In one of the year’s buzziest debut novels—furious and irreverent while empathetic and funny—a queer woman mourns in Central Florida. Jessa-Lynn’s father’s suicide has left her hungover in the sunshine, aching to forget but unable to do so because she is now in charge of his failing taxidermy shop, where she found his body. But grief comes in many forms: Her mother has taken to positioning the stuffed creatures into libidinous acts in the storefront, much to Jessa’s chagrin. Mostly Dead Things depicts the women in their healing process, which is complicated when a gallery owner arrives and wants to show the world the shop’s raunchy portrayals of the lifeless animals.
Buy now: Mostly Dead Things