Sour PRICKS by Mari Reiza

Sour pricks is a collection of short stories. All different with a diverse menu of characters. However, one thing they have in common is the eureka moments. Moments when they realize the exact kind of change they need to make. It seems to be a running theme. There are no satisfying conclusions to the stories. They are more descriptions of mental and psychological states at particular times.

A tour of the lives of the different characters starts at a restaurant. There are bits of conversation from different tables at different times during the day. One also gets a peek into the minds of the people under watch. The internal dialogue and chats with whoever is sitting across seem to be miles apart. It reveals the normalcy of wearing a mask for fear of ruffling up feathers. It gives the reader a sense of forbidden participation. This is the best kind of participation.

A stay at home mum sits at a school panel barely hearing or gaining from the information being spewed on stage. Her mind fleeting from one thing to another. She thinks about her inability to let go of her daughter. She wonders about Orla’s love life. She is surprised at the preparation other parents have already taken their children through. The internal dialogue of different characters in this short story plunges one into the abyss of gender and status quo.

Being a working mum is difficult. On one hand, leaving the children all day with a hired help is breaks her heart. On the other, her work is necessary. Lady survives a day of name-calling among other forms of verbal abuse. She then goes home to an empty house. This is any mother’s worst nightmare. Rosamie left the children by themselves. The neighbor threatens to end the authorities after her for child neglect. A trip mandated by her Dragon Lady Boss changes her life forever. She separates from her husband. She cares for her children. Then later travels the world and charts a different path. She is at peace.

The characters are relatable. They struggle with decision making and relationships just like any other person. Mari Reiza invites the reader into the depths of her characters’ most intimate thoughts. Their internal dialogues are snarky and sarcastic at times. This is the author’s specialty. Taking an odd story and making it into a piece of art worth indulging in.

All the stories are centered on one regular activity or other. There is a lot to be learned from the vivid descriptions of these activities that would typically pass without as much as a note. The reader will appreciate the moments of transition from unhappy to zen. They will understand how one small decision can cause so much wide spread effects. Maybe by taking an aerial view of constricting relationships or crippling situations, one can find an exit they had never imagined before. 

The opening is a little weak. The reader might stumble a bit before finally finding their footing and settling into the writing. Sour PRICKS offers a classic Mari Reiza kind of treat. It is not to be missed