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Cottonmouths
The alternate cover edition for this book can be found here.
This was Drear’s Bluff. Nothing bad happened here. People didn’t disappear.
College was supposed to be an escape for Emily Skinner. But after failing out of school, she’s left with no choice but to return to her small hometown in the Ozarks, a place run on gossip and good Christian values.
She’s not alone. Emily’s former best friend—and childhood crush—Jody Monroe is back with a baby. Emily can’t resist the opportunity to reconnect, despite the uncomfortable way things ended between them and her mom’s disapproval of their friendship. When Emily stumbles upon a meth lab on Jody’s property, she realizes just how far they’ve both fallen.
Emily intends to keep her distance from Jody, but when she’s kicked out of her house with no money and nowhere to go, a paying job as Jody’s live-in babysitter is hard to pass up. As they grow closer, Emily glimpses a future for the first time since coming home. She dismisses her worries; the meth is a means to an end. And besides, for Emily, Jody is the real drug.
But when Emily’s role in Jody’s business turns dangerous, her choices reveal grave consequences. As the lies pile up, Emily will learn just how far Jody is willing to go to save her own skin—and how much Emily herself has risked for the love of someone who may never truly love her back.
Echoing the work of authors like Daniel Woodrell and Sarah Waters, Cottonmouths is an unflinching story about the ways in which the past pulls us back . . . despite our best efforts to leave it behind.
This was Drear’s Bluff. Nothing bad happened here. People didn’t disappear.
College was supposed to be an escape for Emily Skinner. But after failing out of school, she’s left with no choice but to return to her small hometown in the Ozarks, a place run on gossip and good Christian values.
She’s not alone. Emily’s former best friend—and childhood crush—Jody Monroe is back with a baby. Emily can’t resist the opportunity to reconnect, despite the uncomfortable way things ended between them and her mom’s disapproval of their friendship. When Emily stumbles upon a meth lab on Jody’s property, she realizes just how far they’ve both fallen.
Emily intends to keep her distance from Jody, but when she’s kicked out of her house with no money and nowhere to go, a paying job as Jody’s live-in babysitter is hard to pass up. As they grow closer, Emily glimpses a future for the first time since coming home. She dismisses her worries; the meth is a means to an end. And besides, for Emily, Jody is the real drug.
But when Emily’s role in Jody’s business turns dangerous, her choices reveal grave consequences. As the lies pile up, Emily will learn just how far Jody is willing to go to save her own skin—and how much Emily herself has risked for the love of someone who may never truly love her back.
Echoing the work of authors like Daniel Woodrell and Sarah Waters, Cottonmouths is an unflinching story about the ways in which the past pulls us back . . . despite our best efforts to leave it behind.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
127 people are currently reading
3182 people want to read
About the author
Kelly J. Ford
5 books250 followersKelly J. Ford is the Anthony-nominated author of REAL BAD THINGS; COTTONMOUTHS, a Los Angeles Review Best Book of 2017; and THE HUNT. Kelly writes crime fiction set in the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley.
https://www.instagram.com/kellyjforda...
I dislike rating systems. If I like a book I give it 5 stars.
https://www.instagram.com/kellyjforda...
I dislike rating systems. If I like a book I give it 5 stars.
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September 6, 2017
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
I first heard of "Cottonmouths" after I came across my friend Ellen's review. After reading her review and the description of the book, I knew I had to read it.
Emily Skinner returns to her hometown after dropping out of college. She tells herself it's just temporary, just like the fast-food job she's taken but hasn't told her mother about. She's been back for about a month already. If she's honest with herself, she's already starting to worry that she'll never leave Drear's Bluff.
"Folks liked to slap their knees and joke that there are only two classes of people in Drear's Bluff: Poor and dirt poor"
Emily had heard that her old friend Jody was back in town too but until catching sight of her at a local truck stop she wasn't sure she believed the rumors. Now she wonders if the other rumors are also true. One day before she can stop herself she's driving along a familiar road. She tells herself to turn around and go back the way she came. But it's too late, because standing on the property right in front of her is.... Jody Monroe.
"Jody looked like she stepped out of a 90's photo-shoot with ink black, bed head hair and heavy-lidded eyes. Tall for a girl. Skinny. Pure heroin chic"
Jody invites her to stay for a visit at the same time warning her about the people already there. Immediately Emily recognizes a boy both her and Jody used to babysit. But Troy is nothing like the boy she remembers. Troy Barnett once a local football hero...destined for greatness. However, a knee injury and subsequent addiction to pain pills changed his destiny completely.
"Football injuries and unplanned pregnancies had killed the dreams of Drear's Bluff's youth for years"
What Emily doesn't understand is why he's hanging out with Jody. As the night goes on and both the party and Emily lose control, memories of the last time she saw Jody overtake her.
But Emily and Jody aren't in High School anymore. They've both changed. Then Emily comes across something that shocks her to her core.
"This is like the worst stereotype of the South come to life. All you need is a confederate flag over the fucking door"
Emily decides that maybe she should steer clear of Jody. But circumstances intervene and have her traveling that same road again. Emily struggles with old feelings as well as new ones. Memories and old aggravations start to come back in bits and pieces reminding her that some things never change.
How well can you really know someone? Can your feelings for them blind you to the truth even though there are red flags waving all around you? Sometimes wisdom comes with age but other times it takes being hit in the face with the truth a few times before you accept something that you may have...should have known all along. Though none of that makes accepting it any easier.
I was honestly hooked from page one. The authors descriptions of small town living are pure perfection. It's an unflinchingly honest and compelling read. The characters are so well-written...flaws and all.
The story pulled me in and didn't let go until I turned the last page after its shocking ending. "Cottonmouths" is story about love, loss, friendship, betrayal, desperation and so much more.
A fantastic debut novel from Kelly J. Ford. I can't wait for more!
Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and Kelly J. Ford for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
I first heard of "Cottonmouths" after I came across my friend Ellen's review. After reading her review and the description of the book, I knew I had to read it.
Emily Skinner returns to her hometown after dropping out of college. She tells herself it's just temporary, just like the fast-food job she's taken but hasn't told her mother about. She's been back for about a month already. If she's honest with herself, she's already starting to worry that she'll never leave Drear's Bluff.
"Folks liked to slap their knees and joke that there are only two classes of people in Drear's Bluff: Poor and dirt poor"
Emily had heard that her old friend Jody was back in town too but until catching sight of her at a local truck stop she wasn't sure she believed the rumors. Now she wonders if the other rumors are also true. One day before she can stop herself she's driving along a familiar road. She tells herself to turn around and go back the way she came. But it's too late, because standing on the property right in front of her is.... Jody Monroe.
"Jody looked like she stepped out of a 90's photo-shoot with ink black, bed head hair and heavy-lidded eyes. Tall for a girl. Skinny. Pure heroin chic"
Jody invites her to stay for a visit at the same time warning her about the people already there. Immediately Emily recognizes a boy both her and Jody used to babysit. But Troy is nothing like the boy she remembers. Troy Barnett once a local football hero...destined for greatness. However, a knee injury and subsequent addiction to pain pills changed his destiny completely.
"Football injuries and unplanned pregnancies had killed the dreams of Drear's Bluff's youth for years"
What Emily doesn't understand is why he's hanging out with Jody. As the night goes on and both the party and Emily lose control, memories of the last time she saw Jody overtake her.
But Emily and Jody aren't in High School anymore. They've both changed. Then Emily comes across something that shocks her to her core.
"This is like the worst stereotype of the South come to life. All you need is a confederate flag over the fucking door"
Emily decides that maybe she should steer clear of Jody. But circumstances intervene and have her traveling that same road again. Emily struggles with old feelings as well as new ones. Memories and old aggravations start to come back in bits and pieces reminding her that some things never change.
How well can you really know someone? Can your feelings for them blind you to the truth even though there are red flags waving all around you? Sometimes wisdom comes with age but other times it takes being hit in the face with the truth a few times before you accept something that you may have...should have known all along. Though none of that makes accepting it any easier.
I was honestly hooked from page one. The authors descriptions of small town living are pure perfection. It's an unflinchingly honest and compelling read. The characters are so well-written...flaws and all.
The story pulled me in and didn't let go until I turned the last page after its shocking ending. "Cottonmouths" is story about love, loss, friendship, betrayal, desperation and so much more.
A fantastic debut novel from Kelly J. Ford. I can't wait for more!
Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and Kelly J. Ford for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
December 31, 2017
You know that feeling when you see a book that you KNOW is the one for you?
This is one of those books for me. I saw it many months appear on GR and keptstalking waiting for it. I had really high hopes for it. Then I got denied for it. I whined to everyone that would listen without telling me to shut up with my first world problems. Okay, so I whined to the ones that told me that also.
Then finally I threw all the craps to the wind and resorted to a different avenue.
Not only for myself but for one of my besties since she had a birthday coming. I have zero shames. She and that boar will cut someone in their sleep.
I need to shut up rambling because now the police are looking for me to serve that restraining order.
Emily has returned home to the small town of Drear's Bluff. She and her Christian Values mother aren't telling the story of how Emily dropped out of college after failing a few classes. That would not look good in the town of "let me one up you's"..something else that wouldn't go over real good in that town is Emily's yearnings for her former best friend Jody.
But guess who else is back in town? Jody is back and has a baby attached to her hip. She has way more going on than Emily bargained for. Including that little meth den in the chicken house.
Now ask yourself before you get all judgy on some meth stuff...have you ever really yearned for something so badly that nothing else in your whole life could enter into the picture. Image taking that and putting it into some of the most spare, beautiful words that you have held in your hands in years.
That's this book.
Booksource: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. They didn't ask for anything because I think they were busy on the phone with the cops. We won't go into further comments because this could be evidence. I still loved this book.
This is one of those books for me. I saw it many months appear on GR and kept
Then finally I threw all the craps to the wind and resorted to a different avenue.
Not only for myself but for one of my besties since she had a birthday coming. I have zero shames. She and that boar will cut someone in their sleep.
I need to shut up rambling because now the police are looking for me to serve that restraining order.
Emily has returned home to the small town of Drear's Bluff. She and her Christian Values mother aren't telling the story of how Emily dropped out of college after failing a few classes. That would not look good in the town of "let me one up you's"..something else that wouldn't go over real good in that town is Emily's yearnings for her former best friend Jody.
But guess who else is back in town? Jody is back and has a baby attached to her hip. She has way more going on than Emily bargained for. Including that little meth den in the chicken house.
Now ask yourself before you get all judgy on some meth stuff...have you ever really yearned for something so badly that nothing else in your whole life could enter into the picture. Image taking that and putting it into some of the most spare, beautiful words that you have held in your hands in years.
That's this book.
Booksource: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. They didn't ask for anything because I think they were busy on the phone with the cops. We won't go into further comments because this could be evidence. I still loved this book.
January 18, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“How’d you get mixed up in all this anyway?”
“Same as you, I suppose.”
“You got student loan debt too?”
My advance apologies for the mess which you are about to receive. The second I first saw Cottonmouths went a lil’ summin’ like so . . . .
Alas, it was not meant to be and I was immediately denied the ARC. And then the pestering of the porny librarian began. I tried to get so many libraries to buy this in so many formats I got the interweb equivalent of a cease and desist message something kinda like “WE GET IT BITCH! STAHP ALREADY.”
I just couldn’t help myself, though. I mean, I live like the most generic, vanilla lifestyle of anyone in ‘Murica, so when I see a story like this, it allows me to fully embrace myinner outer Fat Amy . . .
To show just how amazing some humans are still capable of being, on Thursday night (which was my birthday eve) I got a text message from the Queen of the South telling me I needed to send my address to Kelly J. Ford because she was going to send me a copy of Cottonmouths. After making sure Ms. Ford wasn’t locked in a basement (or maybe a singlewide, since that would be more fitting to the situation) and I wasn’t either (1) going to be charged as an accessory after the fact or (2) need to wire some bail money pronto, I proceeded to run around the house screaming with glee like a lunatic.
Then my husband and children went out of town and I received word from the porny library that they are, in fact, terrified of me and a copy of Cottonmouths was waiting for me to come pick it up and OF COURSE I went ahead and got it instead of being patient because . . . .
I is one greedy heifer and I already had plans on spending the day avoiding the 116 degree heat by the pool, which I did and officially named “cooking with meth” . . . .
So there’s the long storyshort long of how when the mail came yesterday, this ended up happening . . . .
And also how even though I did get a free copy of this book, I was under absolutely zero obligation to pad my rating since I read the library copy instead.
I should probably talk about the book at least a smidgen at this point, huh?
Emily left town with high hopes of earning a college degree and never looking back. But when she flunks out and the collection agency comes sniffing around for her overdue student loan payments, Emily has no choice but to eat a big ol’ serving of crow and return to her hometown of Drear’s Bluff. When things go south between Emily and her parents, she’s left with no option but to turn to the last person she wanted to ask for help – her former best friend Jody who has become quiet the uhhhhhh entrepreneur . . . . .
“This is like the worst stereotype of the South come to life. All you need is a Confederate flag over the fucking door.”
I have to say there is nothing quite like the booknerd anxiety that is experienced once you finally get your hands on your most anticipated read of the year. Things could have gone sooooooo poorly. Thank Jeebus that was not the case. While Cottonmouths wasn’t action-packed or over-the-top like many of the other grit lit selections I have enjoyed in the past, it absolutely lived up to my high expectations and I was blown away with a story about not only meth, but also about first love and emotional manipulation and blurring the lines between what is right and what is wrong depending on certain circumstances and family who will drop a person like a hot potato for not being who they want them to be. In fact, when Shelby asked me how it was going, my reaction was . . . . . .
And that we had to figure out where these poor kids lived in order to get them away from all that mess because you just know there is no chance things are going to end well. 5 Stars. This sucker deserves every one of them.
Endless thanks to both Kelly J. Ford and my authorstalking bestie. I’d say I’ll be your ride or die, but let’s get real . . . .
“How’d you get mixed up in all this anyway?”
“Same as you, I suppose.”
“You got student loan debt too?”
My advance apologies for the mess which you are about to receive. The second I first saw Cottonmouths went a lil’ summin’ like so . . . .
Alas, it was not meant to be and I was immediately denied the ARC. And then the pestering of the porny librarian began. I tried to get so many libraries to buy this in so many formats I got the interweb equivalent of a cease and desist message something kinda like “WE GET IT BITCH! STAHP ALREADY.”
I just couldn’t help myself, though. I mean, I live like the most generic, vanilla lifestyle of anyone in ‘Murica, so when I see a story like this, it allows me to fully embrace my
To show just how amazing some humans are still capable of being, on Thursday night (which was my birthday eve) I got a text message from the Queen of the South telling me I needed to send my address to Kelly J. Ford because she was going to send me a copy of Cottonmouths. After making sure Ms. Ford wasn’t locked in a basement (or maybe a singlewide, since that would be more fitting to the situation) and I wasn’t either (1) going to be charged as an accessory after the fact or (2) need to wire some bail money pronto, I proceeded to run around the house screaming with glee like a lunatic.
Then my husband and children went out of town and I received word from the porny library that they are, in fact, terrified of me and a copy of Cottonmouths was waiting for me to come pick it up and OF COURSE I went ahead and got it instead of being patient because . . . .
I is one greedy heifer and I already had plans on spending the day avoiding the 116 degree heat by the pool, which I did and officially named “cooking with meth” . . . .
So there’s the long story
And also how even though I did get a free copy of this book, I was under absolutely zero obligation to pad my rating since I read the library copy instead.
I should probably talk about the book at least a smidgen at this point, huh?
Emily left town with high hopes of earning a college degree and never looking back. But when she flunks out and the collection agency comes sniffing around for her overdue student loan payments, Emily has no choice but to eat a big ol’ serving of crow and return to her hometown of Drear’s Bluff. When things go south between Emily and her parents, she’s left with no option but to turn to the last person she wanted to ask for help – her former best friend Jody who has become quiet the uhhhhhh entrepreneur . . . . .
“This is like the worst stereotype of the South come to life. All you need is a Confederate flag over the fucking door.”
I have to say there is nothing quite like the booknerd anxiety that is experienced once you finally get your hands on your most anticipated read of the year. Things could have gone sooooooo poorly. Thank Jeebus that was not the case. While Cottonmouths wasn’t action-packed or over-the-top like many of the other grit lit selections I have enjoyed in the past, it absolutely lived up to my high expectations and I was blown away with a story about not only meth, but also about first love and emotional manipulation and blurring the lines between what is right and what is wrong depending on certain circumstances and family who will drop a person like a hot potato for not being who they want them to be. In fact, when Shelby asked me how it was going, my reaction was . . . . . .
And that we had to figure out where these poor kids lived in order to get them away from all that mess because you just know there is no chance things are going to end well. 5 Stars. This sucker deserves every one of them.
Endless thanks to both Kelly J. Ford and my authorstalking bestie. I’d say I’ll be your ride or die, but let’s get real . . . .
November 13, 2020
They say you can’t go home again, but that’s not true. However, when you do go back you may find something new there, like a meth lab.
Emily has dropped out of college and been forced to return to her former Arkansas hometown and live with her parents. Feeling like a failure and with student loan debt now hanging over her, Emily tries to find a decent job, but the best that she can do is working at a fast-food joint. She’s shocked to learn that her former best friend/secret crush, Jody, has also returned to town and now has a baby. Emily has never gotten over her romantic feelings for Jody, and she tries to reconnect with her even when it becomes clear that Jody is involved in something shady. Unable to resist her attraction to Jody even when she sees plenty of warning signs, Emily gets steadily more involved even as she tries to rationalize what’s happening.
This is a rural crime story that really gets the small-town character vibe right. You really feel Emily’s sense of being trapped with no money and no opportunities as well as her embarrassment at having to return home and dealing with people she’d thought she’d left behind. She resents her mother’s judgements even as she also hates feeling like she isn’t living up to her standards.
Emily’s also struggling in dealing with her sexuality because she realized she was infatuated with Jody long ago but by failing to come to terms with who she is she’s never been able to move on and get past that high school first-love thing. She’s at the point where she knows the truth about herself but can’t bear to admit it even if most of those around her already know. Jody is certainly aware of it, and the question is whether she cares for Emily or just uses her feelings to manipulate her.
Another interesting aspect here is how the crime part of the novel is handled. There’s a heart-breaking realism to it all in which running a meth lab isn’t a glamorous life of drug kingpins, stacks of cash, and wars with biker gangs or cartels. Instead there’s a kind of slow inevitable slide towards tragedy with a bunch of poor, desperate people feeling like they don’t have other options making a series of bad choices that keep leading them deeper into trouble.
Kelly Ford is one of the authors I learned about why attending Bouchercon last year when she was on a panel about modern noir, and I’d been meaning to read this for a while. The book lived up to what I was hoping for after hearing her talk about it a bit, and she’s written a bleak portrait of small-town despair and broken hearts.
Emily has dropped out of college and been forced to return to her former Arkansas hometown and live with her parents. Feeling like a failure and with student loan debt now hanging over her, Emily tries to find a decent job, but the best that she can do is working at a fast-food joint. She’s shocked to learn that her former best friend/secret crush, Jody, has also returned to town and now has a baby. Emily has never gotten over her romantic feelings for Jody, and she tries to reconnect with her even when it becomes clear that Jody is involved in something shady. Unable to resist her attraction to Jody even when she sees plenty of warning signs, Emily gets steadily more involved even as she tries to rationalize what’s happening.
This is a rural crime story that really gets the small-town character vibe right. You really feel Emily’s sense of being trapped with no money and no opportunities as well as her embarrassment at having to return home and dealing with people she’d thought she’d left behind. She resents her mother’s judgements even as she also hates feeling like she isn’t living up to her standards.
Emily’s also struggling in dealing with her sexuality because she realized she was infatuated with Jody long ago but by failing to come to terms with who she is she’s never been able to move on and get past that high school first-love thing. She’s at the point where she knows the truth about herself but can’t bear to admit it even if most of those around her already know. Jody is certainly aware of it, and the question is whether she cares for Emily or just uses her feelings to manipulate her.
Another interesting aspect here is how the crime part of the novel is handled. There’s a heart-breaking realism to it all in which running a meth lab isn’t a glamorous life of drug kingpins, stacks of cash, and wars with biker gangs or cartels. Instead there’s a kind of slow inevitable slide towards tragedy with a bunch of poor, desperate people feeling like they don’t have other options making a series of bad choices that keep leading them deeper into trouble.
Kelly Ford is one of the authors I learned about why attending Bouchercon last year when she was on a panel about modern noir, and I’d been meaning to read this for a while. The book lived up to what I was hoping for after hearing her talk about it a bit, and she’s written a bleak portrait of small-town despair and broken hearts.
May 28, 2017
Put this on your TBR right now. No excuses. No waiting. You want to read this.
I have two questions right off the bat for Kelly J. Ford:
A) How on earth is your first novel this good?
and
B) When are you writing something else? And how fast can you get me a copy of it? Cause now would be good.
I'm going to be going through book withdrawals y'all. Cottonmouths wrecked me.
How do I describe this wondrous book? I texted my bff immediately after finished to apologize for taking ages to respond. I can't tell how many times I've had to say, "Sorry I didn't text back, I was reading." But she's used to me by now.
Intense is a great descriptor for this book. I fell asleep thinking about it last night and I woke up thinking about it this morning.
I think this book will especially resonate with anyone who's familiar with small town southern life; if you've ever been drunk around a bonfire, ever tried to get out and had to come back home, ever met someone cracked out on meth, ever fought between rumor and desire. You'll relate to parts of this too hard.
Emily's struggle with sexuality, failure, desire, judgement, and guilt all comes together into a fascinating meld of character and plot. Her relationship with her family, with Jody, and herself was a struggle for meaning and acceptance. I don't want to say too much about the plot, but FUCK! It made my heart race, my stomach clench, my palms sweat. The plot's amazing, and the writing...the writing is so good. Almost literally breathtaking.
This is simply a really good book. Read this one, okay?
Big thank you to Edelweiss & Skyhorse Publishing for this fantastic digital arc!
I have two questions right off the bat for Kelly J. Ford:
A) How on earth is your first novel this good?
and
B) When are you writing something else? And how fast can you get me a copy of it? Cause now would be good.
I'm going to be going through book withdrawals y'all. Cottonmouths wrecked me.
How do I describe this wondrous book? I texted my bff immediately after finished to apologize for taking ages to respond. I can't tell how many times I've had to say, "Sorry I didn't text back, I was reading." But she's used to me by now.
Intense is a great descriptor for this book. I fell asleep thinking about it last night and I woke up thinking about it this morning.
I think this book will especially resonate with anyone who's familiar with small town southern life; if you've ever been drunk around a bonfire, ever tried to get out and had to come back home, ever met someone cracked out on meth, ever fought between rumor and desire. You'll relate to parts of this too hard.
Emily's struggle with sexuality, failure, desire, judgement, and guilt all comes together into a fascinating meld of character and plot. Her relationship with her family, with Jody, and herself was a struggle for meaning and acceptance. I don't want to say too much about the plot, but FUCK! It made my heart race, my stomach clench, my palms sweat. The plot's amazing, and the writing...the writing is so good. Almost literally breathtaking.
This is simply a really good book. Read this one, okay?
Big thank you to Edelweiss & Skyhorse Publishing for this fantastic digital arc!
February 26, 2019
One of the blurbs on the back jacket refers to Cottonmouth as “a Southern gothic,” but I could imagine transposing it to Iowa with only a few landscaping changes. Emily received a scholarship to escape the appropriately named Arkansas small town of Drear’s Bluff somewhere near Fort Smith, but succeeded only in flunking out her first semester with a pile of student loans to pay and no prospects of a decent job. She is also back in the company of Jody, the BF and lover of Emily’s teen years. Jody has morphed into a single mom living on a run down chicken farm in the boonies. Where the chicken house is being employed by low-lives for practical chemistry.
From a literary POV, I found this book excellent. With only a few closely observed characters in a very restricted setting, Kelly Ford tells a powerful story of the effects of an all-consuming devotion to an unworthy beloved. Jody is a habitual liar, tho’ as we see her only through Emily’s eyes (while she still had both of them), whether to classify her as a narcissist, a sociopath, or just a self-interested manipulator remains uncertain. The older inhabitants of Drear’s Bluff have buckets of religiosity & zero spirituality. The meeting of the prayer circle in Emily’s mom’s kitchen—where the intercessions serve as cover for malicious gossip—was brilliantly drawn. The style never calls attention to itself, but it feels spot on.
As I am drawn to young women who carry pistols in their bags (in storybooks, that is), I really wanted Jody to take Emily—& me—along on a wild ride over a cliff or into a hail of bullets, especially as we are not disappointed by the literally explosive possibilities of pursuing the manufacture of home-made pharmaceuticals. For me the ending was a bit too sensible and vanilla, tho’ it was gratifying to see how Emily’s parents emerge from the story. For readers who don’t mind a tepid conclusion, this is a well-crafted tale of a dangerous liaison.
From a literary POV, I found this book excellent. With only a few closely observed characters in a very restricted setting, Kelly Ford tells a powerful story of the effects of an all-consuming devotion to an unworthy beloved. Jody is a habitual liar, tho’ as we see her only through Emily’s eyes (while she still had both of them), whether to classify her as a narcissist, a sociopath, or just a self-interested manipulator remains uncertain. The older inhabitants of Drear’s Bluff have buckets of religiosity & zero spirituality. The meeting of the prayer circle in Emily’s mom’s kitchen—where the intercessions serve as cover for malicious gossip—was brilliantly drawn. The style never calls attention to itself, but it feels spot on.
As I am drawn to young women who carry pistols in their bags (in storybooks, that is), I really wanted Jody to take Emily—& me—along on a wild ride over a cliff or into a hail of bullets, especially as we are not disappointed by the literally explosive possibilities of pursuing the manufacture of home-made pharmaceuticals. For me the ending was a bit too sensible and vanilla, tho’ it was gratifying to see how Emily’s parents emerge from the story. For readers who don’t mind a tepid conclusion, this is a well-crafted tale of a dangerous liaison.
February 18, 2024
Real Rating: 4.9* of five, rounded up because why be a dick
How in the Christing HELL did I not ever post my review here?!?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: You probably went to Sunday school. Your mama and daddy taught you about Right and Wrong and never the twain shall meet and you either rolled your eyes and agreed to shut them up or absorbed it with every spongy fiber of your kid-soul. Most likely some of both.
But that "moral grounding" does el zippo to prepare you for end-stage capitalism's vampirous demands.
It sure as Hell didn't prepare li'l Emily.
Now you name me a worse feeling than being forced, as an adult, to go to the place you're used to calling Home when it's about as much home as that deep-fat fryer you're smellin' right now.
For a Lesbian sister in a christian-values community, this is WORSE than being in so much debt that you can never dig yourself out, right? Hold my beer, says Author Kelly, I am about to make this fryin' pan seem nuclear powered:
That is how Emily responds to the sight of Jody, her long-ago never-was one-that-got-away. Everyone...yeah. Lots of Everyone in Drear's Bluff (isn't that a superb distillation of Home, fellow former Southerners?), and man are they a bunch of self-righteous goobers. Nothing new there...that's how most people are. That's how so many can't help but be, given their lack of moral fiber to resist group-think.
Emily's true self, her inner self, is under siege at home, and she's got to get out...Jody, the woman who revs up her nights this decade-plus, has a solution: Come watch my baby for me! Live here, I'll give you some cash, and you're out of the house. Remember that frying pan?
It's never, ever the same, not after leaving or coming back; the world's moved on, so have your feelings, so has the person you once had the feelings for. You're in for it, though, while the ride lasts; you're not going to get off until the merry-go-round's slung you onto the bouncy-castle at 55mph and you've gone sailing through the air but there's a landing coming...one you don't have any way to cushion, or even prepare for....
I wish I'd been able to full-five-star the read; the thing that kept me from doing it was a certain soap-opera quality that, while I didn't hate it (I used to watch All My Children, FFS, I'm not immune to the appeal!), I found...wearing. I wanted something that rose above it more often than something planted squarely in it, and that little niggle took the luster off just enough to be noticeable.
How in the Christing HELL did I not ever post my review here?!?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: You probably went to Sunday school. Your mama and daddy taught you about Right and Wrong and never the twain shall meet and you either rolled your eyes and agreed to shut them up or absorbed it with every spongy fiber of your kid-soul. Most likely some of both.
But that "moral grounding" does el zippo to prepare you for end-stage capitalism's vampirous demands.
It sure as Hell didn't prepare li'l Emily.
Where she was headed, the cast iron skillet had been seasoned before she was born.
Her mom would cook the beans, potatoes, and cornbread the way her own mother had taught her. Dad would recite the Lord’s Prayer because it required no thought. And Emily would stare at her plate of food and let it go cold while pondering the headset and the cash register and the brown and blue uniform in her back seat, whose fibers still held its last tenant’s stench of fryer grease and body odor—items for a life she had not expected to return to when she left for college, for a job that would not have been offered to her at all had she not removed the name of the state university from her resume—though two years hardly called for its inclusion.
Now you name me a worse feeling than being forced, as an adult, to go to the place you're used to calling Home when it's about as much home as that deep-fat fryer you're smellin' right now.
For a Lesbian sister in a christian-values community, this is WORSE than being in so much debt that you can never dig yourself out, right? Hold my beer, says Author Kelly, I am about to make this fryin' pan seem nuclear powered:
Watching her walk away, Emily felt as dirty as if she’d been watching porn. The craving came on like a fever, as if a coal had been stoked within and blurred the edges of reasonable thought. Rather than push it away, she sat on the floor and let the desire consume her.
–and–
Then an ache no bigger than a marble pulsed inside Emily, an ache born in the woods across the creek. An ache that beat on inside her, steady, steadier, growing until her whole body shook.
–but–
That was the worst of it, to be accused but denied the pleasure of what everyone thought.
That is how Emily responds to the sight of Jody, her long-ago never-was one-that-got-away. Everyone...yeah. Lots of Everyone in Drear's Bluff (isn't that a superb distillation of Home, fellow former Southerners?), and man are they a bunch of self-righteous goobers. Nothing new there...that's how most people are. That's how so many can't help but be, given their lack of moral fiber to resist group-think.
Emily's true self, her inner self, is under siege at home, and she's got to get out...Jody, the woman who revs up her nights this decade-plus, has a solution: Come watch my baby for me! Live here, I'll give you some cash, and you're out of the house. Remember that frying pan?
“This is like the worst stereotype of the South come to life. All you need is a Confederate flag over the fucking door.”
–and–
All those wasted moments of guilt and shame and feeling downright wrong about what she’d done in the bed the night Jody left.
–and–
No matter how tempting the offer, she knew that half a life was no life at all.
It's never, ever the same, not after leaving or coming back; the world's moved on, so have your feelings, so has the person you once had the feelings for. You're in for it, though, while the ride lasts; you're not going to get off until the merry-go-round's slung you onto the bouncy-castle at 55mph and you've gone sailing through the air but there's a landing coming...one you don't have any way to cushion, or even prepare for....
Lovers would come and go. Maybe there’d be one who would be unafraid and teach Emily how to be brave, brave enough to wake up next to her, to walk hand in hand. Someone with whom she’d have a nice life, without trouble and with love. But in the twilight hours of her life, when her body and memory failed, this above all others would be the buoy she would cling to, the memory she would repeat and repeat until the darkness ripped her away. Because this moment, so small, the smallest, had seared her heart.
I wish I'd been able to full-five-star the read; the thing that kept me from doing it was a certain soap-opera quality that, while I didn't hate it (I used to watch All My Children, FFS, I'm not immune to the appeal!), I found...wearing. I wanted something that rose above it more often than something planted squarely in it, and that little niggle took the luster off just enough to be noticeable.
March 21, 2017
Loved this debut by new author Kelly Ford. great southern noir at its finest. loved the characters, story line and overall writing style. Saw a blurb about the book referencing Daniel Woodrell and it couldn't have been more accurate, right up there with his style. Dark and desperate at times, but couldn't turn away, just had to find out what was going to happen next to Emily. Book was listed on Edelweiss as Fiction/Lesbian? not sure why they had to throw the Lesbian title in there, this book is sooo much more than anything to do with her sexuality. great writing, Period!! so dont let someone else's categorization of the book keep you from reading it. Its an easy five star book!
Thanks to the publishers for allowing me an early advance reading copy of this book! will be buying it for my shelves.
Thanks to the publishers for allowing me an early advance reading copy of this book! will be buying it for my shelves.
June 9, 2017
So good. I had 50 pages left to go tonight when I realized I needed to jump in the shower and get ready for my evening plans – and yet I'm sitting here instead, just having finished it, writing this review. It just wasn't possible to put it down, not possible to leave the world of the characters. Kelly J. Ford has written a world-- from the small town relationship's to Emily's too-relatable college ennui. And the plot twists! I definitely did not see the ending coming – in fact, I was wondering how the author was going to get us out of the tangled, suspenseful knot she's created. Brilliantly plotted, and SO GREAT to see a lesbian relationship portrayed in a book where that wasn't the focus, just an aspect of the character-- one that created believable plot complications and nuances. Loved this book. That it's a first novel is incredibly exciting. Can't wait to see what Ford does next.
January 29, 2021
3.5 stars
Emily Skinner thought she’d escaped her hometown of Drear’s Bluff where people fell into one of two categories: poor or dirt poor. After failing out of college she has to return to the Ozarks where life revolves around church and gossip, two things she'd rather steer clear of.
Jody Monroe, Emily’s best friend/crush from high school, has also returned to their hometown-- and now she has a baby boy on her hip.
After an argument with her parents, Emily moves in with Jody to be a live-in babysitter. Soon she realizes Jody is able to afford to pay her because she’s let the county’s former football star build a meth lab on the property.
Emily is torn between her love for Jody and the truth of how desperate their lives have become. As a dangerous turn of events threatens to reveal what’s going on in their neck of the woods, Emily cannot remain blind to Jody’s lies.
Cottonmouths is a compelling debut from author Kelly J. Ford! It’s an unflinching look at friendship, first love, and betrayal set against the bleak backdrop of a struggling economy. The writing is exceptional; there were several stand-out passages that I re-read for the sheer honesty/beauty they contained. The dark subject matter certainly fits perfectly into the Southern/rural noir genre and the gritty characters and their actions felt believable. My only issue is that while we understand the desperation and the chain of events that follow, I wanted to get to know Emily better. She’s blinded by her love for Jody and that overshadows so much of the book - and I understand that’s the entire point - there’s just something more I needed though I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Southern gothic/rural noir with gritty characters and atmosphere!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Emily Skinner thought she’d escaped her hometown of Drear’s Bluff where people fell into one of two categories: poor or dirt poor. After failing out of college she has to return to the Ozarks where life revolves around church and gossip, two things she'd rather steer clear of.
Jody Monroe, Emily’s best friend/crush from high school, has also returned to their hometown-- and now she has a baby boy on her hip.
After an argument with her parents, Emily moves in with Jody to be a live-in babysitter. Soon she realizes Jody is able to afford to pay her because she’s let the county’s former football star build a meth lab on the property.
Emily is torn between her love for Jody and the truth of how desperate their lives have become. As a dangerous turn of events threatens to reveal what’s going on in their neck of the woods, Emily cannot remain blind to Jody’s lies.
Cottonmouths is a compelling debut from author Kelly J. Ford! It’s an unflinching look at friendship, first love, and betrayal set against the bleak backdrop of a struggling economy. The writing is exceptional; there were several stand-out passages that I re-read for the sheer honesty/beauty they contained. The dark subject matter certainly fits perfectly into the Southern/rural noir genre and the gritty characters and their actions felt believable. My only issue is that while we understand the desperation and the chain of events that follow, I wanted to get to know Emily better. She’s blinded by her love for Jody and that overshadows so much of the book - and I understand that’s the entire point - there’s just something more I needed though I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Southern gothic/rural noir with gritty characters and atmosphere!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
September 14, 2017
I found myself in a quandary after reading this book. Should I rate on how well it is written or should I rate the book on whether or not I liked it? This is indeed a well written book. It is the type of fiction that goes under the "literature" heading and it's gritty and harsh and filled with angst.
All that being said, I did not enjoy reading this book. It's just so damn depressing. I was constantly anxious about what new tragedy was about to befall these defeated characters. IMHO, life is hard enough without reading about that kind of shit in my fiction. If you like that dark, depressing style, this book is for you.
All that being said, I did not enjoy reading this book. It's just so damn depressing. I was constantly anxious about what new tragedy was about to befall these defeated characters. IMHO, life is hard enough without reading about that kind of shit in my fiction. If you like that dark, depressing style, this book is for you.
May 3, 2017
Cottonmouths is a rough, gritty, and almost too real-feeling book that twists the reader around its finger and then punches them in the gut when least expected. Kelly J. Ford has written a masterful debut that explores the depths of human longing, desire and desperation. Cottonmouths is a true look at the hard dark side of the South, through the underbelly that takes us far from the world we know from being schooled on films like Steel Magnolias. I can't wait to see what will come next from this brilliant new author.
April 20, 2017
Awesome debut!
July 2, 2017
Southern drama and tragedy at it's best. Would recommend.
September 21, 2017
Whew! I almost thought I was going to read this wrong. My favorite reviewers loved this book and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, my patience is almost non existent these days and the slow burn start was getting to me. Once I finished, however, I understood all the hype.
November 12, 2022
Drear's Bluff is the kind of place people don't move to—either they're born and raised there and stay there the rest of their lives, or they get out and don't look back. For Emily, college is supposed to be a chance to do the latter: with a scholarship in hand, she can see a future other than working a pink-collar job, having her life picked apart by her mother's church friends, being looked down upon, subtly and not so subtly, for being more into women than men.
But college is hard, and Emily loses her scholarship, and she's catapulted right back to Drear's Bluff, back into pink-collar drudgery and stifling sameness. The bright spot: her childhood best friend, Jody, is also back, now with a toddler on her hip and a new level of hardness and isolation. But there's more—Emily doesn't have to look far to know that whatever is going on in the chicken house is bad news. That getting involved in it is bad news. But this is Drear's Bluff, and with life at home feeling less and less tenable, Emily can't see many other options.
I love a lot about this: the spotlight on an underrepresented part of American culture; the look at what drugs—and limited opportunities—can do to a person or a town; the way Jody in particular is portrayed as someone you absolutely wouldn't want to be and someone whose resilience and competence you have to admire...at least for a while.
I wavered between three and four starts for this, but it's the ending that pushes it down for me. There's a level of predictability to the climax that is hard to avoid, but I wondered whether certain characters (Owen, Connie, Heather, even August) might have had more to say, and...I'm not sure how to put this except that .
Readers might be interested in this Autostraddle list, which is where I came across Cottonmouths.
But college is hard, and Emily loses her scholarship, and she's catapulted right back to Drear's Bluff, back into pink-collar drudgery and stifling sameness. The bright spot: her childhood best friend, Jody, is also back, now with a toddler on her hip and a new level of hardness and isolation. But there's more—Emily doesn't have to look far to know that whatever is going on in the chicken house is bad news. That getting involved in it is bad news. But this is Drear's Bluff, and with life at home feeling less and less tenable, Emily can't see many other options.
I love a lot about this: the spotlight on an underrepresented part of American culture; the look at what drugs—and limited opportunities—can do to a person or a town; the way Jody in particular is portrayed as someone you absolutely wouldn't want to be and someone whose resilience and competence you have to admire...at least for a while.
I wavered between three and four starts for this, but it's the ending that pushes it down for me. There's a level of predictability to the climax that is hard to avoid, but I wondered whether certain characters (Owen, Connie, Heather, even August) might have had more to say, and...I'm not sure how to put this except that .
Readers might be interested in this Autostraddle list, which is where I came across Cottonmouths.
July 14, 2018
I have so many thoughts running through my head after reading this book, I don’t know where to begin. It’s a story about two young women in a very small town, way out in the boonies, who reconnect as young adults. Throughout their friendship in high school and in the present, Emily has harbored a crush on bad girl, Jody, that is 9 parts obsession and 1 part devotion. Had the story had been told more typically, then the smart one, Emily, would have come back triumphantly with her degree or would have been too wise now to get trapped back into Drear’s Bluff’s cycle of dead end life where there’s “poor and dirt poor.” Instead the author offers that Emily failed in college, seemingly overwhelmed by the bigness of both escaping the town and dealing with her own sexuality. Now she’s back, facing disappointment and more bad decisions. The language was beautiful and incredibly tight which told of a gazillion rewrites, no wasted words at all. The main characters of Emily and Jody, their friends and family, were all distinct. The sense of place was real, no quaint antiquing town here. I weirdly found myself rooting for and then against these same people as the story progressed (good evolution of all characters), including Emily, because sometimes I just wanted to shake some sense into her. The whole book made me ache and yanked on me in a visceral way, in an all in, runaway, screaming train kind of way. Thank you, author. One of the best that I’ve read in quite a while.
May 26, 2017
I blurbed this book, so you know I loved it.
"Part noir, part Southern Gothic, Cottonmouths is far more than the sum of these parts, an original story that haunted me after I read it. Kelly Ford’s unflinching prose plunges readers into the town of Drear’s Bluff, where what’s familiar isn’t what’s safe and where desire proves deadly."
What I couldn’t write in the blurb, because I was limited by space, was how original the setting and characters are. There aren’t a lot of books set in Arkansas featuring a queer protag. But novelty isn’t what makes this book great. It’s the voice and details and the dark reality that infuses each scene. It’s a story that kept me turning pages, anxious to find out what happened and what would happen. And the ending. Wow. I was left thinking about it for days after I’d finished the book.
This is a book I’ll be recommending to anyone who’ll listen to me jabber about my reading list.
"Part noir, part Southern Gothic, Cottonmouths is far more than the sum of these parts, an original story that haunted me after I read it. Kelly Ford’s unflinching prose plunges readers into the town of Drear’s Bluff, where what’s familiar isn’t what’s safe and where desire proves deadly."
What I couldn’t write in the blurb, because I was limited by space, was how original the setting and characters are. There aren’t a lot of books set in Arkansas featuring a queer protag. But novelty isn’t what makes this book great. It’s the voice and details and the dark reality that infuses each scene. It’s a story that kept me turning pages, anxious to find out what happened and what would happen. And the ending. Wow. I was left thinking about it for days after I’d finished the book.
This is a book I’ll be recommending to anyone who’ll listen to me jabber about my reading list.
May 30, 2017
What a great book! Nice slow build to a crazy exciting end. Don't want to spoil any of it, so I'll leave it at that. Can't wait to read more from Kelly!
April 18, 2017
Kelly Ford's debut novel is a work of brilliance. Gripping, gut-wrenching, suspenseful, with sentences so beautiful and so captivating that I wanted to live inside of them. Even as the protagonist's world was falling apart around her, I could not look away. I ignored several responsibilities to keep reading. I ignored opportunities to binge-watch "The Great British Bake Off" to keep reading. I ignored working on my own novel to keep reading.
This is a book that demands to be read. I read it all in a single sitting. I'd say more but I simply don't want to spoil a single word of it. Can't wait to read more from this author.
This is a book that demands to be read. I read it all in a single sitting. I'd say more but I simply don't want to spoil a single word of it. Can't wait to read more from this author.
July 13, 2017
In the best possible way, Cottonmouths reminded me of Megan Abbott's novels where Ford patiently builds momentum through excellent characterization and setting -- creating tension in the human relationships -- and then, WHAM!, the tension gives and the final third of the novel is a relentless avalanche of physical and emotional (and moral) destruction. While my comparison of Ford to Abbott is meant as the highest possible praise, Ford distinguishes herself through her gritty country-noir style. I loved this novel.
December 19, 2019
This book wrecked me in the absolute best way. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters long after I put it down, and Ford’s effortless prose made it one of my fastest reads of the year. Waiting impatiently for whatever she does next.
November 7, 2022
So dark and real it leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth.
May 1, 2022
A new to me author and I adored it - all of it.
June 26, 2017
Southern grit lit at its finest--this book grabbed tight hold of me and did not let go until its intense, satisfying conclusion. This is not fiction for the faint of heart. It's dark, suspenseful, and highly addictive.
Besides creating a fantastic thriller, the author painted a compelling portrait of what it's like to be a young adult struggling with her sexual identity in a claustrophobic, judgmental Arkansas town. I sympathized deeply with Emily's suffocation and anguish, and I wanted her to triumph at the same time that I questioned her decisions and knew, down deep, some sort of reckoning must come for her--not to mention her beloved Jody.
Perfectly done plotting and literary writing--HIGHLY recommend!
Besides creating a fantastic thriller, the author painted a compelling portrait of what it's like to be a young adult struggling with her sexual identity in a claustrophobic, judgmental Arkansas town. I sympathized deeply with Emily's suffocation and anguish, and I wanted her to triumph at the same time that I questioned her decisions and knew, down deep, some sort of reckoning must come for her--not to mention her beloved Jody.
Perfectly done plotting and literary writing--HIGHLY recommend!
Read
May 15, 2017I loved the honesty of this story, and the way it looked at every aspect of unrequited love, friendship, desire and desperation with an unflinching eye. Once you start Kelly Ford’s novel, you won’t be able to put it down—a stunning, unique and memorable debut.
June 8, 2017
Cottonmouths is as much about unrequited love as it is about meth labs, which makes it a truly universal story. Emily's fierce denial in the face of warning signs about the object of her infatuation rings true and creates incredible dramatic irony. Readers know she's making mistake after mistake, but we can't help but empathize with her decisions. (Who among us, sexuality aside, hasn't had a tragically unrequited crush?). Ford portrays settings and characters other writers all too often make into stock caricatures: the small-town farmer, the former football hero, a group of women at a prayer circle. In her hands they're all vividly alive--well, for most of the book, but I won't spoil it--and treated with compassion and humor.
The book is dark and a little depressing, and after I read it I came away feeling like I'd just had a good cry. It's not a book to read lightly, but it's definitely one I'd recommend.
The book is dark and a little depressing, and after I read it I came away feeling like I'd just had a good cry. It's not a book to read lightly, but it's definitely one I'd recommend.
May 16, 2017
An extremely impressive debut. THis is a dark dark tale that's very atmospherically set in the South but which could, sadly, be set anywhere in the US. It's also a coming of age story for Emily, who must regrettably experience the worst of human nature and unrequited love. I know that the publisher has categorized this as LGBTQ but that's not the way I would sell this. It's a wonderfully written, carefully plotted novel with terrific characters. This is one that lingers in the mind. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC.
April 6, 2017
A heartbreaking debut about the lies we tell ourselves to brave the past—and the truths we hide that hurt us most. An honest, unflinching portrait of yearning and loss.
September 17, 2018
As a SC transplant living in Canada, I'm often asked about growing up in the South, particularly in a small town seemingly immune to economic recovery. I used to reply, "imagine the sort of place where a shuttered factory means everyone all the way up to the pastor is suddenly addicted to pain pills."
But now? I plan to answer, "COTTONMOUTHS by Kelly J. Ford. Read it."
Unflinching. Compulsive. Queer AF. Ford deftly captures so many painful realities for Southerners: the guilt and resentment living inside those of us who are queer in societies that drive us to hold secrets, the brutal realities of poverty, and the slow-boil slide from sobriety to a full-blown opioid crisis. All of this, wrapped up into a tautly plotted narrative that pulls zero punches.
A brilliant debut from an amazingly talented author that's both suspenseful and frighteningly candid in equal measure. Anticipation doesn't quite capture how excited I am to read more from this author.
But now? I plan to answer, "COTTONMOUTHS by Kelly J. Ford. Read it."
Unflinching. Compulsive. Queer AF. Ford deftly captures so many painful realities for Southerners: the guilt and resentment living inside those of us who are queer in societies that drive us to hold secrets, the brutal realities of poverty, and the slow-boil slide from sobriety to a full-blown opioid crisis. All of this, wrapped up into a tautly plotted narrative that pulls zero punches.
A brilliant debut from an amazingly talented author that's both suspenseful and frighteningly candid in equal measure. Anticipation doesn't quite capture how excited I am to read more from this author.
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