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hwheaties's review against another edition
In Tiffany McDaniel's debut novel, she creates an allegory set in the small town of Breathed, Ohio, in 1984. Much is happening: scientists recently discovered AIDS; Apple revealed its Macintosh computer; astronauts walked among the stars; Marvin Gaye was killed; and Autopsy Bliss invited the devil to visit his town.
The devil does show up, invitation in hand, in the form of a young African American boy named Sal, who really would just like some ice cream, and he is taken in by the quirky Bliss family. Mom never leaves the house for fear of rain, Autopsy is a lawyer, Grand is a baseball star, and the narrator, Fielding, lives a broken life as he tells the story of Sal and Breathed through flashbacks.
Residents of Breathed first think Sal's a runaway from another town, and then as strange things begin happening around town, some of the residents—lead by skeptical resident Grayson Elohim—form a church-like group whose sole aim is to bring down the young boy they have begun to think is actually the devil.
Fielding shares his memories of the summer of 1984, and reveals that he can't let go of his past. He is full of regret for how he treated Sal, and for things he said to his brother. He says he fought in "the War," and while he did not actually fight in a historical war, it's clear he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Everything he experienced during that summer changed him and made him a completely different man; the relationships he forms are few and fleeting.
As Fielding reveals the story of Sal and his effect on residents of Breathed, the parallels to Gabriel García Márquez's story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" also become clear. In the story, the titular old man falls from the sky, and the residents of the town circle around him, creating a spectacle of him, while they try to make him conform to their ideal of an "angel." So it happens similarly in The Summer that Melted Everything. The townspeople, hearing that Sal claims to be the devil, immediately cast him as the villain in several unfortunate incidents in town, despite him not even being present in some cases.
The vilification of a young African American boy as "the devil" heightens the allegorical significance of the book, especially considering the consistent and repeated violence against African American men. The small-town prejudices in Breathed, as well as the outright racism and prejudice on display (toward homosexuality in addition to ethnicity) reveal the absolute worst things humanity is capable of, and those terrible tendencies have been amplified in the public eye in recent weeks. We still vilify people for the color of their skin, and stereotype, and try to make them "fit" into our idea of how people should behave. That sort of thinking is not only detrimental to society, but, as Autopsy Bliss cautions Grand after he uses a derogatory term for homosexuals: "No more words that say something about our own ignorance." This book was a reminder and cautionary tale about how what we do to others reveals more about a person's own ignorance than it does about the oppressed and stereotyped peoples.
The devil does show up, invitation in hand, in the form of a young African American boy named Sal, who really would just like some ice cream, and he is taken in by the quirky Bliss family. Mom never leaves the house for fear of rain, Autopsy is a lawyer, Grand is a baseball star, and the narrator, Fielding, lives a broken life as he tells the story of Sal and Breathed through flashbacks.
Residents of Breathed first think Sal's a runaway from another town, and then as strange things begin happening around town, some of the residents—lead by skeptical resident Grayson Elohim—form a church-like group whose sole aim is to bring down the young boy they have begun to think is actually the devil.
Fielding shares his memories of the summer of 1984, and reveals that he can't let go of his past. He is full of regret for how he treated Sal, and for things he said to his brother. He says he fought in "the War," and while he did not actually fight in a historical war, it's clear he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Everything he experienced during that summer changed him and made him a completely different man; the relationships he forms are few and fleeting.
As Fielding reveals the story of Sal and his effect on residents of Breathed, the parallels to Gabriel García Márquez's story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" also become clear. In the story, the titular old man falls from the sky, and the residents of the town circle around him, creating a spectacle of him, while they try to make him conform to their ideal of an "angel." So it happens similarly in The Summer that Melted Everything. The townspeople, hearing that Sal claims to be the devil, immediately cast him as the villain in several unfortunate incidents in town, despite him not even being present in some cases.
The vilification of a young African American boy as "the devil" heightens the allegorical significance of the book, especially considering the consistent and repeated violence against African American men. The small-town prejudices in Breathed, as well as the outright racism and prejudice on display (toward homosexuality in addition to ethnicity) reveal the absolute worst things humanity is capable of, and those terrible tendencies have been amplified in the public eye in recent weeks. We still vilify people for the color of their skin, and stereotype, and try to make them "fit" into our idea of how people should behave. That sort of thinking is not only detrimental to society, but, as Autopsy Bliss cautions Grand after he uses a derogatory term for homosexuals: "No more words that say something about our own ignorance." This book was a reminder and cautionary tale about how what we do to others reveals more about a person's own ignorance than it does about the oppressed and stereotyped peoples.
lou13st's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
janeasc's review against another edition
5.0
This is an amazing little book. I listened to the Audible version and have to say that the narrator was perfect. The book’s language and story both are luminous and moving. I’m sure to return to this again.
thebeautyofliterature's review against another edition
5.0
The novel is set in Ohio in the 1980s and starts off with Autopsy Bliss putting an add in the newspaper inviting the devil into his town. The devil shows up in the shape of a homeless black boy, who is the same age at Autopsy's son Fielding. Fielding find the devil, who calls himself Sal, and brings him back home. This does not only send the whole town into a heath wave, but also triggers the start of many bad events in the town.
Tiffany McDaniel tells this story in a surrealistic way, reminiscent of Paradise Lost by Milton. This is referenced by her starting each chapter by a line of two of the novel. Though you don't have to read Paradise Lost to understand this novel, the writing style becomes a lot clearer when you do. This is not just a real story about a family taking in a black boy. This is almost a Biblical story about who the devil is and how he can hide in the people we least expect it from.
What I thoroughly enjoyed while reading this was the coming of age element. Fielding is a young teenager in a white family. When Sal comes in, he is suddenly confronted with racism and discrimination. People already hate the devil before they even know who he is. Though Fielding tries to help Sal, we also see how young he is and how he's unable to resist the influence of certain people. I loved how Fielding isn't just an upright, always smart kid. He's growing up and discovering himself and his world and he hits a few serious bumps along the way in figuring that out.
This book is so much more than I can do justice to. It's about religion, race, love, family, abuse, death and so much more. All these themes are interwoven beautifully by McDaniel and you'll breeze through this novel on any hot summer day.
Tiffany McDaniel tells this story in a surrealistic way, reminiscent of Paradise Lost by Milton. This is referenced by her starting each chapter by a line of two of the novel. Though you don't have to read Paradise Lost to understand this novel, the writing style becomes a lot clearer when you do. This is not just a real story about a family taking in a black boy. This is almost a Biblical story about who the devil is and how he can hide in the people we least expect it from.
What I thoroughly enjoyed while reading this was the coming of age element. Fielding is a young teenager in a white family. When Sal comes in, he is suddenly confronted with racism and discrimination. People already hate the devil before they even know who he is. Though Fielding tries to help Sal, we also see how young he is and how he's unable to resist the influence of certain people. I loved how Fielding isn't just an upright, always smart kid. He's growing up and discovering himself and his world and he hits a few serious bumps along the way in figuring that out.
This book is so much more than I can do justice to. It's about religion, race, love, family, abuse, death and so much more. All these themes are interwoven beautifully by McDaniel and you'll breeze through this novel on any hot summer day.
pandirandi's review against another edition
What was the best and perhaps the most interesting thing about this book is the depth of emotional development that these characters go through. I was instantly sucked into the plot of this piece because of the new perspectives being presented. Tiffany does a good job of showcasing the beauty of thought & the human mind. She developed almost every character in this book in some form by the end of the book. It took such sharp turns that many things were things I was never prepared for. It was a deeply sad story, but it was also thoughtful and exploratory. It was a breath of fresh air honestly & I really enjoyed reading this
shedonist's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book that starts slow, but picks up speed and careens towards a wowza finish. The book has well-written passages (a ton of them) about human nature, questions of good vs evil, and what fear does to people. I am already looking forward to reading it again.
douglasweaver's review against another edition
5.0
What a wonderfully devastating story. So much love, pain, and life. Tiffany McDaniel is a truly gifted writer. It’s hard to believe that this was her first book.
mgeoghe2's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Very well written, will stay with me for a long time.
beckycoxmedina33's review against another edition
5.0
Man...I can't say enough about this book. Definitely a gem. The ending felt a bit rushed, but wow. So many twists and gut wrenching turns. And the language was soooo incredibly painful and beautiful at the same time. Loved this book.
sarahallen77's review against another edition
3.0
Absolutely beautifully written, but the plot just left me feeling really bad. I’m so torn on what I think about this book.