Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King was recommended to me after I spent thirty minutes eavesdropping on a conversation at my local bookstore.
After the crowd thinned (there were six people, I’m not barging in on that), I talked to the writer of the group.
During my eavesdropping, I learned that she’s working toward her MFA in creative writing, and writes Young Adult contemporary. I prattled on about my writing group, projects, and different writer-ly things, all while holding a pile of books. She added some to my pile, and this was one of them.
Still Life with Tornado
Although the truth unfolds slowly, it’s apparent early on that this is more than just a tale of teen angst. Abuse, guilt, and family play major roles as well. Other than a mild continuity error at the end, I enjoyed this piece, and tore through it in a day and a half. It reads easy, it’s weird, and I adore that the protagonist renamed herself “Umbrella.”
Alpin R Geist 