Trash Sex Magic

Hard to believe no one's reviewed this book! My 15-year-old daughter and I both found it powerful and original. This is one of those first novels that you can hardly believe IS a first novel. Head and shoulders above those hundreds of Tolkien derivatives cluttering up the Fantasy shelves. Read it, and hope this writer isn't done!

This is a book to make you remember why you love books. Stevenson writes as if she's never read one, her insights and imagery are startlingly fresh, making you shake your head and see -- and feel -- the world a bit more clearly. She writes with a tremendous love for being alive: evil characters are as beloved as kind ones, the smell of diesel fuel is as much a part of the landscape as the smell of fresh rain. Highest recommendations.

Raedawn Somershoe, her mother Gelia, and several other people live in a collection of trailers along the Fox River. Theirs is a world of mud, junk piles, and mystery, as spectacular as it is shabby. In a strange world, stranger things begin to happen when land developers intrude on the riverbank. Rae's love is killed, the river goes wild, and a storm of activity drowns the area in magic and tension. This novel is not for the faint of heart. Bold in premise, it does not shy away from subjects considered taboo by many people. For those brave enough to take the journey, for anyone who ever lived in a run-down trailer, those who were ever intimate with a few wild acres in the middle of humanity's business, or those who ever had an uncomfortable moment, this is a triumphant read. For those who are easily offended, this is not for you. For those afraid to explore outside their zone of comfort, this is not for you. For those who don't want a story that will cling to their soul long after the book is shelved, this is not for you. "Trash Sex Magic" gets five stars for bold creativity, skilled layering of characters' stories, and for the literary quality of the writing. Although a few scenes in the novel are mildly confusing for the average reader, Stevenson's work shows a brilliant insight into human nature. "A real book is not one that's read, but one that reads us." -W. H. Auden (1907-1973) -C.W.

This is without doubt one of the most original books I have read. It is very beautifully written and certainly took me to a place I have never been. It continues to haunt me weeks after I completed it. I can't recommend it highly enough. It manages to synthesize elements of fanatsy, horror, reality and sensuality in a way that leaves you overwhelmed at the beauty of the world. And one thing is for certain-you will never, never look at a tree in the same way again!

This book was an amazing read. It is hard to believe that it is her first book ! It is a sensuous and lyrical tale told about an odd and unusual group of characters who live along a river bank. The characters are never made fun of or exploited for the story, and instead of victims of society they are people who have made unconventional choices. They are given depth and a vibrancy that makes you think they live on still after the book is done. Her writing is such that you seem to be in their world - it is both very human, and very different. The story is a love affair between the characters and nature, with sex often being their means of communicating and channeling the magic and the love. It is an integral part of the story, but not graphic or leering. The story is told beautifully and contains a bit of mystery, pathos, horror and hope. Though there is a plot, the true focus is the characters and their love of the land and each other. A truly wonderful accomplishment.