Her Body and Other Parties

This electric debut blurs the lines between psychological realism and science fiction with startling narratives that map the realities of women's lives and the violence visited upon their bodies. From a wife refusing to remove a green ribbon from her neck to a plague consuming humanity through sexual encounters, these stories enlarge the possibilities of contemporary fiction. With a voice all her own, Carmen Maria Machado's Her Body and Other Parties is both earthy and otherworldly, queer and caustic, and swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment.