Trigger warning: this review is of a book containing graphic depictions of rape, incest, self harm, and suicide.
A little while back I read the collection Burnt Tongues, and enjoyed it so much that I emailed a few of my favorite authors and offered to review any future work. The first author to graciously send me a copy of their next project was Gayle Towell. Gayle’s new piece, Blood Gravity, Is the first installment in an ongoing series focusing on two brothers subjected to abuse by their father.
The story clocks in around a hundred pages, and focuses on the first born, Jake Smith. Jake is 20, a successful college student living with a heavy burden, he has been sexually abused by his father for the last 10 years. Jake visits home often, mostly to watch out for his younger brother Ben. Ben is 5 years old and suffers from chronic bedwetting and thumb sucking. Jake worries this might be an early sign of abuse.
Throughout the story we find Jake struggling with extreme anxiety and self harm as copingmchanisms to deal with his father’s abuse. Late in the story Jake visits home and goes camping with his father and brother, during the camping trip his father rapes him, telling him it’s alright, and that it can’t be wrong if he enjoys it.
After the camping trip, Jake spirals into increasing depression, his roommate discovers his self harm and attempts to connect Jake to help, but he is too afraid. Jake runs away and considers suicide, but eventually talks himself down from a literal cliff. Through a chance turn of events he drops out of school and begins working as a shop assistant and gets his own apartment, much to his father’s disapproval. The story ends with Jake kidnapping his brother to bring him to safety.
This story is important for many reasons. It tackles the problem of abuse in boys as well as in girls. It also discusses the dangers of self harm as a way of dealing with abuse.
I greatly look forward to the continuation of Gayle’s work, and will certainly keep reviewing further releases.
Blood Gravity : 8.5/10
Availbile from the authors website
http://gayletowell.com/scars/bloodgravity/
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