usually i love a weird little mess of a story about grief and growing up and the contradictions of society, but i just genuinely couldn't follow this. maybe it pays off more in the end, but i couldn't get to a point where i didn't feel like i was drowning. DNF.

This debut novel by Tegan Nia Swanson will be out in December of 2022. Catapult Press provided an early galley for review.

The cover of this book immediately jumped out to me. The endless water and waves illuminated by the full moon is entrancing. This heralded something different, and indeed Swanson's book is just that. The narrative structure is a mix of fiction, poetry and end-noted comments that one might find in nonfiction. It is a very different kind of read indeed. Very ethereal and symbolic.

The subject matter of domestic violence is a serious one. Books relating to this can get dark and graphic. Swanson's way of addressing it comes across, to me, as a bit more removed and indirect. I couldn't help but compare it to David Lynch's Twin Peaks is some regards. Both have a stylistic way about them. Which, in turn, could mean that not every reader will necessarily connect to this story's approach.

As a big music fan, the soundtrack at the end was a very nice touch. Time to pull together a playlist to see how this music fits the tale.

On its surface, this story is a small town whodunnit about a murdered man. But it’s written in a dreamy prose that feels more prose poem than prose, composed of found materials, collages, and interviews. There’s a central plot that runs through the story - the murder - but there is also family history, meditations on motherhood, and a really thoughtful look at gender-based violence. Here too is a realistic look at work and survival, at the stranglehold companies have on livelihoods in isolated places, about the environmental chaos they wreak without punishment.

This book’s setting is powerful, evoking the austerity of the far north in a visceral way. The magical elements of the story give it a really dream-y and slippery sense. The characters are compelling and interesting, though I was sometimes a little confused by who was who. I particularly liked that the town included rural queer folks.

Would recommend this book for anyone who likes lush and rhythmic prose, and enjoys an eerie dream-like atmosphere. Probably not for you if you want a straight forward structure and fast-moving plot. Four stars because it is really lovely, but was sometimes tough to get through for me despite my love for unconventional narrative and gorgeous prose - felt like it could be tightened in some places.