A review by remcovanstraten
Damned Pretty Things by Holly Wade Matter
5.0
How to begin reviewing this?
Reading the blurb of "Damned Pretty Things" I thought "Thelma and Louise". Yes, there's a bit of that, but it definitely is not all. I'm reminded of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" without the male deital fragility, and with less of the Englishman in the States outside view. Holly Wade Matter talks about small-town USA from the inside, with a closer, intimate approach to its diverse mythologies, in particular the Black girl without a past, Fortune, and Maud, "Long Maud" who has inherited the gift of the Irish McBride family.
Their stories come with heart ache, for them as well as for the reader; it's a coming of age tale for Maud and a journey of discovery for Fortune: who she is, and in particular who she wants to be. There's a road trip, but key segments are set in the small town of Sky, at the foot of a mountain, which comes awake twice a day when the train stops. There are ghosts, and yes - there's truth to Fortune's tale of meeting the devil and his companion.
I'd love to see "Damned Pretty Things" done as a film or miniseries. Lead Belly's "In the Pines" would be a shoo-in for the soundtrack, and without a doubt we'd find back some songs from Joan Osborne's debut "Relish"; in particular "St. Theresa", "Man in the Long Black Coat", and "Pensacola". It's that sort of thing.
It's perhaps unfair to compare "Damned Pretty Things" with all these other works, as it is very much its own thing. It's difficult though to go beyond the plot blurb without giving too much away; it's an emotional ride, with unexpected bends in the road. It's final destination? Well, curses seldom work out the way you want, and neither do gifts from the Devil; let's suffice to say that pretty things don't need to be damned forever.
Reading the blurb of "Damned Pretty Things" I thought "Thelma and Louise". Yes, there's a bit of that, but it definitely is not all. I'm reminded of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" without the male deital fragility, and with less of the Englishman in the States outside view. Holly Wade Matter talks about small-town USA from the inside, with a closer, intimate approach to its diverse mythologies, in particular the Black girl without a past, Fortune, and Maud, "Long Maud" who has inherited the gift of the Irish McBride family.
Their stories come with heart ache, for them as well as for the reader; it's a coming of age tale for Maud and a journey of discovery for Fortune: who she is, and in particular who she wants to be. There's a road trip, but key segments are set in the small town of Sky, at the foot of a mountain, which comes awake twice a day when the train stops. There are ghosts, and yes - there's truth to Fortune's tale of meeting the devil and his companion.
I'd love to see "Damned Pretty Things" done as a film or miniseries. Lead Belly's "In the Pines" would be a shoo-in for the soundtrack, and without a doubt we'd find back some songs from Joan Osborne's debut "Relish"; in particular "St. Theresa", "Man in the Long Black Coat", and "Pensacola". It's that sort of thing.
It's perhaps unfair to compare "Damned Pretty Things" with all these other works, as it is very much its own thing. It's difficult though to go beyond the plot blurb without giving too much away; it's an emotional ride, with unexpected bends in the road. It's final destination? Well, curses seldom work out the way you want, and neither do gifts from the Devil; let's suffice to say that pretty things don't need to be damned forever.