For my next, Women in Horror Month feature, I’m happy to present To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger. Tantlinger is a Bram Stoker Award-winning poet and I believe this is her first published novella. Here’s the synopsis:
What does carrion taste like? Andi has to know. The vultures circling outside her home taunt and invite her to come understand the secrets hiding in their banquet of decay. Fascination morphs into an obsessive need to know what the vultures know. Andi turns to Dr. Fawning, but even the therapist cannot help her comprehend the secrets she’s buried beneath anger-induced blackouts.
Her girlfriend, Luna, tries to help Andi battle her inner darkness and infatuation with the vultures. However, the desire to taste dead flesh, to stitch together wings of her own and become one with the flock sends Andi down a twisted, unforgivable path. Once she understands the secrets the vultures conceal, she must decide between abandoning the birds of prey or risk turning her loved ones into nothing more than meals to be devoured.
What a wonderful and disturbing tale from Tantlinger. Without spoiling anything, I have to say the downward spiral of the main character is horrifying and very well written. I enjoyed getting into Andi's head and watching the story play out. Tantlinger has an amazing eye for the visceral and many of her scenes made me cringe (in a good way). If you like bloody horror and ever wondered what raw meat might taste like (you know, that itch in the back of your brain that keeps asking what it would feel like to tear meat with your teeth and feel the splatter of hot blood on your cheeks...don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, it's there, inside you, gnawing its way through your gut) then do yourself a favor and join the committee.
What does carrion taste like? Andi has to know. The vultures circling outside her home taunt and invite her to come understand the secrets hiding in their banquet of decay. Fascination morphs into an obsessive need to know what the vultures know. Andi turns to Dr. Fawning, but even the therapist cannot help her comprehend the secrets she’s buried beneath anger-induced blackouts.
Her girlfriend, Luna, tries to help Andi battle her inner darkness and infatuation with the vultures. However, the desire to taste dead flesh, to stitch together wings of her own and become one with the flock sends Andi down a twisted, unforgivable path. Once she understands the secrets the vultures conceal, she must decide between abandoning the birds of prey or risk turning her loved ones into nothing more than meals to be devoured.
What a wonderful and disturbing tale from Tantlinger. Without spoiling anything, I have to say the downward spiral of the main character is horrifying and very well written. I enjoyed getting into Andi's head and watching the story play out. Tantlinger has an amazing eye for the visceral and many of her scenes made me cringe (in a good way). If you like bloody horror and ever wondered what raw meat might taste like (you know, that itch in the back of your brain that keeps asking what it would feel like to tear meat with your teeth and feel the splatter of hot blood on your cheeks...don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, it's there, inside you, gnawing its way through your gut) then do yourself a favor and join the committee.
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