Thoughtful and beautifully horrific.

I gasped when I finally put together what was going on. I’ve always adored Catherynne Valente’s prose and this novella sings with poetry! I will definitely be recommending it to all!

I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by this interpretation of Adam and his wives.

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

Expected publication date: October 26, 2021

Date read: August 1, 2021

Sophia is made for her husband. She feels it. And their life together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect. Her neighbors are enamored with her husband, which means she's one of the most popular people in the neighborhood. But even though everything seems perfect, Sophia does have some questions. Like why do her neighbors keep asking her if she is "happy"? Her life is perfect - isn't it?

First, I just want to say that this book is going to be really hard to review without spoilers, but I am determined to keep this blog spoiler-free, so I'll do what I can.

This is a really short book - only 112 pages - and I just want to say that I am amazed at what Valente can do with so few pages. (She did the same with The Past is Red, which I reviewed in a previous post).

Right from the start the reader knows that something is "off" with this community (the Homeowners Association rules are a little bit odd, and are added to after every chapter). It honestly reminded me a little bit of the X-Files episode "Arcadia" (I have to believe that the location of this book was in homage to this episode, although I have no idea one way or another), where Mulder and Scully are investigating a murder in a gated community.

I'll be honest - even though I caught on to some things fairly early on, around the midway point - I did not see where this story was going. And I loved that. I love it when a story can, realistically, go against my expectations and provide an ending that I wasn't expecting but that makes perfect sense.

Overall, this book is really hard to review, but I think really easy to recommend. I think that anyone who likes a good psychological or domestic thriller will like this one, but you HAVE to go into it with an open mind. The Goodreads review compares this book to Gone Girl, which I think is a mistake. They're both good mysteries, but they're of a completely different story-set. This book would do better to be compared to The Stepford Wives, because it's more of a "something is off, but I don't know what" kind of domestic thriller than a Gone Girl type of story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and doesn't mind a bit of WTF in their stories. Valente is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to the novella-length stories. I can't wait to go back and read more of her novels. A fast, enjoyable read that I think a lot of people will enjoy as long as they go into it not expecting a specific kind of story.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (MacMillan-Tor/Forge) for an advanced copy of this book.

Where do I even begin? Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente is a wild ride and NOT what I was expecting at all.

First of all, the writing is extraordinary. I was completely swept up in all descriptions and the little world that Sophia lives in. The suburban, gated community of Arcadia Gardens comes with its own set of chilling rules and guidelines. But, her life is perfect. Everything is perfect.

I absolutely did not see the ending coming. And after finishing this weird, wild little novella, I had to set it down and go what the HECK did I just read. In all the best ways. I read this one in one sitting and could not for the life of me put it down.

This is a novella which takes a number of different elements and whisks them together — and to explain too much about what exactly goes into the mix might tip you off about what’s going on in Valente’s Arcadia, so I won’t. As you’d expect of Valente, it’s rich language with lots of descriptions, and it’s worth lingering over to let her paint the pictures for you. Even as a very non-visual person, it always works.

I feel like I’m missing a lot about how the story is put together — there’s an obvious level that is quickly apparent, of course, but I think there’s most likely a lot more that I didn’t catch onto at first. I’ll probably at least skim through it again and see what I can spot.

It’s clever, but because of the nature of the story — again, not saying too much — there’s not a lot to grab onto in terms of character, which is often how I get most hooked into a story. So it’s not a favourite, for that reason, but something I did enjoy reading.

Well….. I’m really at a loss for words. 😬

This was one of the strangest, most bizarre books I have ever read! Like ever!😂

Did I enjoy it…. Umm…yes…sort of.

Did I hate it…. Well yes, that too!

Did it leave me speechless…absolutely!

Sophia is living her best life.

She couldn’t be happier. She lives in the most exclusive neighborhood. And her husband is is everything she dreamed of. She feels she was made for him.

But hey... why does everyone keep asking her if she is happy? Careful how you answer that question Sophia!

Do I recommend this book?

Maybe?😉💁🏻‍♀️

A super-fast buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge

Review to be posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Well, that was Wild!

Comfort Me with Apples might just be the Weirdest, Wildest, Strangest Book I have ever read.

Engaging, Interesting, and Wholly Captivating, this is one storyline that is wholly new, refreshing, and to be frank, eye-popping!

At first, I wasn’t even sure what I was reading and once it all came to light, well, my first reaction was WTF!

Yep, you heard me right, I thought, WTF is this?!

Sophia is married and living in Arcadia Gardens with her husband. Everything is perfectly perfect. Why wouldn’t it be? Her husband is away all of the time for work and they miss each other a lot, but their lives and their love for each other is perfect.

Sophia however questions things from time to time. Not that she questions things aloud, she wouldn’t dare! Such things are not allowed.

This sounds kind of like The Stepford Wives doesn’t it? What I can tell you is that the premise is nothing like it. It is in fact, freaking cuckoo crazy and if it’s on your tbr, you’re in for a wild ride.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey that left us both reeling.

Kudos to Catherynne M. Valente for coming up with something so utterly refreshing. You definitely beat all.
3.5 stars

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This little thriller was so clever and satisfying. I was drawn into the story immediately and couldn't put it down. I was so curious to see how how everything would unravel. I didn't guess the ending at all which is all I want in a thriller. I recommend going into this one as blind as possible. The synopsis is all you need to know. I will definitely be reading more of this Catherynne M. Valente's work in the future. Highly recommend.

Truly breathtaking. I expected nothing that happened in this story. Every paragraph brings another surprise that will cause you to scramble to read more.

This novella felt like soo much more than the 112 pages it actually is. The pacing is well done and the setting is creepy. Cathrynne fit soo much into this story, and the big reveal is way too good. The utopian setting had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it. I really don’t want to spoil the twist because it’s way too good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne Valente is a fantastical dark, fairytale.

Sophie lives in a perfect gated community in a gorgeous yet oddly scaled, for her, house, with a husband who’s often gone, working hard at his unnamed job.

Sophie’s neighbors seem to be trying to tell her something. And how did a sliver of bone end up in her knife block? Why is she forbidden from going into the cellar?

The writing in this novella is magical. I was drawn in by the questions and puzzles of Sophie’s life but it’s the writing that enchanted me.

Novellas have such a short amount of words to convey a story that ofttimes they’re more mood pieces but this definitely has a story to tell. Questions to ask. Declarations to make.

If you’re looking for an epic quest, this isn’t for you. But if you love being enchanted darkly, seduced by words, made to question, then this is most definitely for you. Let that gorgeous cover beguile you into reading Comfort Me With Apples.

For fans of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

A short novella that was absolutely captivating, I sat and read it in one sitting.
So creepy and dark, I was unsure what was going to happen and enjoyed the suspense throughout

***Thanks to Netgalley and the editor for the ARC.
Everything is perfect, says the phrase in the front cover of Catherynne M. Valente and it is, it truly is.
Sophia lives in the biggest house of Arcadia Gardens, an exclusive, luxurious gated community. She loves the house and all of its commodities, even if it feels so big for her. She obviously loves her husband, even if he is away so much she really misses him. She enjoys the company of her neighbours, even if sometimes they do things she really does not understand. Like that pantomime, just the other night, even if one of the actresses got the wrong-coloured wig.
Everything is perfect, so much indeed that I find it extremely difficult to talk/ write about it without spoiling any of the onion peels. In fact, I am of the opinion that one should read as few reviews as possible and open the book without any knowledge whatsoever.
Everything is perfect, and perfection is a twisted rose with dangerous thorns.
But she was made for him, so maybe she is just meant to get hurt…

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Comfort Me With Apples after reading Valente’s Deathless and The Past is Red earlier this year, and it did not disappoint. In fact, I’d say this is probably my favorite Valente to date, and one of the most effective executions of a novella I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The synopsis of this is vague, and while I do think there are a lot of people who’d be more interested if they knew the general concepts being explored here, I do think it’s best to go in knowing nothing. It’s so short, it’s not like you’d be wasting any time. It’s a perfect opportunity to test the waters with Valente’s notoriously polarizing voice. All I can say is with the specific themes being explored here, paired with Valente’s signature whip smart prose, and the implications of that ending, I’m enamored. I can’t recommend this enough, and I can’t wait to dive into Valente’s backlist.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Whew. To be straightforward, I am a huge Valente fan - I've read most of her work and loved all of it. I was expecting to love this one and have been looking forward to it since its announcement.

That said, it completely blew me away. It's one thing to be expecting a smart, enjoyable book. It's another entirely to be confronted with genius. I don't want to say too much about the plot (go into this one knowing as little as possible). Here's what I will say - the writing is whip-smart, sharp, and luscious. The plot/characters are filled with creeping, unsettling details. It's perfectly paced, revealing just enough at every turn. It's devastating and brilliant and weird in the best possible way. I can't wait to re-read and pick up on all of the details I know I missed the first time around.

I've loved Valente's newer work, but this reminded me of her earlier stuff (A Dirge for Prester John, Palimpsest, Labyrinth, some of her earlier short stories). I hope that this leads to renewed interest in her backlist both by publishers and readers alike.

I went into this novella basically blind and I recommend you do the same. If you let this strangely amazing story sneak up on you, you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this for fans of morality tales, refuelling and/or experimental prose.

Mild spoilers below






Still here? Okay my high level trying-to-be-spoiler-free-but-still-kind-of-a-spoiler overview is that this is basically like the movie Mother except more focused in scope and way better than that piece of hot trash.

Whine intriguing, the book needed a bit more bite than it supplied, even though I did read through to the end. (Yay for novellas!). Valente's fans will eagerly devour this, however. A rare miss.

I requested this one because it might be a 2021 title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book is not my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one rather than push myself to finish it only to give it a poor review.

Bluebeard meets the story of Adam and Eve and the Apple. Sophia was made for her husband. She lives in Arcadia Gardens where everything is perfect and she is happy. Everyone always asks her if she is happy. She is happy.... until... she finds a lock of hair that is not hers in a drawer, a bone in the knife board.... and soon so many other things. Soon she discovers that her husband is hiding many secrets and that her home in Arcadia Gardens is not as perfect as she had thought... and that maybe she is not happy.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, Cat Valente’s book Deathless is probably my favorite book of all time, but I had never read any of her other work because it’s all so different. I figured I’d give this a shot since I knew it was a novella and quite short.

Comfort Me With Apples follows Sophia, a housewife who was “made” for her husband and everything in her gated community she’s not allowed to leave with weirdly strict rules life is perfect. Everyone loves her husband and her. But her husband is gone so often and is so much bigger than her, as is their house.

Soon Sophia starts to realize her life isn’t quite as perfect as it seems, as she starts to make startling discoveries around their house.

I cannot say anymore about the plot as it will give things away, but since CMWA was described as a “terrifying thriller for fans of Gone Girl and Spinning Silver” I just…. didn’t get any of that. I wasn’t terrified, I wasn’t thrilled, it’s not similar to Spinning Silver in any way. Gone Girl I can only see on the basis of it being the same genre, that’s it. I was interested to figure out what was truly going on in this novella and read it in a single sitting/less than an hour, but I can’t say I really liked or enjoyed it.

There ended up being a big biblical element to this book, and had I known, I probably wouldn’t have read it. Not my sort of thing.

The “villain” just did a ridiculous amount of exposition to explain things at the end (but not everything) and it didn’t end in a satisfying manner, either. Nothing felt resolved to me. There were things that weren’t explained at all, and it left me with a big ???????????? when the novella ended. I didn’t see the point of it.

I think Cat Valente’s writing is still beautiful, but this was, decidedly, not the novella for me.