sexual abuse

Will Hope Rise from the Dead in Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘My Life As a Rat?
Books/PopMatters Picks/Reviews

Will Hope Rise from the Dead in Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘My Life As a Rat?

By
 / 3 June 2019

If happiness usually proves duplicitous, and melancholy a dependable constant, then the journey of an epic Joyce Carol Oates novel is always going to be a trip worth experiencing, as with My Life As a Rat.

Roddy Doyle’s ‘Smile’ Explores the Vague Areas between Absolute Childhood Trauma and Potential Alternate Lives
Books/PopMatters Picks/Reviews

Roddy Doyle’s ‘Smile’ Explores the Vague Areas between Absolute Childhood Trauma and Potential Alternate Lives

By
 / 21 December 2017

Smile is about identity and the thin line between reality and a fate inherited by those who suffer in silence. It's also about setting a mood, and Doyle is masterful at that.