daynpitseleh's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3 1/2 stars - bumped up to 4
First of all, the writing is fantastic. There are passages that are just amazing, that you want to write down and keep forever, but somehow they are so intricately linked with the story that taking them out of context makes them lose so of their magic. The story is gripping, and the characters are relatable. The story has a deeper meaning, so relevant for today's world.
3 1/2 stars - bumped up to 4
First of all, the writing is fantastic. There are passages that are just amazing, that you want to write down and keep forever, but somehow they are so intricately linked with the story that taking them out of context makes them lose so of their magic. The story is gripping, and the characters are relatable. The story has a deeper meaning, so relevant for today's world.
hailslo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gabieowleyess's review against another edition
4.0
This was an incredible trip that I'm still reeling from.
oddly's review against another edition
4.0
Find the full review and author interview: http://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/the-summer-that-melted-everything-tiffany-mcdaniel
This book really hit me in ways I didn't expect. For all the bright, dazzling sunshine in it, this is a very dark book.
It is the story of a town turning on its itself, on its own humanity.
It is about loss and grief, and the blaming, paranoia, and mad rage that can follow.
It is about what heat can do to a mind, or perhaps just what the mind blinds itself to and then blames on other elements.
It is a coming-of-age story—but not the warm and fuzzy one that is usually associated with that term.
The summer of 1984, Fielding Bliss's father invites the devil to Breathed. When a scrawny thirteen-year-old black boy shows up claiming to accept that invitation, it is not what anyone expected. But then the heat comes. And unfortunate accidents start piling up, mysteriously connected to the boy who calls himself Sal. Is he really the devil? And what is going on in the previously quiet and quaint town of Breathed, Ohio?
Fielding narrates his story from the future, where he is an old man, still licking the wounds from his past and suffering—for what, we don't yet know. But this technique puts a cloud of dread over the whole book. Something wicked this way comes, but you'll have to read on to find out.
As the summer progresses, the heat stifles everything and things go from bad to worse with secrets coming out— including secrets about Fielding's own family—innocents caught in the crossfire, and even Fielding's neighbor turning everyone against Sal in a strange religious fervor.
The book examines good and evil, presenting the situation bare, sometimes even metaphorically and through Fielding's eyes, you as the reader are the judge. Who is right and who is wrong? Can this even be decided?
The prose is unexpected, sometimes strange or unfamiliar in its description, but always lyrical, something I was continuously wrapping my mind around while reading. McDaniel is a very unique writer and her influences from southern gothic writers and other literature are keenly felt, but adapted in a way all her own.
The book is highly stylized and more like a fairytale than realistic fiction, hovering just above reality and told in a heightened state. But somehow, the little town of Breathed is meant to exist in its own world, and Fielding is trapped there, not only in the summer of 1984, but even later in his life, even just in his mind.
For me the real revelation doesn't lie in who the devil actually is, but in how everyone reacts to who they think he is, or what they are told to think. Perhaps it is that there is that spark of evil inside all of us, waiting for that heat wave to catch flame.
Thank you to author Tiffany McDaniel for sending me a copy of the book.
This book really hit me in ways I didn't expect. For all the bright, dazzling sunshine in it, this is a very dark book.
It is the story of a town turning on its itself, on its own humanity.
It is about loss and grief, and the blaming, paranoia, and mad rage that can follow.
It is about what heat can do to a mind, or perhaps just what the mind blinds itself to and then blames on other elements.
It is a coming-of-age story—but not the warm and fuzzy one that is usually associated with that term.
The summer of 1984, Fielding Bliss's father invites the devil to Breathed. When a scrawny thirteen-year-old black boy shows up claiming to accept that invitation, it is not what anyone expected. But then the heat comes. And unfortunate accidents start piling up, mysteriously connected to the boy who calls himself Sal. Is he really the devil? And what is going on in the previously quiet and quaint town of Breathed, Ohio?
Fielding narrates his story from the future, where he is an old man, still licking the wounds from his past and suffering—for what, we don't yet know. But this technique puts a cloud of dread over the whole book. Something wicked this way comes, but you'll have to read on to find out.
As the summer progresses, the heat stifles everything and things go from bad to worse with secrets coming out— including secrets about Fielding's own family—innocents caught in the crossfire, and even Fielding's neighbor turning everyone against Sal in a strange religious fervor.
The book examines good and evil, presenting the situation bare, sometimes even metaphorically and through Fielding's eyes, you as the reader are the judge. Who is right and who is wrong? Can this even be decided?
The prose is unexpected, sometimes strange or unfamiliar in its description, but always lyrical, something I was continuously wrapping my mind around while reading. McDaniel is a very unique writer and her influences from southern gothic writers and other literature are keenly felt, but adapted in a way all her own.
The book is highly stylized and more like a fairytale than realistic fiction, hovering just above reality and told in a heightened state. But somehow, the little town of Breathed is meant to exist in its own world, and Fielding is trapped there, not only in the summer of 1984, but even later in his life, even just in his mind.
For me the real revelation doesn't lie in who the devil actually is, but in how everyone reacts to who they think he is, or what they are told to think. Perhaps it is that there is that spark of evil inside all of us, waiting for that heat wave to catch flame.
Thank you to author Tiffany McDaniel for sending me a copy of the book.
leahsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This book packed a hell of an emotional punch, and I found myself absolutely hooked and unable to stop listening to this audiobook.
This takes place in the same town as the powerhouse story told in Betty, and centers around an event briefly referenced in Betty, so I already knew what to expect in the end, but there were so many emotional twists and turns that I was blindsided by along the way. However, it took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did? I couldn't put it down.
It focuses on the Bliss family - Autopsy (yes, that's his name) is a lawyer struggling with the nature of crime, and puts out an open letter to the Devil, inviting him to the town of Breathed. Shortly after, a 13 year old boy arrives in the town claiming to be the Devil, and an unprecedented heat wave follows on his heels. He becomes friends with Fielding, Autopsy's younger son, right away, and is absorbed into their family quickly, and they call him Sal - a clever play on Satan/Lucifer.
However, not everyone is as welcoming to Sal as the Bliss family, and as the heat wave lingers, tempers flare and the ugly side of people come out, especially after a tragedy occurs. Racism comes to light in this small southern Ohio town, and as the sheriff works to identify Sal, who he is convinced is a missing boy, they realize a number of young Black boys have gone missing in surrounding areas.
Tensions continue to rise, and much of the town turns against Sal and consequently the Bliss family, led by one man in particular. It's tough to read, and the tension simmers throughout the story. Each member of the family deals in their own way, and they also have their own struggles to face. It was intriguing to see how they interact with Sal and each other, and the ending shocked me.
It's all told from Fielding's perspective far into the future, and you can see how the events of this one summer echoed throughout his life. He carried the various scars of this summer with him, and continued to self-sabotage in a variety of ways, all because of a three month span of time, and it was so interesting to watch it all both through the eyes of a young Fielding and an older Fielding looking back.
This was such a powerful story, and re-emphasizes McDaniel's talent as a storyteller for me. She handled difficult subject matter with delicacy and sensitivity, and brought out so much emotion in this book. It's got a lot of content warnings, so be aware of that before going into this book, but if you can handle it, it's an incredible story.
This takes place in the same town as the powerhouse story told in Betty, and centers around an event briefly referenced in Betty, so I already knew what to expect in the end, but there were so many emotional twists and turns that I was blindsided by along the way. However, it took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did? I couldn't put it down.
It focuses on the Bliss family - Autopsy (yes, that's his name) is a lawyer struggling with the nature of crime, and puts out an open letter to the Devil, inviting him to the town of Breathed. Shortly after, a 13 year old boy arrives in the town claiming to be the Devil, and an unprecedented heat wave follows on his heels. He becomes friends with Fielding, Autopsy's younger son, right away, and is absorbed into their family quickly, and they call him Sal - a clever play on Satan/Lucifer.
However, not everyone is as welcoming to Sal as the Bliss family, and as the heat wave lingers, tempers flare and the ugly side of people come out, especially after a tragedy occurs. Racism comes to light in this small southern Ohio town, and as the sheriff works to identify Sal, who he is convinced is a missing boy, they realize a number of young Black boys have gone missing in surrounding areas.
Tensions continue to rise, and much of the town turns against Sal and consequently the Bliss family, led by one man in particular. It's tough to read, and the tension simmers throughout the story. Each member of the family deals in their own way, and they also have their own struggles to face. It was intriguing to see how they interact with Sal and each other, and the ending shocked me.
It's all told from Fielding's perspective far into the future, and you can see how the events of this one summer echoed throughout his life. He carried the various scars of this summer with him, and continued to self-sabotage in a variety of ways, all because of a three month span of time, and it was so interesting to watch it all both through the eyes of a young Fielding and an older Fielding looking back.
This was such a powerful story, and re-emphasizes McDaniel's talent as a storyteller for me. She handled difficult subject matter with delicacy and sensitivity, and brought out so much emotion in this book. It's got a lot of content warnings, so be aware of that before going into this book, but if you can handle it, it's an incredible story.
b_morganbooks's review
3.5
I read Betty last year and it instantly became one of my favourites. I still think about it regularly. I added this one to my wish list instantly, even though the blurb was enough to confuse me.
Once again, Tiffany writes in such a beautiful, rich way, I really had to think to digest each sentence. Some of the descriptions made me feel as though I was in Breathed with the characters.
It was an enjoyable enough experience, but I just struggled to accept the fact that this random man was the devil. Magical realism isn’t always my favourite genre and this confirmed it. I could easily see the metaphor behind the whole concept, being careful what you wish for, but it was just a little boring in my opinion.
I was glad to find out why they had invited the devil in the end, but it was really quite obvious and made me wonder why I hadn’t realised that. The whole book was a very sad, depressing experience and although I didn’t love it, I don’t think I’ll forget it in a hurry either.
Once again, Tiffany writes in such a beautiful, rich way, I really had to think to digest each sentence. Some of the descriptions made me feel as though I was in Breathed with the characters.
It was an enjoyable enough experience, but I just struggled to accept the fact that this random man was the devil. Magical realism isn’t always my favourite genre and this confirmed it. I could easily see the metaphor behind the whole concept, being careful what you wish for, but it was just a little boring in my opinion.
I was glad to find out why they had invited the devil in the end, but it was really quite obvious and made me wonder why I hadn’t realised that. The whole book was a very sad, depressing experience and although I didn’t love it, I don’t think I’ll forget it in a hurry either.
sydillg's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
elenabracadabra's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
midnightjinx's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0