Holly Trenbath’s Reviews > Don't Try This at Home > Status Update

birds without wings depicts an unsettling relationship between a mother and daughter. the mother, seemingly dissatisfied with her daughters weight, takes hannah to mexico on a trip - not venice, not france since hannah is unorthodox and not an image of beauty in her mothers eyes, her mother must rely on originality and spectacle. the mum is kind of fucked for using a dying girl as a photo opp and guilt trip smh.

this chapter made me giggle and cry! the englishness of it all! shows you what a good lesbian haircut can do for a woman

surviving sainthood is a very realistic story, as opposed to the first two i’ve read. ben’s psyche seems to be committing self-harm, it’s obvious to me that he feels jessica’s state is his fault - even if it’s not obvious to him.

chapter two has revealed that this may be a collection of short stories with surreal themes, but not a threaded narrative. conceptual makes me think that artistic is code for abusive. the line “there was too much to see to stay angry.” really resonates.

first chapter was surreal and sad. i can’t help but think this is an analogy for someone who is unhappy in a relationship and has to compartmentalize to the extreme, causing them to lose any grasp on the present moment.