Salivation

by Phoenix Mendoza

A group of teenagers meet God at an abandoned amusement park. An immortal, child-eating monster grows too close to his prey. A clandestine tryst in a Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit takes a turn for the revolting. A grieving man sets out in dogged pursuit of the artist he blames for his fiancé's suicide. These ghosts and more reside in this electric debut short story collection by Phoenix Mendoza. This anthology's aim is to explore the profound union between hunger and loneliness, told in a series of voyeuristic meditations on human longing. All at once sincere and absurd, tender and disgusting, hilarious and heart-twisting, Salivation is an unapologetic foray into the lengths we go to in order to seek even the pantomime of connection.

Genres: Horror

283 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2024

Reviews

[Phoenix Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote this and goodreads won’t let me claim it and the situation is very annoying 🥩

[Mauma · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid i watched the goofy movie a concerning amount of times every visit to my grandparents and it heavily shaped my perception of the US. National Parks, Big foot, weird animatronic roadside attractions, cheesy greasy pizzas with the cheese pull, and especially cheese in a spray can.
Somehow Phoenix Mendoza's writing fits right into that silly perception and i mean that positively. Some of these stories could happen to someone here in a middle of nowhere town but somehow they are more horrifyingly because they are at a chuck e cheese or at an abandoned amusement park thay only americans could come up with.
I for one am glad i can have this foreign wonderment perspective because chuck e cheese will haunt me for the rest of my days and at least this way i can pretend it's not a real place

[sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si conoces la escritura de Phoenix, de donde quiera que hayas bebido de ella, debes saber que este libro es una selección preciosa de talento y oficio. Lo llamé "Phoenix Sample Deluxe" porque esto es precisamente lo que obtienes: un puñado de cuentos heterogéneos en tema y forma, pero que se unen por el particular hilo del estilo de la autora, para formar un collar de amuletos, cada uno encantador, poseedor de su propio origen e intención. Leer a Phoenix Mendoza es leer a alguien entregada a su oficio de escritora. Y que se nota y se siente a cada oración.
Cuando yo reseño un libro me gusta mucho hacer notar sobre todo eso; el trabajo que el autor realizó para entregarnos el producto final. Para mí, como lectora, es lo más importante, que la comunicación que tengo con las letras es lo más efectiva posible y que la experiencia lectora es una que me deja, en lugar de quitarme.
"Salivation" es un libro generoso, entonces. La autora dedica tiempo en introducirte al mundo al que vas a entrar. Escribe una introducción en la que te habla sobre la palabra "salivar" y su parecido homónimo con la palabra "salvación". Asimismo, antes de cada cuento, te detiene para contarte cómo fue su proceso creativo para escribirlo o para seleccionarlo para la colección. Esto no es algo que sea común en los libros de cuentos. Normalmente, a los cuentos les toca defenderse solos, sin el paratexto del autor, como guiándote, precisamente, hacia el artificio de cada texto, para pensarlo precisamente desde la construcción hacia el concepto que yace dentro, para ver la nuez desde la cáscara hasta la carne de la fruta.
O por lo menos así es como yo lo leí.
Me parece que Salivation es un libro muy único. A pesar de ser el primero de la autora, no es su primer gran proyecto. A pesar de tener en físico, por primera vez, las palabras de Phoenix entre las manos, no es la primera vez que me impresionan. Para mí, como lectora obsesiva de su trabajo en otras plataformas, me deleito en la singular experiencia de leerla y reconocerla, de encontrar de nuevo, la manera en la que construye una historia, sus personajes, sus giros de oraciones, sus preocupaciones y sus cuestionamientos. ¿Es divino el lenguaje? ¿Podemos alimentarnos de lo que amamos? ¿Cuál es la forma del deseo? ¿Cuáles son los límites de ser una persona? ¿Una mujer? ¿Un hombre que ama a otro hombre? ¿Es el asco algo que se aprende? ¿Es el terror algo que nos es conferido, como una maldición de otro orden? ¿Podemos equiparar la creación con el paso de un sistema gástrico?
Como primer libro, Phoenix Mendoza ha hecho un trabajo estupendo en lo que mejor sabe hacer: volver a la lectura una experiencia sensorial, bajarte hacia el estómago de la ballena y hacerte repasar cada certeza que tenías sobre tu cuerpo. Ella es una autora que simplemente no puedes olvidar, que cambia tu manera de leer y, si tienes suerte, de escribir. Puedo decir, sin género de duda, que haber conocido a Phoenix me ha hecho mejor lectora y escritora. No porque esa sea su intención, sino porque la belleza (y lo abyecto, también) es la mejor maestra. Te abre, destruye tus barreras, reconfigura tus límites.
En fin, yo particularmente estoy muy feliz de conocerla y de saber que estoy al inicio de una carrera milagrosa. Lean a Phoenix Mendoza y véanse enfrentados a lo triste, a los asqueroso y a lo sublime.

[Freddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been thinking on how to rate and review this collection of short stories. There is an inherent complexity to rating/reviewing an anthology, because inevitably there will be stories that resonate more and stories that resonate less, but I want to try anyways.

There are a few things that are true about this collection:
- The stories all showcase craftmanship and artistry. I feel like the stories encapsulate Phoenix' range as a writer, with the different POVs, the different atmospheres, and yet the clear overarching themes that ring true throughout all the different narratives
- The stories all made me feel things. Not all those feelings were welcome or appreciated, but nevertheless, none of the stories had (absolute) zero impact on me, which for an anthology bordering on horror, seems like it achieves its goal.

My favorites from this anthology are:
- the titular story, Salivation, which was haunting and beautiful. I love me a monster falling in love with its prey and yet being unable to change its monstrous nature. It made me feel forlorn.
- Blackbird, which I read on my commute to work and whose oppresive nature left me with a heavy weight on my chest that stayed the whole day
- Jonah's Joyworld, because who am I not to fall for a religious themepark in disrepair (metaphor for my own religious upbringing??)

Now, in the interest of transparancy, this book did give me a nightmare about someone puking in my mouth, which I could have done without, not going to lie. But I suppose that does show that these stories get under your skin and stay there, which, once again, is I think exactly what they are supposed to do.

[teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a stunning collection that arrests and entrances and leaves the reader hungering for more. there is horror within the self and horror that exists beyond ourselves and the stories take on both concepts and beautifully renders them: characters grapple with loss, with fatal embarrassments, with missed opportunities, with the desire to be loved and seen. real and harrowing and memorable enough to burrow under your skin! phoenix is an excellent writer and delves into the genre with bravery and honesty! i’ll be reading this collection till i memorize the stories word for word!

[🫀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spoiler free review aimed directly at the person scanning reviews trying to decide whether or not to buy this book.

I am a horror girlie at heart, but I have had a hard time finding recent horror releases I enjoy. I tend to get burned hard by the new books on the block everyone raves about. Maybe it’s the romantic in me that remembers how exciting it was to wait on the next book from *that* author as a kid or maybe it’s the part of me that refuses to learn, but I still want to try new horror books anyway. That being said I am quite cautious about the new horror books I try. I bought this because it looked totally different, and I’m happy I did. I really dig the prose, and I’m still thinking about some of the characters and symbols. My personal favorite three stories in this collection are The Rockstar, Blackbird, and Absolute Zero. I certainly plan to follow Phoenix Mendoza’s work around like a little puppy dog for the foreseeable future. So if you’re like me and have a hard time finding contemporary horror you like, I’d say give it a try. And if you aren’t like me and have oodles of new horror books you love, I still say give it a try, you have nothing to loose.

I do think that I should note for you, reader on the brink of a decision, that this book doesn’t quite fit comfortably on the horror shelf. It doesn’t fit comfortably on any shelf. So if you are considering this buying this book for horror reasons, I think your satisfaction will depend on what you want to get out of the genre. If you want easy, safe genre thrills, this probably isn’t for you. It goes into territory a lot of other books are afraid to. If you want “extreme” horror/crazy splatterpunk, this probably isn’t for you either. I mean, this book absolutely gets gross (one story made me physically gag, have fun guessing which one), but it’s never for ultraviolent “scoop out her eyes and staple them to her liver” reasons. If what you want is to spend time fixated on the clawing, damaged hearts of the obsessive and oh so lonely, then I think this is the book of stories for you.

Also it’s quite gay, if that’s a deciding factor for you.

Anyway I hope I have helped you make your choice. I hope you have a lovely day! 🥰

[Ramsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read!

I loved going into each of the stories with no idea where the story is going to go because yess to not knowing what I might encounter when I read something. I need more of that! Phoenix is a master at any POV she writes in. Each story was in the perfect POV for it. Every single story is a masterpiece, they are so different but also have the same thread going through them. And now here is one sentence about each story (although that's not enough to describe how incredible they are or what they made me feel. You just have to read them to feel it and to get it).

The Rockstar is such a phenomenal beginning. Salivation is the perfect titular story, and really captures the essence of the anthology. Jonahs joyworld, gave me that feeling in my stomach that something terrifying is going to happen. Blackbird is one i cannot stop thinking about. Can something be gross horrifying erotic and give you second hand embarrassment at the same time because Feeze is that in the best way. The Place is so lovely and magical and bittersweet. Prodigal Son is the most Phoenix Core (obviously all of them are but i feel like this is the best way to describe this one), just so hot and horrifying and mortifying and dark. The King of Hearts is nostalgic and sad and full of love and loss. Absolute Zero is such a perfect ending to the anthology and really brings it together.

I loved it a lot. I cannot wait to pick the book up to read again and again. And I cannot wait for more from Phoenix!

(Repost of my review on barnesandnoble.com)

[Grace Halsell-Vore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoenix is a friend of mine, so my review will be biased. I ordered Salivation right when it came out, and only just finished it. It took me forever because several of the stories are so unsettling and disgusting that I couldn't get through them until now. I can't pick a favorite (I lied it's either the Rockstar or Salivation), although I can pick a least favorite: Absolute Zero. The final story is long, heart wrenching, painful, and disgusting. It's well written but made me want to bleach myself. Feeze! also hinges on disgust, but it's funny as hell.

Here's the thing with Salivation: the point isn't to gross you out, but you will inevitably be disgusted. I can imagine Phoenix picking apart a rotting animal corpse and pointing out how beautiful the maggots are while you're hunched behind a tree trying not to puke your guts out. That's the feeling of reading this book. She has long bitched about horror novels not having any teeth, so she decided to make a book with teeth that are long, sharp, and decaying. You can smell them from a mile away. Her writing is poignant, raw, beautiful, and sharp. You will feel many things reading these stories: a vast aching loneliness, the sharp pain of isolation, and a gut churning need to vomit.

I bring up vomit so much because there's a story about puke. It's nasty.

I couldn't rate this 5/5 because it was too gross, it gets 4/5.

Don't read this while eating lunch. It won't go well.

[Helianthus · Rating 4 out of 5]

☕️ This collection of short stories had me in a chokehold from the first few pages. There is something so fascinating about the trajectory of some of these stories which I loved. There was no way I could predict anything which made for interesting reading.
☕️ I will say that there is a lot to these stories. You can almost reach in to the configuration of these words and run your fingers through the letters. Mendoza’s prose is vivid and visceral in the best way possible. These stories can be disturbing though, but in such a way that is so real and recognisable, and quite wonderful!
☕️ Through this collection Mendoza explores themes of human connection, hunger, and desire, and the points where they interconnect. The characters don’t shy away from curiosity or desire, making the narrative quite intense in places. This doesn’t take away from the few more gentle moments in these stories.

☕️ I recommend this collection of short stories to anyone looking for something to truely sink their teeth into. You can’t help but give Mendoza’s words your full attention, something this collection completely deserves. There are some trigger warnings for this book that you can find through Phoenix Mendoza’s instagram.

☕️ You can also find my interview with the wonderful Phoenix through my ‘Indie Author Spotlight’ highlight on my instagram@writingsby.anna or though the @teaandbookspress instagram

[Jessica Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know where to begin about how much I loved this book. Every story was so visceral, haunting, devastating, and profound. It takes true talent to turn something disgusting into something beautiful, something painful into something desired, something perverse into something erotic, and Phoenix does this immaculately over and over again with each story. The themes of loneliness and hunger permeate each entry so well and in such unique ways, and these notions resonate so deeply with the reader even when the book is at its most absurd or arcane. It can be so hard to effectively capture the depth of a complex person in a short-story modality, but the author does this so well and manages to make each character unique, compelling, believable, and deeply empathetic, even when at their lowest points. I devoured this book every night. I looked forward to going to bed so I could read the next story. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. If you want a a delicious nine course meal that will leave you feeling forever altered, this is the book for you. A book that makes you peel back the layers and peer at your wiggling insides. A potent, tender, mix of body horror and erotica, that's so unapologetic and vulnerable in it's queerness and it's otherness and it's weirdness and disgust. You want to shy away but at the same time you're drawn in like as moth to a flame. The anthology format makes for a very fun read; you never know what's coming next but you know it's gonna be so good. It's such a delight. I cannot wait to read what Phoenix comes up with next.

[Molly 👻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depraved, uncomfortable stories written with finesse. I'm going to come back and add some thoughts for each story but I enjoyed this anthology!

[Mindra B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, written really well, delivers on every story