By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente | BOOK REVIEW

Book: By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente 

Pages : 200

Genre: Fiction 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content Warning and Trigger Warning: Rape, sexual abuse.

By Light We Knew Our Names is a collection of stories which aren't linked with each other through characters or theme. But they will pack a punch to your gut if you breathe enough of these stories and get engulfed in the powerful emotion-packed worlds created by Valente in this book.

These short stories vary in theme, from a girl who is able to see ghosts to girls who are abused at the hands of their loved ones.  

The first story will land you in fantasy and may feel somewhat kiddish but don't get deceived by that, the book is not for those with a faint heart. The subsequent stories will only get gloomier, darker and brutal, enough to make you weary and perturbed.

I'm going to mention my favorite stories- 'Minivan' and 'By Light We Knew Our Names'. They are brimming with raw and ferocious emotions. They are probably the ones with most trigger warnings too. So, please be cautious of that. 

The writing of Valente is fresh, evocative, at times quite graphic, but most importantly it's powerful. Enough to make us question, think about situations which we can't fathom to imagine ourselves in. This was my first book by her and I'm so impressed by her dauntless writing.

Every story holds in itself a message/significance - a compelling force of words, sentiments. All of these stories are  different, occasionally obscure but implore you to look deeper, feel deeper, search for the meaning of what's written and more so for what's not. 

The stories will lurch you away from your bubble of safety, stability, warmth, and may be make you contemplate about how some people in reality, may have actually experienced. Life gives different situations to everyone and how we tackle and fight with that situation make us who we are.