Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mapping the Interior walks a line between quiet horror and magical realism, and I'm here for it. Some authors can play on your emotions with their stories, but Jones plays you like a Stradivarius with his taut prose. It's raw and sometimes feels like you're reading something you shouldn't, like peeking through entries from a stolen journal or listening in on someone else's confession.

There are a lot of layers, despite the POV character being a kid. It is a profound meditation on grief and loss, on running both away and toward becoming like one's own parents, on poverty, on family traditions and heritage, and on navigating cultural differences and otherness. Heavy stuff, but Jones handles it masterfully through the lens of childhood.


I confess the ending left me rattled. I wasn't (still am not) sure how to process the way Jones closed the circle of this ghost story. It's the sort of powerful conclusion that will stay with you long after you reach for the next book on your TBR list.

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