Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club

The epigraph reads “This might hurt a little - be brave.”
Lord thunderin' Jesus there is dark stuff ahead rendered in some of the most compelling prose I've read from this year's Giller shortlist. Jaw-dropping at times. It's Valentines Day at the Hazel in downtown St. John's Newfoundland and no one is getting out unscathed. It's a bleak #MeToo novel, examining toxic masculinity, an enabling culture, and little in the way of a clear or even hopeful path through.

Megan Gail Coles is unflinching, completely merciless, and sentiment free in her writing. I found the start disjointed and unfamiliar but it came sharply into focus like a roadside accident you can't look away from. You're compelled yet can't help but feel horrifyingly voyeuristic and implicated by your gaze. I can't wait to see what she's got in store next.

I'm not sure I liked this book. It took a very long time to introduce the many characters and an even longer time for me to figure out how they were all connected. There are a lot of passages that are quite graphic and difficult to get through. I also didn't find the ending brought any closure, or brought things to a conclusion in any way.

The author's playwright chops are clearly visible in this novel: though the story ostensibly takes place over a single work day of a single restaurant, the backstory of each character in the ensemble is laid out beautifully and tied to their state of mind on the day, resulting in a lot of drama - possibly maybe a bit too much?

Either way, it was a mesmerising read with some great insights into the psychology of casual cruelties that people inflict on each other.