Sunday 26 February 2012

Monster Books for Girls


A new review of this anthology is up at Future Fire. It raises interesting points about what makes a monster, and argues its case well. I'm grateful to be one of the authors the reviewer likes. The editor, Terry Grimwood, heroically shouldered a lot of the criticism, with excellent advice for readers feeling stung by the review: "For anyone who has not experienced this type of review before, gird your loins, polish up your self-belief, grit your teeth and in the words of that great old Victorian Baptist Preacher, Charles Hadden Spurgeon, "Suck in the honey and spit out the bees."

Another piece I enjoyed was the mysterious and evocative ‘The Spirit Level’, by Sarah Hilary. This was a flash piece that was packed with strong, precise imagery. The narrator deals with a complex desire and repulsion for her monster. It is compelling and lyrical, although somewhat confusing.
You can read The Spirit Level online, here.



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