Mostly Dead Things

'Messed-up families, scandalous love affairs, art, life, death and the great state of Florida in one delicious, darkly funny package. Kristen Arnett is a wickedly talented and a wholly original voice' Jami Attenberg

What does it take to come back to life?

In the wake of her father's suicide, Jessa-Lynn Morton has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family falls apart. Her mother starts sneaking into the shop to make alarming art with stuffed animals; and while her brother Milo withdraws, his wife, Brynn - the only person Jessa's ever been in love with - leaves home without a word. A string of unexpected incidents opens up the chance for the Mortons to mend: can they piece themselves together again?

Kristen Arnett's breakout debut is a darkly funny family portrait; a peculiar, bighearted look at love and loss and the ways we live through them together.

'This book is my song of the summer' Parul Seghal, New York Times

'Wonderful' Esme Weijun Wang, Guardian

'Explores love, loss and death and is guaranteed to keep you gripped throughout' Mirror

'The writing is subtle and meditative, with the tactile weight of dense fur' New Yorker

“This book is my song of the summer - New York TimesHilarious, deeply morbid and full of heart - BuzzFeedThe novel explores love, life and death and is guaranteed to keep you gripped throughout - MirrorThe writing is subtle and meditative, with the tactile weight of dense fur - The New YorkerA dark and oftentimes comedic tale of love and loss - Evening StandardA gorgeously twisted story - Vanity FairWonderful - GuardianFlorida's literary renaissance charges onward with this heartfelt, one-of-a-kind novel - Esquire”

This book is my song of the summer - New York Times

Hilarious, deeply morbid and full of heart - BuzzFeed

The novel explores love, life and death and is guaranteed to keep you gripped throughout - Mirror

The writing is subtle and meditative, with the tactile weight of dense fur - The New Yorker

A dark and oftentimes comedic tale of love and loss - Evening Standard

A gorgeously twisted story - Vanity Fair

Wonderful - Guardian

Florida's literary renaissance charges onward with this heartfelt, one-of-a-kind novel - Esquire

Kristen Arnett is the New York Times bestselling author of the debut novel Mostly Dead Things. She is a queer fiction and essay writer. She was awarded Ninth Letter's Literary Award in Fiction and is a columnist for Literary Hub. Her work has appeared at the New York Times, North American Review, The Normal School, Gulf Coast, TriQuarterly, Guernica, Buzzfeed, Electric Literature, McSweeneys, PBS Newshour, Bennington Review, the Guardian, Salon, the Rumpus, and elsewhere. Her story collection, Felt in the Jaw, was published by Split Lip Press and was awarded the 2017 Coil Book Award. She is a Spring 2020 Shearing Fellow at Black Mountain Institute. You can find her on Twitter here: @Kristen_Arnett

'Messed-up families, scandalous love affairs, art, life, death and the great state of Florida in one delicious, darkly funny package. Kristen Arnett is a wickedly talented and a wholly original voice' Jami Attenberg What does it take to come back to life? In the wake of her father's suicide, Jessa-Lynn Morton has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family falls apart. Her mother starts sneaking into the shop to make alarming art with stuffed animals; and while her brother Milo withdraws, his wife, Brynn - the only person Jessa's ever been in love with - leaves home without a word. A string of unexpected incidents opens up the chance for the Mortons to mend: can they piece themselves together again? Kristen Arnett's breakout debut is a darkly funny family portrait; a peculiar, bighearted look at love and loss and the ways we live through them together. 'This book is my song of the summer' Parul Seghal, New York Times 'Wonderful' Esme Weijun Wang , Guardian 'Explores love, loss and death and is guaranteed to keep you gripped throughout' Mirror 'The writing is subtle and meditative, with the tactile weight of dense fur' New Yorker

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