Book Review: They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Noon's life on the family fishing boat is turned upside down when a local gangster forces her and his daughter, Covey, to hunt down mysterious creatures in the bayous of Louisiana.
Noon is the daughter of immigrants in a small coastal town in Louisiana. Everybody knows everybody there, but that doesn't mean everybody is nice. In this dying town ravaged by algae blooms and wildlife mutilation from decades of pollution and climate change impacts, Noon's life is made harder by the corrupt harbormaster, Jimmy, that controls the fuel supply for their family's boat. When Jimmy instructs Noon and his daughter, Covey, to find a mysterious monster rumored to be lurking in the waters, Noon has no choice but to accept the mission, or else her life and the lives of those around her would be doomed. What follows is a story of unraveling traumatic pasts of violence and death, current secrets of environmental collapse, and a future where, with Covey's help, Noon may be able to finally accept who she wants to be.
This book is a fantastic ecohorror novel similar to that of The Southern Reach series by Jeff VanderMeer. The subject matter is dark and twisted, but it parallels so incredibly well with the Southern Gothic/bayou vibes painted by the author. It is definitely worth reading the warnings before you dive in, but the best aspect of this book by far is the balance of body horror and body euphoria that Noon experiences. This book embraces main and side characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum as they grapple with what it means to feel comfortable in their own bodies, in the roles a collapsing society dictates, in their Southern and immigrant families, and in an inhospitable environment that promises nothing for them in terms of a normal future. This book was the BEST BOOK I have read so far this year, and I will be recommending it to literally everyone.
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