The theme of consumption unites Katrina Best's stories in her smart, witty and engaging debut collection. "Bird Eat Bird" depicts a pelican lunching on a pigeon while a cast of onlookers briskly assesses the drama; a 40-ish mother who has a dangerous encounter with a rip tide, apparently ambivalent to the potential of being swallowed by waves as she muses on the irritations of her marriage; an awkward and naive young woman on a second date with a blandly indifferent man who disdains "tall food"; and a vegetarian cashier who watches in horror as a tray of offal falls onto her sandaled feet.
Despite some underdeveloped characters and needless diversions in narrative flow, Best's writing is smartly calibrated, vividly imagined and gratifyingly subtle. And at less than 200 pages, the collection leaves the reader wanting more, eagerly awaiting the author's next release.
Despite some underdeveloped characters and needless diversions in narrative flow, Best's writing is smartly calibrated, vividly imagined and gratifyingly subtle. And at less than 200 pages, the collection leaves the reader wanting more, eagerly awaiting the author's next release.
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