The Small Backs of Children, by Lidia Yuknavitch
I’m flying through this one, a quick read but an intense (and be warned, graphic) one. It centers around tragedy, but also delves into sex and art, war and human nature. The language is fierce, the story (or stories) captivating. It pushes the edge for me, and because of that, I can barely put it down. Reading others’ reviews of the book, I was struck by how many people were moved at a gut level by it, especially when it comes to the language and raw emotion. It’s disturbing but also intriguing. The only thing I struggle with is keeping the characters straight, as no names are used. Instead, characters are referred to as “the poet,” “the artist,” “the playwright,” “the girl,” etc. Still completely captivating. Check it out if you’re up for some intensity!