4 stars 

This is a wonderful collection of short stories. 

There are so many shades of girls' and women's experiences throughout these stories: friendship, assault, abuse, pregnancy and not, being a daughter, relationships with parents, grief, and the list goes ON. I love the simultaneous variety in the works as well as the cohesive nature of the collection. Throughout, I found myself truly invested in the characters, even in the briefest pieces, and really thinking through the symbols and themes. 

I am already eagerly anticipating Moniz's next releases, and I want to add a special nod of appreciation to Machelle Williams, who killed it as the narrator of this audiobook.

This collection of short stories was exquisite. Each story was captivating in its own way. The characters feel real with real-life problems that will be relatable to any reader. 

The reader of the audiobook made the stories even more engaging. I didn't want to stop listening and found myself listening to the entire book in one sitting. 

I would certainly recommend this book to others.

In her new short story collection, “Milk Blood Heat,” author Dantiel W. Moniz takes digs into themes readers can relate to: friendship, angsty teens, grief, intimacy, betrayal, faith, rebellion, and more. Each story offers different takes on The common denominator is that each character experiences the light and dark, but do so by living in the heat of the Sunshine State.

Moniz is a wonderful storyteller. I was particularly drawn to the first coming-of-age story about two young teens who become blood sisters, and have an odd fascination with death. The essay ends fairly abruptly, but I actually found that exciting. (Sometimes brevity is our friend!) And speaking of, I loved how Moniz structures her sentences. I found her writing exquisite.

I read the ebook while listening to the audiobook, narrated by the lovely Machelle Williams.

Special thanks to both Grove Atlantic and HighBridge Audio for an advanced reader’s ebook and audiobook of “Milk Blood Heat,” via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.