Title: Hummingbird

Author: T.C. Parker

Release date: May 16th, 2022

Huge thanks to Parker for sending me a copy of ‘Hummingbird’ for review!

‘Hummingbird’ is only my second experience with Parker’s writing, the first being her 2021 release ‘Salvation Spring.’ I enjoyed that one, but the synopsis for this one really had me intrigued, so I was excited to dive in.

Interestingly, it was author Hailey Piper’s blurb that really connected the dots for me, when at first I was wondering if I had missed something.

What I liked: ‘Hummingbird’ is essentially a half dozen interconnected novellas that arrive at a fascinating and equally horrifying ending/reality. At first, when I was finished reading the initial set up with Jodie and her story, I was thrown a bit when a seemingly whole other story was introduced and I was wondering if I had to read something previously, or if I’d someone completely missed this character.

But things unravel, we see different sides of the coin or in this case, more accurately a square, as characters cross over, storylines intersect and reveal themselves and Parker does a great job of adding more while subtracting just what needs to be subtracted.

A bit of a tangent – but when the show ‘True Blood’ started, my wife and I loved it. The first few seasons were great and it was captivating. Then the show started to add more and more random elements and things got watered down. Parker takes that same approach – but doesn’t bog anything down and certainly doesn’t add at random. She crafts a story that spreads its wings wide then pulls them in tight to finish everything off.

What I didn’t like: As I mentioned, at first I was a bit thrown off and almost wished that the opening salvo that ends with a fantastic moment involving Jodie was the entire thing and was a novella just of that. So, I want to implore you to stick with it. I can see some readers having the same head scratching aspect that I did and I promise it pays off.

Why you should buy this: If you like interconnected small town dark fiction, this one will be perfect for you. Parker adds a ton of topical social commentary but also infuses it with a smattering of vengeance and a dusting of ‘stick-it-to-them’ that really will get readers excited. The characters are all great, even the ones designed specifically for us to hate them, and Parker makes sure that the main, overall story is highlighted throughout.

Really well done!

5/5