Question Not My Salt by Amanda M. Blake
Crystal Lake Publishing (February 2024)
151 pages; $11.99 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Chandra Claypool (Instagram) (TikTok)
Don’t let the cover fool you, this is HORROR, not a cookbook…though a cookbook from this novella just might be fun to read. ? Imagine you’re a Canadian who goes to college in the U.S., is roomed with someone you become friends with who invites you to their home for Thanksgiving… and things go… awry. Do NOT piss off Mother. Do not ask for salt and for goodness sake, spit in that wine glass and pass it already.
Sierra is happy to come along with her friend Zoe for her first American Thanksgiving. She brings her cookies and hopes not to offend anyone. Small talk at first, which is highly uncomfortable but necessary in these types of situations. Then she finds out this is a TEN HOUR DINNER.
Oh, there will be a couple of breaks, alcohol paired with the courses and plenty of delicious food that Mother has worked for weeks to prepare. Mother has held no punches for this fine feast of mastication. But Zoe forgot to tell Sierra all of the rules. Most important is that you eat and drink everything AS IS. And you better finish it all. Everything has been prepared for a reason in this season and she will NOT be insulted by any behavior otherwise. There WILL be consequences for any rule break. And holy hell, the consequences are fierce. After all, if Mother lets even one person off the hook, how is that fair? But play along and do as you’re told and you’ll be golden. A new part of the family. Something sacred. After all, they’ve had many a year without any issues whatsoever. However, this year will not be one of them. All the guests learn very quickly and it’s a hard lesson for sure.
I absolutely loved this read, which had my hands to my face a couple times at some of the disturbing content. Things quickly go sideways and I was eager to turn the pages as I knew punishment was forthcoming, because I just HAD to know what Mother was going to do next. It’s a fine look into how people cope with crazy situations they inadvertently end up in and now must survive. The synopsis hits it perfectly in saying this is “a gripping tale blending the terror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the culinary horror of Hannibal and The Menu.” I was entertained from appetizer to dessert.
My horror heart is full… but thankfully my stomach is not. Come and participate in this dark take on the traditional Thanksgiving celebration.
5 stars
