Sarah O'Connor

Book Review: If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier

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May 19, 2021

“You talked about the disappearance of Laci Peterson, and I thought, You understand. You understand what it is to be a woman in a world that wants you to disappear,” (Brazier 1).

Sera listens to a lot of true crime podcasts, her favourite Murder, She Spoke hosted by Rachel Bard. But when Rachel stops updating her Instagram and no new episodes have been released Sera knows that something bad has happened. She travels down to Northern California and gets a job as a farmhand on Rachel’s family’s ranch, doing her own investigation on what happened to Rachel the way she was taught on Rachel’s podcast. But the ranch, overgrown with blackberries, feels hostile and Rachel’s parents odd and terrifying. The people of Happy Camp aren’t concerned with Rachel’s disappearance but Sera knows something is going on and she is determined to find out what. Continue reading

Book Review: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

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May 16, 2021

Marin Machado’s life was perfect. She owns a chain of upscale hair salons which includes a clientele of high-end celebrities, her husband Derek is a self-made millionaire, they each donate to many charities and adore their four-year-old son Sebastian. But three days before Christmas the unthinkable happens: Sebastian is taken, and after much publicity and an FBI search that goes cold, Marin and Derek’s life is forever changed. A year later there is a distance between the couple and Marin struggles to go on day to day. Not giving up on finding her son Marin hires a P.I. to continue the search but instead of finding any news on Sebastian Marin learns that Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman. Suddenly Marin has a purpose again, she’s started to feel again. Because someone took her son, but she won’t let another woman take her husband. Continue reading

Book Review: Tales From The Hinterland by Melissa Albert

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April 27, 2021

Since reading The Hazel Wood I’ve been curious about the fictional world of fairy tales that Albert teased and after many rumours Tales from the Hinterlands finally came into being. While I enjoyed this book of fairy tales and continue to love Albert’s imagination and deliciously dark stories I was expecting more from the book. Maybe it’s because even though I enjoyed The Hazel Wood series I was still disappointed by them and it was fated for me to be disappointed. Based on other reviews I’ve read I wonder if it was reading The Hazel Wood series in general that somehow made these stories less exciting. I don’t know how but there is truth to it, because I loved these stories but somehow I can feel I would have enjoyed them without the connection to the series, and again I can’t explain why that is.

But Tales from the Hinterland is still well worth the wait and filled with stories of characters reader’s met in The Hazel Wood series as well as new stories and characters. It’s also beautifully illustrated, and a must have for lovers of fairy tales. Scroll down if you’d like a more detailed review of each of the stories. Continue reading

GritLit Flash Fiction Contest Honourable Mention

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April 26, 2021

Exciting news, my short story “A Candle for Lucy” was an honourable mention for the GritLit Flash Fiction Contest!

Each story had to be written in an hour and include the following:

a box of matches
a stranger who seems familiar
a line of dialogue “You (he/she/they/I) should have seen this coming”

You can read my story here!

Book Review: The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

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April 7, 2021

“Why wasn’t fully committing to creation more desirable than observing what everyone else was doing and doing the same?” (Shraya 4).

Indie artist Neela Devaki has been writing songs that only a small few seem to actually want to listen too, but when one of Neela’s songs goes viral by internet cover artist RUK-MINI things begin to change. The two muscians meet and a deep friendship blossoms, but the music industry has a way of pitting friends, especially women, against one another. Jealousy and self-doubt begin and with a single tweet a friendship ends as does one of their careers as the women find themselves the centre of internet drama. Continue reading

Book Review: Sisters by Daisy Johnson

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April 6, 2021

“This is the year we are haunted. What? This is the year, as any other, in which we are friendless, necessary only to ourselves,” (Johnson 5).

Sisters July and September are as close as can be. Born ten months apart they do everything together, depend on one another, will do anything for the other. After a bullying incident at their school the girls move away with their single mother to a faraway home that belongs to their long dead father’s family. Isolated and in a new area and feeling detached from their mother, July finds the connection she and September share change in unsettling ways as revelations of their past and future come to light. Continue reading

Book Review: Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett

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April 5, 2021

“A few nearby disciples sniff, The same guilt and resentment and anger I felt earlier bubble up again, but this time it’s directed toward myself. The same question keeps repeating in my mind: What have I done?” (Moffett 103).

Emily thought college would be very different. She imagined immersing herself in college life, meeting friends, finally finding and feeling like she belonged. Instead she finds herself alone, feeling disconnected from her family and classmates. But then one day in a café the Kingdom finds her and offers everything she’s wanted: friendship, a possible boyfriend, , and finally feels like she’s found a place and people who accept her. When Emily is chosen to go on a mission trip to Italy she thinks it will be an exciting experience, but when the Kingdom takes their passports and money, things take a dark turn and one of the members ends up dead. Continue reading

WandaVision, Complicated Grief, and Emotional Women

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March 27, 2021

SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION

After nine weeks the hit Marvel television show (does it still count as TV if it’s on a streaming service?) WandaVision has come to an end, with mixed results. But I’m not here to talk about the criticisms some fans have with WandaVision, I adored the show and the finale. I think it did an excellent job at looking at grief and complex trauma, about what would happen if a grieving person had the power to bring back their loved one, to create the life they planned on having together. Continue reading

Book Review: Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles

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March 7, 2021

CW: Sexual assault, animal abuse.

“This might hurt a little. Be brave.”

More than a little honestly because this book sure packs a punch. During a blizzard on Valentine’s Day the staff at The Hazel restaurant have their own storm brewing, one fueled by betrayal and hurt. As the long day goes on tensions rise as more customers come in to avoid the storm, leading to painful revelations, hard truths, and heartache before the final course is served. Continue reading

Book Review: Fight Like A Girl by Sheena Kamal

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February 23, 2021

“Rule number one of being a woman from Trinidad: be hella fierce,” (Kamal 5).

Trisha hates her father who comes and goes as he pleases living his life between his family in Trinidad and his one with Trisha and her mom in Toronto’s east-end. Trisha wishes he would stay in Trinidad though because when her father comes back so do the bruises on her mother’s body. Violence is a normal part in Trisha’s life and she tries to break the cycle by doing Muay Thai kickboxing, an unlikely sport for a slight girl of Trinidadian descent, but it works for her and helps her work through her home life. That is until one night when her father wanders out drunk in front of the car Trisha is driving, her mother in the passenger seat. Now that her father is dead the violence is gone, her mother strangely at peace things should be better but Trisha isn’t sure. She doesn’t know what exactly happened that night and she’s afraid for what comes next, because her mother has a new boyfriend and it looks like things are about to repeat themselves. Continue reading