Quill and Quire

BOOK REVIEWS

Bats or Swallows

By Teri Vlassopoulos

Montreal writer Teri Vlassopoulos’s debut collection contains stories about characters coming of age, suffering through severed relationships, and searching for their own identities. The author mixes kitchen-sink realism with elementary philosophy to portray the confusion, ... Read More »

April 6, 2011 | Filed under: Fiction: Short

Spat the Dummy

By Ed Macdonald

The perilous repercussions of a horrific childhood secret propel Spat the Dummy, Gemini Award–winning screenwriter Ed Macdonald’s dynamic exploration of sex, drugs, violence, and the meaning of fatherhood. This excellent debut novel combines gutsy language ... Read More »

April 6, 2011 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Extensions

By Myrna Dey

At first glance, Myrna Dey’s debut novel offers a familiar set-up: a modern-day city slicker finds a packet of letters written by her great-grandmother Jane, a Welsh immigrant battling poverty and loneliness amid the misery ... Read More »

April 6, 2011 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Irma Voth

By Miriam Toews

Miriam Toews’ follow-up to 2008’s The Flying Troutmans details its eponymous protagonist’s various attempts to answer the question, “How do I behave in this world without following the directions of my father, my husband, or ... Read More »

April 1, 2011 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Fostergirls

By Liane Shaw

Liane Shaw attempts to capture the turbulent inner life of an orphaned teenager in her new YA novel. Fifteen-year-old Sadie Thompson has spent most of her life in foster care; with no family placements available, ... Read More »

March 30, 2011

Fall for Anything

By Courtney Summers

Courtney Summers does not write lighthearted novels. Her first two books tackled rape, suicide, and social annihilation by former friends. In her third, Summers writes again about suicide, introducing readers to a girl grappling with ... Read More »

March 30, 2011