Shelly's Book Blog

Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan, is yet another title I found on School Library Journal's Best Books 2008 list. SLJ's advisory is grade 9 and up, and the reason for this is evident in the first chapter, in which Liga, the story's protagonist, is subjected to incestuous rape, forced to take drugs to induce abortion, and later gang raped by five men. Clearly, this is not a gentle book. However, Liga is magically transported to an alternative world in which all that was terrible has been scrubbed away, and she is allowed to raise her two daughters in this idyllic world. The contrast between Liga's two realities provides the basis for the story's theme of accepting both the positive and negative aspects of life. Even so, I don't think the author meant to condemn Liga's heavenly world because it was born only of her great and urgent need for it.
The book is very, very long, and I can't say that I enjoyed it. I do appreciate Lanagan's skill as a storyteller, and the pages began to turn more easily near the end. However, I would only recommend this book to avid readers who really like fantasy.