Synopsis:
Flip the Polaroids like a deck of cards, fan them in your hands. See the age-tinged colors mingle; shifting and mutating into an earthly kaleidoscope. Watch the images themselves creating and original composition. A new story that you could reorganize as you will. Any story can have a happy ending if you edit carefully.
Dani and Eric spent their childhood summers at a cabin deep in the woods. Now a rebuilt luxury vacation property, it’s as distant from what it once was as they are from each other. Drawn to the house after their father’s death, the siblings try to reconcile their estrangement from one another. But the past isn’t the past, and the Polaroids Dani took their last summer together are a reminder of how present their pain really is. With storm clouds gathering…and an apparition stalking them from the shadows…Dani and Eric cannot escape the looming reminders of the tragedy that has defined, and might end, their lives.
Edition:
Paperback, signed Nightworms Exclusive
My Thoughts:
This book wins the imaginary award for Most Appropriate Name, because it seriously almost broke me. In 69 pages it damn near tore me to pieces. It is so emotionally tense and psychologically heavy that I wasn’t sure at the end if I felt happy or if I wanted to spend the next 10 or so minutes sobbing wildly.
In the end, I settled on a little bit of both.
How We Broke is a truly incredible little book. How two people collaborated on this and came up with such a seamless, tight, shattering story is beyond me. But good job to both authors, because they did an amazing job.
This short-form saga (definitely a thing) of the lasting effects of grief, trauma and loss will blow your mind. It’s definitely not an easy read in spite of its length though – don’t go into it thinking otherwise. Like I said above, it’s HEAVY and it does not let up.
About the Authors:
Bracken MacLeod has worked as a martial arts teacher, a university philosophy instructor, for a children’s non-profit, and as a trial attorney. His short fiction has appeared in several magazines and anthologies including LampLight, ThugLit, and Splatterpunk and has been collected in 13 VIEWS OF THE SUICIDE WOODS by ChiZine Publications.
He is the author of MOUNTAIN HOME, a novella titled WHITE KNIGHT, and STRANDED, from Tor Books. His newest novel, COME TO DUST, is coming from Journalstone/Trepidatio Press in June of 2017.
He lives outside of Boston with his wife and son, where he is at work on his next novel.
Paul Michael Anderson is the author of the collection BONES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN and the novellas I CAN GIVE YOU LIFE, HOW WE BROKE (with Bracken MacLeod), and STANDALONE, as well as numerous short stories and articles. He lives with his wife and daughter in Virginia. Find him on Twitter under the inspired handle of @p_m_anderson or at his website paulmichaelanderson.wordpress.com
Rating:
You should definitely read this if you’re feeling emotionally fortified. But otherwise, maybe hold onto it until you are, cuz it is tough. But also a bit hopeful, so there’s that.
I’ve been on a roll with really great book choices lately. I hope I didn’t just ruin it by calling it out.
How We Broke By: Bracken MacLeod and Paul Michael Anderson Thunderstorm Books exclusively for Night Worms Paperback 69 Pages Bracken's Website Paul's Website Originally published in: Chiral Mad 4: An Anthology of Collaborations Edited by Michael Bailey and Lucy A. Snyder Written Backwards ISBN: 099957549X Published: October 23, 2018 Hardcover, Paperback, E-book 426 Pages
I NEED to read more from Bracken MacLeod ASAP. I recently read The Texas Chainsaw Breakfast Club or I Don’t Like Mondays and LOVED IT!
I’ll have to check that one out too then. I think this was the first time I’d read either of them, but it definitely won’t be the last!