Spunk

by Helen O'Reilly

Senga must escape the forest she’s lived in since the disaster that stranded her and destroyed most of her world. Sex, drugs, cannibalism and infanticide are only some of the elements that make what might have been a bucolic paradise into a shambolic kind of hell -- or at the very least, a purgatory. But without advanced technology and with a powerful enemy who controls their all-female society, plus a rebellious teenage daughter she’s trying to protect, escape for Senga won't be easy. Fortunately, she finds an unexpected source of strength—but will her flight take her out of the frying pan and into the fire

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2013

About the author

I had to wait until both my parents were dead, both my marriages were over, and all my children were too old to be traumatized by anything I could do in order to write my first novel for adults: Spunk--a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, urban fantasy about an Amazonian world and the woman who dares to defy its authority.

As Helen H. Moore I've sold thousands of books for children and educators, for such publishers as Scholastic, Mondo, and Central Recovery Press, but this new venture required a new pen-name: Helen O'Reilly.
I'm branching out into self-publishing and self-actualizing simultaneously. As the traditional publishing industry morphs, self-publishing has lost its stigma; it's no longer vanity publishing; it's indie publishing: this is where the cool kids are.
A lifelong goal has been to expand my writing repertoire to include long-form fiction--in other words, I've published children's fiction, poetry, self-help, educational and non-fiction books, but THE NOVEL has been my white whale--my Moby Dick (which is also a novel). Now the writing is done and the second part of the goal is all that remains: to market, to market.

Spunk more than a book, it's an attitude; it's sexy, sassy, irreverent, fun, sly, and wicked. It's the thing that life is made of, and it keeps life interesting, exciting, and fun. Spunk is Life.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Watasin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying tale! SPUNK, A Fable, is quite a brave choice for a title, and this bravery reflects in the tale tackled. As a lesbian I've read at least two of the sort of 'modern Amazonian tribe' fantasies prevalent in LGBT genre (in the early 90's) which SPUNK is an intelligent and astute spin on. Such all-female societies were ideal if not always utopian, purposed to elevate and overtly empower its female characters (and maybe make other statements). With SPUNK, Helen O'Reilly intends none of these things but explores a very believable path that a post-apocalyptic, all-female 'tribe' can take, and it's all shades of Lord of the Flies, and then some.But unlike the blunt, young boy/testosterone-fueled savagery of Flies, O'Reilly softens the more unsettling aspects of this female tribe, united in a corrupted vision of survival, with a fable's euphemistic language; just as we can easily digest the monstrosity of Baba Yaga through the simplicity of fairy tale, we can absorb the more queasy or frank aspects of SPUNK with O'Reilly's poetic narrative, though the estrogen-fueled savagery of her setting is still effectively intact. The fable comes to a very satisfying conclusion, as most good tales should, with a beautiful mix of both female and male characters (very much unlike the typical 'amazonian utopia' formula),who pull surprises at the end.

[John Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunk is an interesting and highly original view of a post-apocalyptic world where within a huge forest that has consumed much of New York City and its suburbs, a community of women flourishes. Together, they work to sustain the community. They farm, they hunt, they teach, they maintain shelters. In fact, this world of women seems to do quite well without men.
But they do need men in order to perpetuate the community. As men wander into the forest, they are trapped and hunted and put to good use. But once they’ve served their primary purpose, the women have found that the men taste pretty good.
I found this to be well written, engaging, humorous and hard to put down. The ending wasn’t quite what I expected. But then again, I’m not sure that it actually ended. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author

[Helen O'Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

From PW Select:

"O'Reilly delivers a fascinating novel about a group of women and girls who, in postapocalyptic New York City, belong to an Amazonian society that believes men are no longer a necessity in the world. In an effort to survive, the women—who live in a forest that now covers Manhattan—capture men to perpetuate their community, only to exterminate them when they have served their purpose. O'Reilly's characters are well drawn, and her prose straightforward and startling: "At first, and at Buffy's suggestion, the women had tried a sort of rough-and-ready castration technique that involved twine and a sharp knife, but the results were predictable: death by exsanguination." Highly original and visceral, O'Reilly's book announces itself like a newborn baby straight from the womb: with a guttural cry that abounds with possibility."

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a post-apocalyptic world, can women live without men? Hell yeah, according to the tale told by Helen O’Reilly. Women can provide all the necessities of life living in the forest that used to be New York City.

Men do serve a purpose, however. The women trap and hunt the species to immortalize their community. Once the deed is done, their mantra is, waste not, want not.

I recommend Spunk by Helen O’Reilly for readers who enjoy a good fable sprinkled with humor.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my friend, Helen's, book. I really liked it. Post apocolyptic setting which I love and the action was well done. I got caught up in it really quickly and was interested the whole time. I love books that do that. Great job Helen!