First published 2019
In Julia Armfield's debut, the everyday erupts into the extraordinary. Teenagers develop unnatural appetites, a town falls into collective insomnia, and bodies are meticulously remade. As the mundane worlds of schools and seaside towns are invaded and transformed, Armfield's characters navigate shifting realities, turning away, turning back, or simply turning into something new entirely. At the heart of these haunting, inventive tales lies an exploration of the skin and bones of human experience - isolation, obsession, love, and revenge.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: body-horror, psychological-horror, surreal
Period: 21st-century
193 pages · Hardcover · Picador
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence