JENNIE MELAMED is a psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in working with traumatized children. During her doctoral work at the University of Washington, she investigated anthropological, biological, and cultural aspects of child abuse. Melamed lives in Seattle with her husband and three Shiba Inus.
The Force of Such Beauty (2022) Barbara Bourland "A wayward girl is made a princess, and then? Luxury turns to boredom, fascination to fear, fame to thralldom, and love to betrayal. Threads of beauty and dread follow our heroine's descent into the gilded lunacy of a royal kingdom that requires a princess to be glamorous, grateful, and quiet. But Caro is no passive princess in a tower; she is smart, incisive, and achingly real. I couldn't put this book down until its explosive, heartrending, thoroughly satisfying ending."
A History of Wild Places (2021) Shea Ernshaw "A gorgeously written tale of a community frozen in time and falling headlong into darkness. The plot twists will leave you breathless."
We Can Only Save Ourselves (2021) Alison Wisdom "A haunting, beautifully written story of a girl falling into darkness. Alison Wisdom renders a fascinating portrayal of the subtle shifts in tension, power, and affection among the young women who follow a Manson-esque cult leader. With the propulsion of a page-turner and the detail of a psychological study, We Can Only Save Ourselves is a stark and captivating novel."
The Hierarchies (2020) Ros Anderson "A masterful, gripping debut...While the plot is propulsive and page-turning, The Hierarchies allows Sylvie's incisive meditations on beauty and human nature to shine through....A fascinating take on artificial intelligence. The Hierarchies deserves to be considered a classic of feminist dystopian fiction."
Megan Campisi "A keenly researched feminist arc of unexpected abundance, reckoning, intellect, and ferocious survival’ (Maria Dahvana Headley, author of The Mere Wife) Sin Eater is ‘a dark, rich story replete with humor, unforgettable characters, and arcane mysteries. It casts a spell on your heart and mind until the final page."
The Companions (2020) Katie M Flynn "With deft narration and unforgettable characters, Katie M. Flynn weaves a tale of high-tech, dystopian reincarnation. Each detail is beautifully sketched and thrilling to discover, creating a near-future world of endless fascination. The Companions is a compelling, gripping, whip-smart piece of speculative fiction."
Last Ones Left Alive (2019) Sarah Davis-Goff "LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE combines the spare poetry of THE ROAD with the dizzying pace of 28 DAYS LATER. A beautiful book, lyrical in its violence, painting in vivid strokes the joy and brutality of the human experience. An original, brilliant take on the end of the world."
The Last (2019) Hanna Jameson "Ms. Jameson writes about the end of the world with the authenticity of one who has witnessed it and come back to tell the tale. Her characters are complex and compelling, and she depicts group and survivor psychology with deft and empathetic detail. The plot is gripping, and thoroughly and frighteningly believable. I could not put this book down."
An Ocean of Minutes (2018) Thea Lim "A buoyant, compelling tale ranging from the everyday beauty of falling in love to a frightening vision of a dystopian present day... boundless and dynamic."
What Should Be Wild (2018) Julia Fine "What Should Be Wild is a dark, glorious fairytale and a grand adventure. Blending magical realism and riveting storytelling, Ms. Fine knows how to cast a spell over her readers. I was captivated by this book from the first page, and its characters are firmly imprinted on my heart."
