The Poison Eaters and Other Stories

Gr 9 Up—Holly Black's dozen edgy short stories (2011) frequently use first-person point of view to introduce realistic adult and teen characters in tales that feature vampires, a fairy, the devil, and other characters that are sure to surprise. In "Paper Cuts Scissors," a girl climbs into a book as she dumps her boyfriend. "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" sacrifices herself to live as a vampire to save a boyfriend from an eternal, bloodsucking life. A man makes "The Coat of Stars" and raises a long-dead, homosexual, high school lover. Many of the protagonists are social outcasts, down on their luck, or trying to save others, but almost all deal with adolescent identity struggles. There are unique situations such as an eating competition with the devil in "A Reversal of Fortune" and the use of magic by the Latin club to debauch the prom in "In Vodka Veritas." "The Poison Eaters" live in a mythical place where three female spirits/women are cursed by a kiss or touch that causes death. These tales use vivid, sometimes visceral imagery, but they all reflect aspects of real teen life. The author reads her well-crafted text at an even pace, rarely betraying the emotion in dramatic scenes, but with an overall intensity. Gathered from other anthologies and enhanced by two new stories based in Black's Tithe (2004, both Margaret K. McElderry Bks.), this collection will attract Twilight fans and those seeking fantasy with a literary flair.—Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT