Screaming Down Splitsville

by Kayla Bashe

Mute from birth, Emma-Rose grew up half-wild in the Southern backwoods- until strangers discovered her magical powers and imprisoned her in a laboratory of torture. Her one salvation was the woman in the next cell, Strawberry Auden. Now Strawberry's returned, and according to her, they'll both make it to safety. But Emma's plans have failed so many times that she has no hope left to lose.
As the two women seek to evade their pursuers, their friendship rekindles, and they are forced to confront both enemies and insecurities.

Genres: LGBT, Fantasy, Romance, Short Stories, Lesbian, Young Adult, Science Fiction

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 23, 2016

Reviews

[Shira Glassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Heaven, Emma decided, was being held by someone who cared enough to wake up when you cried."

Screaming Down Splitsville is a fast-paced adventure about lovable, nurturing butch lesbian with superpowers (Flip) who thinks her abilities aren't as good as the other mutants', rescuing the girl (Emma) who used to be imprisoned beside her in one of those "oppress the mutants" facilities. I love the "alternate 1950's" aesthetic. I love the "girls falling in love while one rescues the other" plot. I love how it takes disturbing topics like imprisonment and abuse and manages to get a fluffy love story out of it. I love the affirming descriptions of the rescuer's chubbiness.

I mean, goddammit, look at this gorgeous prose:

Once Emma had read a book about soldiers taken prisoner in wars overseas, how they'd developed enduring friendships by surreptitiously whispering through the cracks of their cells. That was how she always thought about the girl in the next cell, the one who never wept, who sang jitterbugs and show ballads to soothe Emma's wordless cries. Even though the prisoners ate a near-starvation diet there was still a heft and solidity to her body that spoke of incredible softness and strength: you can't erase me. I remain.

We get a familiar Bashe trope/theme of two queer people convinced they're not awesome enough for their friend to return their romantic feelings, but it's believable and gently-played. We also get a car chase with magic instead of the usual gunshots, which is fun. I love the little worldbuilding details like the MC fretting over whether it's culturally appropriate to greet visiting fairy dignitaries with a clean floor or a floor covered in scattered leaves, adding a SFF sparkle to something familiar like worrying over foreign customs. And I love the overarching message, that abusers want you to give up and have no hope but the best thing that you can do to free yourself is to resist.

So yes, read this if you want to read about superpowered girls escaping from hell into fluff-land.

[J.L. Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

SCREAMING DOWN SPLITSVILLE, aside from having the best title I've seen in a book this year, is a fun, quick read featuring two lesbian magic-users and their attempts to escape a mysterious organization that wants to suppress their powers for good.

WHAT I LOVED:

- The prose is incredibly poetic by times, and it really sings when it hits its stride near the end.
- The conflict is enticingly mysterious, and hints at a world much more complex than the part of it we see in this too short story.
- Emma, the main character who lacks the ability to speak due to a botched cleft palate surgery, is an incredibly sympathetic, genuine character. Her struggle to find a voice (literally and figuratively) is believable, and kept me reading until the ending.

WHAT I LIKED:

- The surreal alternate-universe 1950s aesthetic really kept this story from being a standard urban fantasy story.
- Flip, the story's other main character, is a very likable character and her struggles with butch invisibility and body image are presented in a very sympathetic, positive way.

OTHER THINGS:

- Although how it's possible for the characters to have magic is explained, I found the way the magic works somewhat confusing. There's a lot of cinematic-style description (characters "sense" and "feel" to do magic a lot), but it ultimately wasn't visual enough for me to really picture it.
- The ending comes really quickly, and I felt that Flip's ending was overshadowed by Emma's relatively triumphant one.

OVERALL:

A quick-reading urban fantasy with lesbians, featuring memorable characters and an engaging plot. Some of the world-building could be seen as confusing, but it doesn't hamper the fun, exciting tone of the book. Definitely recommended.

[Claudie Arseneault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big sucker for evil scientists and characters finding love/companionship while imprisoned and experimented upon (not a surprise to anyone who's read my book). AND I love Kayla Bashe's writing, so when I heard she now had a f/f take on this trope? Let's just say I was thrilled.

SCREAMING DOWN SPLITSVILLE didn't disappoint. I can't be properly eloquent tonight, but I had fun from beginning to end, want to send endless cuddles Emma's way, and am infinitely glad Flip is there for that. And while the book as a whole is a nice ride, the climax in particular is a piece of pure, intense writing. Loved it.

If anything, this novella's main problem is its shortness. Don't get me wrong, I love the short, sweet, and intense stories Bashe constantly puts out, but darn would I have loved to have *more* of this particular one.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of randomly received an ARC. there's your disclaimer. Also, I'm writing this on my phone so it's not gonna be super long.
I enjoyed so much about this. I found the world building intriguing, the villains villainous, and the girls *incoherent fangirl noises*. I think the thing that I liked best is that the balance of power between our girls was so well balanced. So often in stories across the genres the imbalance of power in relationships is just...accepted. I really dug that difference in the story. I definitely recommend it and I want to ask the author when I can expect more from this world.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute novelette. I loved the angstiness both characters felt over their attraction to the other; I found that very relatable. I also liked how Emma eventually found a technological adaptation to her inability to speak, instead of being 100% cured (though I find it odd that characters have psychic and healing powers, but no way to fix speech problems?) Scene transitions were a bit abrupt, and I would've liked to see more world building outside the facility too, but overall it was a very sweet look at two characters who have overcome a system determined to keep them down.

[Júlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet! I would read hundreds of pages about Flip and Emma.

[Bristol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter was interesting, teens with powers rounded up and experimented on in a dystopian 1950's universe, but so much of this book was left unanswered. It would have been fantastic fleshed out into a full length story, but there was not enough substance.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet story and my only complaint was that it wasn’t longer. Flip and Emma were the sweetest! I can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

(April 17th, 2016)

2,5*

A novel condensed into a short story.

There's a good story in here, the main characters are both symphatetic and likeable - but ultimately it lacks depth and believability. The setting (supposedly some kind of alt-1950s with magic) doesn't come to life and the central relationship develops literally in the course of two days.
I am an admirer of short-form writing, but not sure it works in this case.

There are things I liked - the author has an eye for tender little details that almost makes up for the lack of actual relationship development; I appreciate the fact that one of the MCs is unable to speak (at least vocally); the prose itself is fairly competent and conveys a certain kind of emotion quite well... but ultimately, it's just not enough to make up for the wasted potential. I feel this might be a case of an author liking their characters too much to bother trying to convince the reader, least of all a nitpicky one such as me.

So, the story remains rushed, straightforward, and somewhat confusing (especially transitioning form one scene to the next - I often had to re-read passages before realizing the characters had moved). There is little real conflict, and the stakes don't feel particulary high even when the MCs are fleeing for their lives, because the resolution is often so easy; there is not one but several instances where the girls are seconds away from being caught and unable to use their supernatural powers, before remembering that they literally have a bag full of pre-made spells just for situations like the ones they find themselves in. Problem: solved, reader: disappointed. Please make me care more. Please also don't expect me to believe that people recover from years of torture and re-conditioning as soon as they have someone holding their hand. (No, really.)

Please tell the story, not the outline.

I also wish the setting itself had been fleshed out more. I have no idea what sort of magic is used, save for the fact that it really comes in handy at times. More than that, though, there is not a lot to mark this as an alt-historical tale at all. Girls wear dresses, disabled and otherwise 'different' people are seen as lesser than, there's a mention of WWII - what's so different from our times?
Not much. Especially the ending feels out of place, and I quote: "Emma twiddled her fingers. At last she typed, 'I have something to tell you.---I like you a lot, as in romantic like. Wanting to date you and make out.'"

You said this is the 1950s? Yeah, I'm not sure I believe girl/girl relationships were no big deal. Also, I'm pretty sure portable speech-generating devices such as the one Emma gets to use weren't manufactured, let alone readily available, until decades later.

Not sure at all.

I'm left hoping there will eventually be a full-length novel set in this world. And for readers looking for a shorter piece with almost exactly the same starting point, I thought Angel Martinez did a much better job engaging the reader emotionally in Prisoner 374215 (although it's M/M). This one is... just sweet.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

"People always said it never hurt to ask, but Emma knew that admitting to wanting something was the quickest way to lose it."

Two girls with superpowers running away from an experimenting lab. This was a great short read and I felt really connected to the protagonists. Sad girls healing and finding hope is such a beautiful thing <3 Kayla just has a way with her words. If you ever wanted to read something X-men like with two girls kissing this is the book for you.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars


This is a very short story (about 35 pages), and is a lovely magical realism F/F with no erotic content and a disabled (mute) character. Kayla delivers some stunning emotional prose, and I really loved the main character, Flip.

But here's where this story went wrong for me:

- The summary on Amazon and other retailers did not remotely match the story itself.
- The review on other sites (including GR) is also bizarre... the story "takes place in an alternate 1950s where two groups of people with magical powers fight for dominance". And I.... did not pick up on this. At all. AU 1950s? I would never have known if I hadn't read that line. Two groups fighting for dominance? More like a group of evil scientists studying magic?
- The title. I had to google "Splitsville", because it wasn't a word that I'd ever heard before, and apparently it's slang for ending a romantic relationship. Again... not what the story is about.

Look, market this book for what it is, and the story is amazing. It's a YA/NA magical realism/fantasy about two young women whose paths cross while they're captured and being tortured to study their magical powers, and who reunite when Flip returns to the labs she escaped to rescue Emma. It's sweet, and emotional.

If it had been advertised simply as that, and the author had stuck to the heart of the story, I would have given this 3.5 or 4 stars. But the confusion, the sense of disappointment and false advertising? Makes me want to rank it much lower, sorry.

Read the full review on Just Love Romance .

[Christine Close · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mar 7 at 5:41 PM







Five Stars: f/f fantasy




I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.




I absolutely loved this very unique book.




At the start we are introduced to both Flip and Emma, Flip having little confidence but a great sense of humour, Emma desolate and broken. The tale soon picks up and becomes fast and furious as Flip rescues Emma. Then slowly things slow down as Flip tries to restore Emma. However the pace soon picks up again and once more moves at a frantic pace as the two try to make their escape.




After being captured the roles are quickly reversed as it is now Emma who has regained her self worth and takes care of both Emma and their protagonist.




This short novel is packed with so much intensity and excitement it almost leaves the reader breathless. The relationship between the two is a beacon of trusting each other and how one person can inspire another.




I enjoyed the metaphors which gave the tale colour and understanding. The humour was brilliant, I particularly liked the scene in the restaurant which had me laughing out loud.




The ending was tender and left the reader with a sense contentment.




All in all this book is different, it celebrates love and difference in a very positive and very readable way. I have not read anything by Ms Bashe before but I certainly will hope to rectify this. I feel this author has a very exclusive and gifted way of writing and I can heartily recommend this extraordinary short story.



[A.M. Leibowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast, fun read with a big heart. I love the characters and the setting, and the story held my interest all the way through. When I say it's a quick read, it really is---this can be read in a single sitting.

It did take me a bit to understand the world of the story. I'm not sure I'd have characterized it as an alternate 1950s if that hadn't been in the blurb, though I can certainly see it. I'm not sure that even matters; it's not a particularly important part of the story. Far more interesting is how the scientists brutally experiment on their subjects. I would love to see more about how the groups of people came to be at odds with each other and what will happen as a result.

I don't quite get the title or what it's a reference to. Maybe the war between the different groups of people? Once again, it isn't really relevant to whether or not it's a good story, but I'm still curious what it means.

As for the rest, it's delightful. There's plenty of excitement as the girls flee Emma-Rose's captors, some neat bits of magic, and a wonderfully accepting sanctuary waiting for them at the end of their journey. Sweet enough to be read by young adults but captivating enough to appeal to a wider range of people, this one's definitely a recommended read. What's not to like about strong young women getting the best of evil men in lab coats?

For an exciting road trip, excellent writing, and two strong main characters, this gets 4 stars.

**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review**

[Drey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn't the first book from Kayla Bashe that I read and I'm still in love with the way she tell her story. Her writing is beautiful and I'm impressed by how she can add such emotions in a short novella. It's intense and you care about these endearing girls. I was instantly hooked by the blurb because I like to read F/F specially when the author use an original world and I wasn't disappointed. You can easily picture it in your mind. Descriptions are well written and poetic. Maybe it's intense but some parts are cute and full of fluff. Flip is amazing with Emma and I'm still smiling while I'm writing this review. So if you want to read something short, fun and cute, it's a good one.

[Ariel Kalati · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: It's been a while since I read this book but I'm going back to do reviews for all the books I've read since 2018, so forgive any lapses of memory.

Short and sweet. A hurt/comfort fic compressed into a novella with magic powers. If you've got a little time to kill and you're craving f/f hurt/comfort but AO3 has no goddamn f/f on it, read this.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very cute. The world-building was a bit underdeveloped, as can happen with speculative fiction short stories, but I liked the characters.

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rep: lesbian mcs