arcadia Gardens and keeping in good shape for when he comes home from his long stints out at work. When she finds a large hairbrush with black hair in it (hers is ginger-brown), her happiness and trust begin to falter. With her neighbors with names like Mrs. Finche and Mrs. Wolfe, Sophia soon realizes Arcadia Gardens has more secrets than neighbors.

Comfort Me with Apples was a book I wasn’t sure about… and then it clicked. There was a VERY audible “ooohhhh!!!” once I finally realized what was happening. And it was GREAT. Once I let it settle and talked about it with a few friends, I realized how wonderful of a book it really was, and I wish there were more books in this vein.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tordotcom, and Catherynne M. Valente for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Comfort Me with Apples releases on November 9th.

Astonishing and strange. Atmospheric and scintillating. A marvellous, unsettling, beautiful, terrible book. This is at once familiar and new and beautiful and hideous and the writing is amazing and the characters are so skillfully drawn. I think Valente is at her best when she indulges her vast intellectual curiosity and this is so cleverly formed, that it might be perfect.

“[He] only pretends to enjoy lies, and she knew that when she said it. The truth hurts so much better.”

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I was told it was best to read without knowing what it was about and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Comfort Me with Apples was an unnerving, GORGEOUSLY written book layered with mystery, rich language, and cleverly crafted story.
There is so little for me to say without spoiling the reveal which is arguably the sweetest payoff of this story…the way the little pieces that felt off and out of step fit together and formed a new picture was masterful and brilliant.
If you enjoy speculative literary short stories like John Cheever’s The Swimmer or George Saunder’s The Semplica-Girl Diaries, this book is for you.

Comfort Me With Apples is a creepy adult suspense novella by Catherynne M. Valente. This book was spooky with beautiful prose, a mysterious plot and gave me total stepford wives vibes. Comfort me with Apples is a quick read that is best enjoyed with as little information as possible. Because half of the fun of the first part of the story was trying to figure out what was going on. I will admit that I figured out the general idea before the big reveal at the end, but it did take me a little while to piece it all together, and it was a creepy journey getting there.

Comfort Me With Apples is told from behind the exclusive gated community of Arcadia Gardens, where perfection and tranquility is easily achieved. Here we meet our main character Sophia, who is blissfully happy...until she starts to notice something strange and out of place in her perfect little world. But what exactly is going on in Arcadia Gardens? And why does it seem to all center on Sophia.

Catherynne M. Valente tells this story in a mysteriously captivating way. I loved her flowery prose. It was dramatic at times (in a good way) and honestly it is the main reason I finished this book so quickly. I love that it was a suspense novella because I got to the punchline at the end quickly. It was a creepy ride that I enjoyed. The ending was great, though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I am still thinking about the book, so I take that as a positive. If you are a fan of creepy suspense books and love a quick read, check out Comfort Me With Apples. This was an interesting read for me.

This was wonderfully weird, with a slow creep horror. A little bit Stepford Wives, with some Bluebeard, and a dash of The Truman Show. Everyone else in Arcadia seems to know something that Sophia doesn't. When her perfect husband is away, and she starts discovering hints of a woman who has maybe lived (and died) in her house before her, things unravel pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the creeping sense of dread here, and while I don't think the twist will be that surprising to most folks, the path to the twist was exciting and tense and beautifully written, as I've come to expect from Valente. Her range is kind of bonkers, and I really enjoyed this.

What a delightful novella with a building sense of unease turned to dread. I've read Valente before and her works didn't really connect with me, but COMFORT ME WITH APPLES really did. I don't know if it's the fact it's shorter, or has a lot of horror elements to go with some fantasy implications, but this story is a little BLUEBEARD, with suburban horror thrown in, as well as a twist at the end that references older works. It's hard to really review it without potentially giving a lot away, but I will say this: I really liked Sophia's slow discovery of her circumstances. She believes that she's a happy wife in a very rigid but seemingly perfect gated community, but as she starts to become more curious about her life, and her husband, and starts to find clues as to others who were there before, Valente creates a tale about womanhood, trust, misogyny, and secrets that hide behind a very specific ideal of 'perfection'.

COMFORT ME WITH APPLES is a quick and creepy read that caught me by surprise. I totally recommend it for dark fantasy and horror fans.

Well, that was UNEXPECTED!

This one was peculiar and yet, I could not stop reading it.

Everything is perfect in Arcadia Gardens. There are, of course, rules one must live by. They seem very homeowners assosiation-ish in the beginning and then the rules take on a certain slant.
But what can you expect from a place that is so perfect? I mean everything is perfect (It MUST be perfect).

Sophia is happy. She has the perfect husband, the perfect house, the perfect life. But her husband goes away at times and comes home in a dark mood. He works for hard, it must be rough on him, but she is there to make sure everything is perfect.

But things don't look so perfect when she begins finding horrible "things" and why is everyone so worried about her happiness? She is happy, isn't she?

This book is polarizing readers and I get why. When you get to then end, some will enjoy where the book takes you and reveals, others will not be as pleased. I'm happy I went in blind, and I am also happy that this was a novella and not a novel. I think this would have been even more enjoyable with parts cut out. I thought there were some characters and scenes that were not necessary.

But I enjoyed this peculiar and out there kind of book. I am happy I went in blind. I agree with others who recommend doing the same.

3.5 stars

Bizarre, kooky, and original.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just didn't like this book at all. Didn't like the biblical references or the way it was written with the boring narrator. Couldn't get into the story, the writing - just a lot of nonsense.

Valente has written several of my favorite books, so I was pretty psyched to get approved for an ARC from her. Unfortunately, overall this was a miss for me. While the story itself, when it finally came together, was interesting and a had some cool ideas, the monotonous writing made the simple 90 minute read feel pretty quickly like a chore. It's only 112 pages and by the halfway mark, "repetitive" was my main takeaway.

The last thing you want is for a novella to be described as too long with an anti-climactic end. My thought was, "oh is that all? That's cool I guess," when I finished it last night and today, less than 24 hours later, I actually struggled a little to even remember the ending.

It absolutely did not help that the NetGalley copy had a ton of formatting errors and there were multiple background inconsistencies that I still can't tell you if they were there on purpose for some reason for the story or if just literally no one proof read this even once before it went out as an ARC.

Some interesting, very Valente ideas are here but definitely missing the spark and atmosphere her writing is usually overflowing with.

Once again I want to thank Net Galley and Cat herself for the arc of this book. Cat is one of those writers who constantly surprises me. I started this book thinking about one thing and ended with fifty other things on my mind. This one is going to sit with me for a while. There are about 10 books/stories/ideas that inspired this one and yet, she managed to make it totally original. I would say drop the mic, but I don’t want her to stop writing.