Book: Mama Came Calling by Ezra Clayton Daniels
Reviewed by Frex
Rating: 4.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley, Ezra Clayton Daniels and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this early! Camilla Sucre's artwork is fantastic and creepy to the max! Fits the story and vibe very well. Very short, but it hits you with a punch of a story. Was able to read it in one sitting, but it still is in my head. Set in a fictional county in Florida, it could very well be in the everglades portion of the state. It appears to be the home of Gator Bait, a candy and also a well known term for a discriminatory practice, and this is where we meet Kirah. She's out in the swamp park area, researching for an outing for the group home she is a social worker for. This is where we learn that when she was a little girl, a monster with the body of a man and the head of an alligator climbed into her window and attempted to kill her. We are also introduced to her father, who has been locked up for the crime, as he has been released. The interaction between the two of them is heartbreaking but so understandable. From there, things become intense, and it appears someone is after Kirah. The ending was a bit surprising and half expected. Not taking away my rating though, because this was definitely a great read! Will absolutely buy a physical copy once it is released.