Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.Sal seems to appear out of nowhere – a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he’s welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming … assuming he’s a runaway from a nearby farm town.
When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.
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If you read ONE new book this year, make it this one. It sounds like hyperbole or marketing, but it’s not (although my review copy was provided by the author). It’s simply an incredible book by an immensely talented woman.
The description is intriguing; the first sentence sealed the deal: “The heat came with the devil.” I’m a huge believer in the evaluative power of first sentences. The simple statement, coupled with an epigraph from Milton, set questions a-twirl that never stopped until the book closed.
There is so much going on:
– a story within a story, with shifts in time to a long-ago summer when life changed;
– a fascinating set of characters, with wildly complex interpersonal relationships;
– a cacophony of dichotomies: good and evil, right and wrong, revelations and secrets, cruelty and mercy, melodrama and apathy;
– the glorious innocence of childhood faith and the devastating reality of adult impotence; and
– morals and lessons, carefully crafted into spun-sugar sentences that melt perfectly on the tongue without any aftertaste.
Underpinning it all: good old-fashioned, strong, clear writing. It’s been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird. Not an overstatement. There is a gloriously intricate simplicity at work in both books, making them a delight to read repeatedly because there are always new insights to tease out.
Full review: http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/2016/07/24/book-review-if-you-read-one-new-book-this-year-make-it-the-summer-that-melted-everything/
In Tiffany McDaniel’s debut novel: The Summer that Melted Everything, the consequences of ignorance and hatred are IN YOUR FACE and punch you right in the gut. In that respect, every freaking person on Earth needs to read this book. Why do some people hate others who are different from them? Fear, plain and simple. Weak, selfish, and judgmental cowards who are too scared to open their minds and hearts to something different from what they know and then do unspeakable things to minimize their perceived threat. The result? Good people end up dead, never to breathe another breath or love another day. Makes my soul ache at how preventable it all is.
OK, so that’s why all the rave reviews around town. That and the magical writing. Ms. McDaniel really can write, I’ll give her that – the tone, use of metaphors, and what felt like hundreds of highlight-worthy quotes were perfect for the setting, culture, and theme. In summary, The Summer that Melted Everything has the potential to add life-changing perspective for its readers. Read it. Open your heart and help stop the hate.
The ending was not what I expected.
I read McDaniel’s sophomore book, BETTY, before this one and it was my favorite of 2020. Actually, I don’t pick favorites but in this case I did. That was a knock your sox off story. I wrote a review for it for the New York Journal of Books, which you can find here:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book…
I always write down little quips somewhere as I read a book, dropping thought nuggets as to how I’m getting along in the story, revealing what I’m thinking about. As to why this isn’t a 5 star read – and I fully expected it to be after BETTY – mostly has to do with some of the writing and some of the storyline. There were certain sentences I couldn’t get into. This isn’t the author’s fault. And, I should add, there were more gorgeous sentences that made up for those I scratched my head over. In some ways, it was almost like she was riffing and playing with words just to see. And that’s also called art.
A couple examples:
“I wondered if their child would look like a muscled dove, the build of it’s father and mother.”
“Watching the way that strand of damp hair fell across his eye, like a sort of whole world holding.”
There were scenes where the wonderful world building painted stunning, vivid colors in my mind. The character development was a natural progression, realistic and insightful. The idea of the story was unique, so fresh. I loved Sal – his name a cross between Satan and Lucifer. Quirky. interesting characters abounded, from Fielding to Grand, to Autopsy (how’s that for a name) to Stella, Fedelia and on. What a brilliant idea to have the devil come and spend time among a family. What a surprise to find myself loving that devil, with his poetic, and ancient wisdom tucked away in the body of a thirteen year old black kid.
What took that fifth star? Maybe some of those odd sentences I couldn’t get my head around, but honestly, I think it was that ending, where I wondered, and though, why go this route?
Many times I’ve read other reviews where a reviewer might say something like “the author seemed rushed” or “the author didn’t seem to know how to end their story” etc. While I thought McDaniel’s ending could have gone differently, using one that would have left a mystery in the readers mind, one that could have married the other elements of the novel’s magical essence and then matched it up to the conclusion, I think the way an author chooses to end her book is her business, and hers alone. I think to say it’s rushed, or they didn’t know where to go might be true for some, but in this case, I sense that McDaniel is careful with her choices.
This is why writing is art, and why we read the art, and why we think about the art, and why we can never say it ought to have been this, or that. That wouldn’t be art, and I do think McDaniel is a very skillful artist.
Highly recommend.
This little devil slid through my eyeballs into my brain, slithering around the dark crevices before plunging into my guts; twisting, turning, and yanking my body apart.
Things to know:
Appalachian Setting
Lyrical
Metaphorical
Intense
Horrific
Complex Characters
Cruelty & Mercy
Good vs Evil
Cults
Thought-provoking
Heart-wrenching
Read this…
…only if you can handle life’s evilness handed to you on a platter. The premise is wholly unrealistic, yet the characters are drawn with very real behaviors and beliefs, making for an extremely compelling read.
Warnings:
Not for Sensitive Readers
This is my favorite newer book. Everything about it is amazing.