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Finis.
Elsa’s family grows more unkind by the week. Her boss, a seven-foot-tall rage demon, has control of everything but his anger. And her cat wants to eat her. Things could be better.
In a world where one’s Animal Affinity is a sign of maturity and worth, Elsa’s inability to demonstrate hers is becoming more than a disappointing nuisance; it’s becoming a danger. She has no confidence she’ll ever conquer her Plainness by “blossoming.” She also fears both the wolf packs that prowl her neighborhood and being stuck in a life plummeting rapidly from lackluster to perilous. Fortunately, she has a cousin and a co-worker who know her better than she knows herself and can see through to what society won’t.
FINIS. is the magic realism of our time, a story of finding one’s way to the end of things, of persevering through the dregs of life to discover something more.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR FINIS.:
"It's not often I get that viscerally emotional on behalf of a fictional character. In a setting of overt fantasy, Angélique Jamail has created some of the most real people I've encountered via text in a long time." -- Ari Marmell (author of HOT LEAD, COLD IRON)
“A silver vein of irony runs through Angélique Jamail’s fantastic Finis. It is a witty tale of conformity, prejudice, and transformation, in a world that is disturbing as much for its familiarity as for its strangeness. In a place where everyone is different, Elsa is the wrong kind of different, and that means facing pity, discrimination, danger, and sharp teeth. Dive into this story, readers, and confront them for yourself; it may just change the way you feel about things…” -- Marie Marshall (author of THE EVERYWHEN ANGELS)
In a world where one’s Animal Affinity is a sign of maturity and worth, Elsa’s inability to demonstrate hers is becoming more than a disappointing nuisance; it’s becoming a danger. She has no confidence she’ll ever conquer her Plainness by “blossoming.” She also fears both the wolf packs that prowl her neighborhood and being stuck in a life plummeting rapidly from lackluster to perilous. Fortunately, she has a cousin and a co-worker who know her better than she knows herself and can see through to what society won’t.
FINIS. is the magic realism of our time, a story of finding one’s way to the end of things, of persevering through the dregs of life to discover something more.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR FINIS.:
"It's not often I get that viscerally emotional on behalf of a fictional character. In a setting of overt fantasy, Angélique Jamail has created some of the most real people I've encountered via text in a long time." -- Ari Marmell (author of HOT LEAD, COLD IRON)
“A silver vein of irony runs through Angélique Jamail’s fantastic Finis. It is a witty tale of conformity, prejudice, and transformation, in a world that is disturbing as much for its familiarity as for its strangeness. In a place where everyone is different, Elsa is the wrong kind of different, and that means facing pity, discrimination, danger, and sharp teeth. Dive into this story, readers, and confront them for yourself; it may just change the way you feel about things…” -- Marie Marshall (author of THE EVERYWHEN ANGELS)
- GenresFantasy
80 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2014
279 people want to read
About the author
Angélique Jamail
10 books34 followersAngélique Jamail is a Lebanese-American author whose poetry, short fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals, including Synkroniciti, Equinox, New Reader Magazine, Waxwing, The Milk of Female Kindness, Femmeliterate, Literary Mama, and others, and her poetry has been featured on the radio. Her work has been nominated for Best Small Fictions and Best of the Net (for essay), has been a finalist for the New Letters Prize in Poetry, and has won various essay contests. The first time she read one of her stories to an audience was fourth grade; it was a character-building experience. Her novelette Finis. (Odeon Press), first published in 2014, has been praised by fiction writer Ari Marmell as having “some of the most real people I’ve encountered via text in a long time,” and by poet Marie Marshall as “a witty tale of conformity, prejudice, and transformation, in a world that is disturbing as much for its familiarity as for its strangeness.” Her poetry collection The Sharp Edges of Water came out in 2018, and Homecoming, a standalone follow-up to Finis., in 2020, both from Odeon Press. Her novella A Narrowing Path will be published by Memento Vivere Press in 2025. She is the Creative Writing Director at The Kinkaid School in Houston and began serving on the Board of Directors for Mutabilis Press in December 2019. She’s also the creator of the popular zine Sonic Chihuahua. Find her online at her blog Sappho’s Torque and on social media.
website: www.AngeliqueJamail.com
blog: www.SapphosTorque.com
IG: angeliquejamail
Facebook: Angélique Jamail, Author
BlueSky: @angeliquejamail.bsky.social
website: www.AngeliqueJamail.com
blog: www.SapphosTorque.com
IG: angeliquejamail
Facebook: Angélique Jamail, Author
BlueSky: @angeliquejamail.bsky.social
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 26, 2016
To read our review, please visit our website, DuelingLibrarians.net
February 23, 2016
Finis. tells the tale of Elsa, an unremarkable person in a world where, in large part, people develop a preternatural "animal affinity." Because of her lack of animalistic tendencies, she has a raging boss who is increasingly cruel to her, family members who are cold to her at best, and to make matters worse, roaming gangs are targeting those who are older and yet still have not produced an affinity. Elsa worries that rather than being a late bloomer, she will never gain an animal affinity at all and remain ostracized or even menaced for the rest of her life. Will some odd physical occurrences turn into a full-blown affinity, or is Elsa doomed to be an outcast?
Finis. was my first free-standing novella - not provided as part of a collection of short stories. Prior to this, novellas seemed to me to be either short stories that were in dire need of editing, or novels that needed to be fleshed out, and so I tended to avoid them. After Finis however, that opinion has changed. Jamail's work is lovely in that it is the perfect amount of text. There is nothing extraneous here; every sentence is one that furthers the story. And yet despite the quick read I wasn't left feeling as though I had missed something. The story is full - the reader has a strong sense of Elsa's life. We see her struggle through varying waves of animosity and pity from acquaintances and friends, feel her bounce from ennui to despair to grim determination, and hear her inner strength wax and wane. Honestly, this is some of the most intimate knowledge of a main character that I have ever read.
Though the story was complete in and of itself, I do wish that Jamail would revisit the world she's created for a longer-length novel. Such a novel would not need to be about Elsa (as I said, this story is fully realized and does not necessarily need to be revisited), but there are a lot of interesting aspects to work with here. The world of animal affinities - how did it begin? Are these mutations? How did the youths running in the gangs end up with an almost Nazi-like attitude towards individuals who did not develop an affinity? Might there be communities of non-animalistic individuals living out their days in hiding, and what would those communities look like? What are the strongest affinities, and do they inevitably end up in positions of power? I had a plethora of ideas about this world, which just goes to show the work Jamail put into developing a complete concept in a short amount of pages.
On the whole, I would recommend Finis. to any reader who enjoys magical realism, fantasy, short stories, or well-drawn portraits of inner turmoil with a slight nod to wit every now and then. Jamail is a poet, apparently, and poetry is not generally my cup of tea (with a few noted exceptions). However, if she writes another novella or novel, I will be sure to make space for it on my to-read shelf.
November 10, 2014
You know how some people remind you of, or even resemble animals? In the world Jamail creates in this short but intense and fully-imagined novella, people are part-animal, or at least manifest Animal Affinities that are taken to be not just signs of their maturation into adults but also the fullest realization of selfhood. And Elsa doesn't have one. People without this quality--Plain Ones, like her--"will never reach their full potential, never understand the world in a complex way, never fully mature."
It's a powerful metaphor, and a fully-developed one throughout. Elsa's Plainness is a source of tension and disapproval from her immediate family, with her only ally being her cousin Gerard, and leaves her stuck in a job she detests with a boss who hates her, and who, as a seven-foot rage monster (it's not clear what his Animal Affinity is, but it's something predatory) presents a danger to more than her economic security. Worse, there is a larger social prejudice against Plains that manifests in horrible attacks taking place in her (poor, ghettoish) neighborhood by roaming wolf packs, whose illiterate graffiti offers a new and disturbing charge to the animal symbolism and identification of physical difference as evidence of one's level of "humanity." Even more intriguing are the mythical creatures scattered throughout the landscape--a centaur in the first chapter, trimming the hedge in his yard--and the elusive hints about other animal affinities makes for fun guessing throughout: is Gerard a seal or something else? And just what animal is Lois from work, with her orange eyes and copper hair and strong bond with cats, manifesting?
Aside from the larger and more interesting questions surfaced throughout by the magical elements of this world, Jamail's fine prose and swift, tense pacing as Elsa's troubles continue to magnify and unfold offers the reader real, relevant interest. It's a pleasure to see buried hints and motifs along the way flower into their full meaning once Elsa finally emerges from her struggle to find peace with herself. At once a powerful allegory about difference and a charming story about self-realization, Jamail's book satisfies on several levels and renders up such vivid imagery that the reader isn't quite prepared to leave that world behind, even when the story reaches its satisfying end.
It's a powerful metaphor, and a fully-developed one throughout. Elsa's Plainness is a source of tension and disapproval from her immediate family, with her only ally being her cousin Gerard, and leaves her stuck in a job she detests with a boss who hates her, and who, as a seven-foot rage monster (it's not clear what his Animal Affinity is, but it's something predatory) presents a danger to more than her economic security. Worse, there is a larger social prejudice against Plains that manifests in horrible attacks taking place in her (poor, ghettoish) neighborhood by roaming wolf packs, whose illiterate graffiti offers a new and disturbing charge to the animal symbolism and identification of physical difference as evidence of one's level of "humanity." Even more intriguing are the mythical creatures scattered throughout the landscape--a centaur in the first chapter, trimming the hedge in his yard--and the elusive hints about other animal affinities makes for fun guessing throughout: is Gerard a seal or something else? And just what animal is Lois from work, with her orange eyes and copper hair and strong bond with cats, manifesting?
Aside from the larger and more interesting questions surfaced throughout by the magical elements of this world, Jamail's fine prose and swift, tense pacing as Elsa's troubles continue to magnify and unfold offers the reader real, relevant interest. It's a pleasure to see buried hints and motifs along the way flower into their full meaning once Elsa finally emerges from her struggle to find peace with herself. At once a powerful allegory about difference and a charming story about self-realization, Jamail's book satisfies on several levels and renders up such vivid imagery that the reader isn't quite prepared to leave that world behind, even when the story reaches its satisfying end.
February 26, 2016
Being one of the few "Plain" people in a world run by magical shapeshifters, can be a real drag, and this is exactly where Elsa finds herself. Subject to discrimination and prejudice from her family, her boss, her apartment building manager, even her cat Jonas has it out for her, Elsa is less than stoked about life. In this sea of endless intolerance, Elsa's only advocate is her cousin, Gerard, who has the animalistic qualities of a sea urchin. Then, quite suddenly, she strikes up a friendship with a coworker who also appears to show no signs of magical abilities. Lois is sweet and patient, hell, even the evil Jonas likes her.
The crux of the Angelique Jamail's book revolves around Elsa's fear of water. Her fear is a holdover from her childhood, a particular sore point for her family. When her parents throw an inaugural pool party, Elsa is obligated to go and participate, yet when she arrives, she is subjected to her family's wrath at turning up late. Because of her “Plain” status, Elsa can do nothing right in the eyes of her parents and perfect sister.
In addition to water being a subject of fear for Elsa, it is also the catalyst to the crescendo of the story, but not in the way I expected. While some of the book is predictable, the way in which it comes to its conclusion was a bit of a surprise.
This was a hard review for me to write. Finis. is more of a novella than a full-fledged novel, and I kept running the risk of giving key details away. Overall, I enjoyed this well-paced urban fantasy. I was a bit thrown by the present tense narration, but I always am when reading. I feel books and short stories are being told now, but about past events, hence, they should be written in the past tense. It's a personal irk, and didn't take too much away from the story for me.
If you have an afternoon to spare, and are looking for a light, fun read, I suggest Jamail's Finis. The characters were well rounded and had unique voices, there are fun themes that slowly reveal themselves, and Jamail's world is interesting.
The crux of the Angelique Jamail's book revolves around Elsa's fear of water. Her fear is a holdover from her childhood, a particular sore point for her family. When her parents throw an inaugural pool party, Elsa is obligated to go and participate, yet when she arrives, she is subjected to her family's wrath at turning up late. Because of her “Plain” status, Elsa can do nothing right in the eyes of her parents and perfect sister.
In addition to water being a subject of fear for Elsa, it is also the catalyst to the crescendo of the story, but not in the way I expected. While some of the book is predictable, the way in which it comes to its conclusion was a bit of a surprise.
This was a hard review for me to write. Finis. is more of a novella than a full-fledged novel, and I kept running the risk of giving key details away. Overall, I enjoyed this well-paced urban fantasy. I was a bit thrown by the present tense narration, but I always am when reading. I feel books and short stories are being told now, but about past events, hence, they should be written in the past tense. It's a personal irk, and didn't take too much away from the story for me.
If you have an afternoon to spare, and are looking for a light, fun read, I suggest Jamail's Finis. The characters were well rounded and had unique voices, there are fun themes that slowly reveal themselves, and Jamail's world is interesting.
April 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this short story, it's well written and "complete", something that is sometimes difficult to achieve in few pages. For me it was like reading about the struggles that so many people (included me) have/had to face in life, only represented by fantastic creatures. You can just read it as a fantasy story or your can "read" so much more into it. Personally, it left me thinking all day (not all books have this effect on me) and I mean it as a compliment, it makes me want to discuss the story with someone.
If you are looking for a short interesting story I really recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you are looking for a short interesting story I really recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2015
This is a deceptively quick read about the struggle to find and shape identity in a modern world. In this particular modern world, humans find identity in the animal qualities they exhibit, usually beginning in puberty. And if they don't exhibit the traits of a walrus, rhino, or giraffe? Well, nothing is worse than being Plain, except for owning a disgruntled cat.
Finis follows its young heroine Elsa on a painful journey of self-discovery, complicated by her imperious family, rage monster boss, and, of course, her excruciating plainness. The story takes Elsa through some dark places of the soul. If suicide has impacted a reader's life, as it has mine, they should tread lightly, though the author dealt with the topic with wisdom and care. The end (spoiler alert) hints at the redemption in finding identity through struggle and self-realization rather than status. In the end I wondered if this is truly the finis of the story or simply the first journey into this world.
Finis follows its young heroine Elsa on a painful journey of self-discovery, complicated by her imperious family, rage monster boss, and, of course, her excruciating plainness. The story takes Elsa through some dark places of the soul. If suicide has impacted a reader's life, as it has mine, they should tread lightly, though the author dealt with the topic with wisdom and care. The end (spoiler alert) hints at the redemption in finding identity through struggle and self-realization rather than status. In the end I wondered if this is truly the finis of the story or simply the first journey into this world.
November 7, 2017
Angélique Jamail describes her characters with such poetic verse, it's difficult to distinguish this short novel from fairy-tale. Elsa's troubles resonate with myself personally. The constant pressure for one's "Animal Affinity" in Finis is much like the process for finding one's self in the real world.
I would have loved to see more characters drawn by the illustrator Lauren Taylor. Imagine a portrait of Lois! Aside from wishing Elsa's Animal Affinity was what she initially though it to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this Goodreads Giveaway win!
Thank you for a delightful read, Angélique!
I would have loved to see more characters drawn by the illustrator Lauren Taylor. Imagine a portrait of Lois! Aside from wishing Elsa's Animal Affinity was what she initially though it to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this Goodreads Giveaway win!
Thank you for a delightful read, Angélique!
April 17, 2019
I received this book a long time ago via Goodreads giveaway and completely forgot about it.
I enjoy this short story, but it had potentiel to be better. I enjoyed that even if it's fantastic world, a lots of reflexions can be make about our reality. After the reading, I tought about how society threat different people and even if we do it unconsciously it can be really difficult to live with it. Unfortunately, too much still without answer and I don't personally like when it's the case, but I know people like it.
I enjoy this short story, but it had potentiel to be better. I enjoyed that even if it's fantastic world, a lots of reflexions can be make about our reality. After the reading, I tought about how society threat different people and even if we do it unconsciously it can be really difficult to live with it. Unfortunately, too much still without answer and I don't personally like when it's the case, but I know people like it.
May 12, 2016
Jamail takes a classic story and puts a fresh and unique twist on it in Finis! She writes in a very straightforward prose, which when peppered with the magical realism of Finis, creates an interesting juxtaposition of styles. I most appreciate how real some of these characters are, and I was amazed at how Jamail played with my emotions with such a brief story. I eagerly await the next installment!
August 5, 2015
A lovely coming-of-age story about a young woman who is struggling to realize who she is meant to be. It captures the struggle many post-college graduates face trying to find a career they'll be happy in, but with a beautiful supernatural allegory. Jamail paints a fascinating world, and I look forward to reading more books of hers!
June 14, 2018
This is a beautiful adventure into magical realism. Elsa's world isn't different from our own, and her role in it is painfully real for too many. But that ache to find your place in a world that just won't have you...well, that is wonderfully portrayed here. Thank you Angelique, this story will stick with me.
August 10, 2023
I loved this book! It is so imaginative and beautifully written! With its quirky imagery and mystical aura, it is a most unusual story with something to say about the perils of growing up in a society that encourages conformity. A most unusual read!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews