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Misplaced
In an alternate reality where body parts are as easily changed as clothing, what happens when things go missing?
Nan chases down a stranger to return a missing mouth and finds themselves in the coat-strewn apartment of a makeshift family: Jessica, a charismatic older woman, her adopted son Adam, and Reena, the icy-eyed enigma Nan does their best to avoid.
As rumours of stolen parts and illegal brain tampering hang over the city, Nan and Jessica investigate the origin of the disembodied fingers left at their doorstep. The more they uncover, the more Nan realizes that their body and their memories might not be their own - and Reena's mysterious past may be the key.
Will Nan be able to figure out which bits of themselves to trust, or will it all go to pieces?
Nan chases down a stranger to return a missing mouth and finds themselves in the coat-strewn apartment of a makeshift family: Jessica, a charismatic older woman, her adopted son Adam, and Reena, the icy-eyed enigma Nan does their best to avoid.
As rumours of stolen parts and illegal brain tampering hang over the city, Nan and Jessica investigate the origin of the disembodied fingers left at their doorstep. The more they uncover, the more Nan realizes that their body and their memories might not be their own - and Reena's mysterious past may be the key.
Will Nan be able to figure out which bits of themselves to trust, or will it all go to pieces?
- GenresHorror
254 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2024
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Brittni Brinn
9 books21 followersBrittni Brinn writes from a tower and sometimes a cottage in Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia. Their stories appear in At the Lighthouse (Eibonvale Press), Your Flight Has Been Cancelled (Little Ghosts Books), and more! Her weird novella Misplaced is currently available through Little Ghosts Books. Brittni holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Windsor and worked in theatre for many years. Their interests include rocks kicked up by the ocean, books from friends, and comfortable sweaters.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 11, 2025
This book reminded me of the scene in Blue Velvet where Kyle MacLachlan finds the severed ear on the ground; Misplaced suggests what that movie could have been if he’d kept finding disembodied parts all over the place.
Set in an alternate world where limbs, facial features, and internal organs pop out as easily as doll parts, Misplaced has a noir-ish plot but a tone that’s entirely unique. On the surface, it’s a sci-fi setting, but one that doesn’t even pay lip service to plausibility; people’s foreheads open like cupboards for brain surgery, ears can be peeled off whenever someone desires a moment of quiet. As a result, the story is never bogged down by technobabble or protracted surgery and recovery sequences.
(I really like Brittni Brinn’s prose style - the ease and simplicity of the organ removals are contrasted by the intricate detail she uses to describe everyday occurrences - simple actions like removing snowy boots, sun beams streaming through windows are captured with a high level of attention and care).
The light body horror is sometimes disturbing (capturing the unease of existing in a body that’s not quite right) but rarely gory (the exception being a breathtaking death scene that reminded me of Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”). The real terror comes from a brain-tampering subplot; Brinn combines dream sequences, flashbacks, and alternating POVs to create a sense of psychological disorientation, sometimes making the reader question just whose mind we’re really in.
The book is populated by an offbeat ensemble cast, characters who instantly make an impression and deepen in complexity as the book goes on. Even the heroes have their foibles; Jessica Fit, a mother figure to the protagonist, has moments of paranoia and anger. You can rarely predict what the characters are going to do; combined with a strategic balance of revelation and secrecy, it makes for a very compelling mystery.
Set in an alternate world where limbs, facial features, and internal organs pop out as easily as doll parts, Misplaced has a noir-ish plot but a tone that’s entirely unique. On the surface, it’s a sci-fi setting, but one that doesn’t even pay lip service to plausibility; people’s foreheads open like cupboards for brain surgery, ears can be peeled off whenever someone desires a moment of quiet. As a result, the story is never bogged down by technobabble or protracted surgery and recovery sequences.
(I really like Brittni Brinn’s prose style - the ease and simplicity of the organ removals are contrasted by the intricate detail she uses to describe everyday occurrences - simple actions like removing snowy boots, sun beams streaming through windows are captured with a high level of attention and care).
The light body horror is sometimes disturbing (capturing the unease of existing in a body that’s not quite right) but rarely gory (the exception being a breathtaking death scene that reminded me of Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”). The real terror comes from a brain-tampering subplot; Brinn combines dream sequences, flashbacks, and alternating POVs to create a sense of psychological disorientation, sometimes making the reader question just whose mind we’re really in.
The book is populated by an offbeat ensemble cast, characters who instantly make an impression and deepen in complexity as the book goes on. Even the heroes have their foibles; Jessica Fit, a mother figure to the protagonist, has moments of paranoia and anger. You can rarely predict what the characters are going to do; combined with a strategic balance of revelation and secrecy, it makes for a very compelling mystery.
February 16, 2025
What a fantastic unique read. Easily my favourite book of the year. Misplaced explores consumerism, capitalism, dysmorphia and identity—and how much of our identity is tied up in our parts. This was a fascinating, tender read with found family, diverse cultures and terrifying cults. Are you the sum of all your pieces? Can you trust your senses? Is that alienation you feel from your family and your job manufactured or real? Brittni digs into all these questions with eloquence. This was a fascinating novella with gorgeous prose. Absolute banger. You need this on your TBR pile folks. It’s unlikely anything else I’ve read this year!
June 4, 2025
I wanted to like this book. I enjoy the premise and world, but felt the prose was chunky and hard to read at times, the story disjointed. I felt most topics of interest were merely acknowledged and not deeply explored and overall i was left wanting so much more out of this book.
November 19, 2024
The world building and characters in this book are fantastic! My only problem is the ending felt a little flat.
April 7, 2025
I love this weird, sci-fi, neo-noir novel so much! Great characters, interesting story, and plot twists aplenty make it a quick, enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews