A review by hilaryreadsbooks
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

 Moniz opens this stunning collection of short stories with two girls carrying the weight of the world. Kiera and Ava share a common heaviness, an emptiness, as they come into womanhood—a sense of knowing that they can and should be taking more space in this world. Kiera, Ava, and all of Moniz's other characters felt real, alive, pulsing—Moniz gives these characters the space and words they deserve. I felt the deep shame Fred felt in "The Loss of Heaven" as he finally began to come to terms with his failings; I felt the resentment Margot openly displayed for her mother's perceived weakness in "The Hearts of our Enemies"; I felt the descent into depression as Rayna tries to cope with her miscarriage in "Feast."

Moniz's writing is vibrant and poetic, precise with detail and imagery. Her characters are complex, imperfect, and so, so human. In just a couple of pages, each of her stories pulled me in, made me really...feel as I grappled with feelings of unease: many of these characters' insecurities were ones I related to. 

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0kVORLUcL/
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