BOOK REVIEW: A BOUQUET OF VISCERA BY BRIDGETT NELSON

A Bouquet of Viscera by Bridgett Nelson

26/4/2022

"but Nelson pulls the wool over our eyes so stealthily, the ending leaves the reader shaken. Bravo to the author for bending the trope in another direction: the resolution haunted my mind long after I had closed the pages."

A Bouquet of Viscera by Bridgett Nelson
(review by Rebecca Rowland)

Anyone who is familiar with artist Lynne Hansen’s book covers knows that there are few competitors who can hold a candle to her designs. The cover and interior of A Bouquet of Viscera, a kaleidoscope of creature-flower hybrids poised to chew on the reader’s fingers, are certain to draw curious investigation of Nelson’s fiction, and gleefully, the collection delivers. Comprised of eight tales alternating between short story and novelette length, A Bouquet of Viscera is a delightfully disturbing arrangement of monster, apocalyptic, and body horror.

When “Invader” opens, an unnamed seventeen-year-old girl stumbles upon a stretch of hidden beach nestled quietly along the shore of the Pacific Northwest island where she makes her home. At first glance, the area is “stunning with sand as white as snow, pristine seashells scattered about, and water as clear and blue as any she had ever seen.” Soon, however, she discovers what the inlet is really hiding: “a nightmarish creature—the thought of which would most assuredly terrify her for the rest of her days. The monster effortlessly wrapped its muscular girth around the shark’s body, like a snake suffocating its prey, and quickly pulled it under the swells. Several minutes later, the crystal blue water was stained burgundy and pieces of gray flesh and yellow fat floated aimlessly in the waves.” With whispers of Stephen King’s “The Raft” nestled cozily within its most fervently tense scenes, Nelson’s story hits the sweet spot between satisfying revenge yarn and creature feature.

The zombie-themed “Cooked!” opens with a scene of secret government experimentation so sinister, it will push the reader’s paranoia into overdrive. This is soon followed by an introduction of a microchip that wards off all deadly viruses and may halt the progression of a global health emergency. Although the last thing any horror reader craves in 2022 is a pandemic tale, “Cooked!” quickly veers into fresh and welcome territory when Flanna O’Rourke is chosen to be one of the chip’s lucky recipients. Being one of the first citizens to participate in the medical trial comes with an added benefit: the O’Rourke family receives additional food rations, but ironically, the unfortunate protagonist won’t be needing them. “Flanna lurched to a sudden stop, her nostrils flaring. What was that smell? Oh my God…what was it? She excitedly turned her head, one way and then the other, searching for the source of food that was making her salivate. She would gladly hand over all the money she had in her purse for whatever this mouthwatering feast was. Following her nose, she sniffed the area trying to pinpoint which direction the enticing aroma originated. The woman sitting on the bench stared back quizzically but said nothing…Flanna turned, walking directly in front of the woman—and immediately she knew. That scent—the tempting aroma which made her mouth water in hunger—was emanating off this woman in waves. Her pulsing blood. Her healthy organs. Her taut muscles. A ravenous Flanna wanted to devour every inch of her body.” As someone whose personal trigger used to be characters who bite, I thought The Walking Dead had dealt out enough exposure therapy to vanquish my queasiness for good. Kudos to Nelson for bringing it back with a vengeance.

Speaking of vengeance, “Jinx” is preceded by a content warning, and it more than earns it. The story begins with a terrifying brutal sexual assault, but Nelson’s pacing achieves exactly what it is striving for: as the scene progresses, what intensifies in the reader is not simply a mixture of revulsion and terror, but an intensifying rage: wherever the narrator decides to take us, we are all in for the ride. Six years later, when the survivor encounters a seemingly innocuous item that reminds her of the attack, we are two steps ahead of Jinx as a revenge plan forms in her head. “My heart instantly started pounding, and tiny droplets of sweat beaded on my brow. Elle noticed my reaction and slurred, ‘I know you’re upset. You need to get back at those rapist fuckers, Jinx. Mutilate them!’ She giggled, obviously too intoxicated to have a firm grip on her message. ‘And if you can’t find the exact dudes, find stand-ins! There are tons of skeevy guys out there.’…With that, she rolled over and immediately fell into a deep slumber. I sat for a long time on the side of the bed, staring at this beautiful woman who, by some miracle, loved me as much as I loved her…and considered her words.” The stage appears to be set for a traditional rape-revenge tale, but Nelson pulls the wool over our eyes so stealthily, the ending leaves the reader shaken. Bravo to the author for bending the trope in another direction: the resolution haunted my mind long after I had closed the pages.

In his Foreword to the collection, Ronald Kelly notes, “When I began my journey into A Bouquet of Viscera, I was already primed for an enjoyable reading experience. Little did I know that the style and intensity of Bridgett’s prose—her voice and imagination, as well as her willingness to apply them with precision, confidence, and an utter lack of restraint—would immediately win me over and turn me into an instant fan.” I had gone into Nelson’s newest release already a fan of her short fiction, and Viscera only solidified that feeling. It is an array of unsettling fiction that surprises, disturbs, and challenges expectations.

A Bouquet of Viscera
by Bridgett Nelson

An overzealous vigilante, who sees her victims' auras, finds herself in a very uncomfortable situation. A young woman, injected with a microchip in a futuristic America, develops unusual and grisly cravings. Four high school graduates end up on the menu of a giant, mutant sea creature. Diary entries share shocking and disturbing confessions...but who is the author?

Bridgett Nelson, a fresh new talent in the world of horror, makes her debut with this short fiction collection containing these stories and more! These gory tales of revenge and retribution are sure to terrify and delight readers in equal measure.

Before opening the pages of A BOUQUET OF VISCERA, be sure to take a deep, calming breath. Because these nightmare scenarios, and many others, are lurking under the covers and waiting just for you.

Foreword by Ronald Kelly.

Praise for A BOUQUET OF VISCERA:

“From genuinely disturbing body horror, to savage sea creatures, to grisly satire and much more, this absolutely stellar collection has something for any horror fan who’s ready to be kicked in the gut. It’s dark stuff, sometimes very dark, so don’t come crying to me if you can’t handle it!”– Jeff Strand, author of CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS

"Gnarly and excellent, the stories in A BOUQUET OF VISCERA will grab you by the throat and not let you go."- Richard Dansky, author of GHOST OF A MARRIAGE