Horror: Earthlings
Written by: Isabella Poderico, Arts Editor
TW: Cannibalism, Murder, Physical, Mental, Sexual, and Child Abuse, Suicide, Extreme Graphic Content and Gore.
Natsuki believes that she is an alien, that she is different from everyone else on the planet. She wants to return to her home planet,, as on Earth it appears everyone is nothing but a cog in a machine, with their value reduced down to their bodily functions in the organic analogy, such as having children and working. Natsuki attempts to navigate a world so alien to her, doing so by breaking every social taboo in order to free her soul from being human, a limiting definition, and one which she does not feel she fits into.
Now be warned, this book is probably the most twisted, deranged and truly jaw dropping piece of literature that I have ever laid my eyes on. So if that is your cup of tea, this incredibly written tale of one young girl’s responses to trauma, and how this develops into adulthood may be for you. I cannot understate how graphic this story is, yet it is told in such a beautifully sharp, and casual conversational tone, even though the events within the pages are far, far from casual. This book is incredibly thought provoking, and made me question my own sanity… I fear enjoying this incredible book is definitely a red flag. It is gorey, gross and repulsive, and done so in a style worlds apart from other horror novels. It is indescribably horrifying, and at parts I genuinely had to put it down due to feeling sick, or far too sorrowful. <i>Earthlings</i> is the weirdest and wildest book you will ever read. Be careful not to throw up.
Young Adult: Radio Silence
Written by: Francesca Sylph, Senior Editor
I read Radio Silence for the first time in the final term of my undergraduate degree. I was drowning in deadlines and at risk of fulfilling the gifted child to burnt-out twenty-something pipeline. When I curled up with a copy of Radio Silence after a long day of pretending to know what a literature review was, I didn’t know how much this book was about to shift my brain chemistry. Radio Silence follows Frances: a shy, secretive seventeen-year-old, and absolute academic weapon. When she befriends the creator of her favourite podcast, she is confronted with a life outside of academic validation. It is a life full of creativity, chaos, love, loss, friendship, and found family. Reading Radio Silence was the first time I felt truly seen while reading a book. So, if you also find it hard to detangle your personality from the fictional characters you loved as a child (*cough* Hermione Granger and/or Rory Gilmore *cough*) or listened to a little too much Welcome to Night Vale as a teenager, maybe Radio Silence is ready to kick your frontal lobe into developing. Or, maybe you just need to be reminded that there is more to life than your dissertation.
Novella: Twenty-Four Hours In The Life Of A Woman
Written by: Lily Gould, Staff Writer
<i>Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman</i> is, to put it shortly, gripping. It has everything you could ask for in a novella: death, misery, love. Published in 1927, authored by Stefan Zweig, it is very much a reflection of the author reminiscing about the early 20th century – about 25 years before the book was published. The writing draws you in, and despite being of its period, it’s far from complicated and suitable for anyone. The flourishes add to the sense of drama, as the story is told from the perspective of a woman who has a flair for the dramatic. The novella has two narrators: one who covers the beginning part of the story, following the happenings in a certain guest-house on the Riviera. They get into conversation with another guest there: Mrs C, who is the second narrator. The overall theme of the book seems to be crimes of passion – within the first few pages there are infidelity and runaway brides! Before getting into the torrid day-to-day of Mrs C’s, life which the book is named after. Overall, I read this cover to cover in one sitting and highly recommend for anyone looking for an enjoyable, quick read