The Summer that Melted Everything – Tiffany McDaniel
(5 / 5)
This was a GREAT read! It totally caught me off guardΒ how absolutely unique and fabulous this book was.
In the summer of 1984, Fielding’s father Autopsy Bliss wrote an invitation to the devil in the newspaper. And the devil accepted. Or did he? A young boy called Sal arrives claiming he is the devil. At first the townspeople think its a joke, that he is a runaway. But as Sal begins to get involved with some of the people from the small town, strange things begin to happen and darkness seems to follow Sal wherever he goes.
I was just so taken aback by the complexity and brilliance of this novel. It is told from Fielding’s point of view in large flashbacks and flash forwards to the the future,Β when Fielding is a old man. And this back and forward alternating perspective really worked. You get glimpses of what he is like in the future, and slowly start to understand why he is the way he is, and what exactly happened that summer.
It wasn’t so much the storyΒ that captivated me (although it was in itself, captivating), it was the writing. The powerful atmosphere and the emotional, resonating quotes and dialogues throughout the book were hauntingly beautiful and incredibly moving. There were numerous occasions where I had to stop reading and sit in wonder at what I just read.Β At times it was utterly depressing, but not in a bad way!
The characters are all so deep and powerful. They all have their own unique stories and a darkness about them. Fielding was probably the most innocent and naive of the lot. His brother, mother and father were fascinating
Would I recommend The Summer that Melted Everything?
Absolutely! I am surprised that more people don’t know about this novel and I have a feeling that its going to be huge! And I can’t believe that this is a debut!! I can’t wait to see what else the author has up her sleeve for the future!
Many thanks to author Tiffany McDaniel and the publisher forΒ an advanced copy of The Summer that Melted Everything to read and review.
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2 Comments
Anita · September 26, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Sounds fabulous, just ordered a copy! Fingers crossed it will arrive for the long weekend! xxx
Mel · October 13, 2016 at 7:51 am
It was amazing Anita, im sure you will enjoy it!