Book Review: The Parliament

The Parliament
by Amy Pokwatka
Review by Renata

This genre-mashing horror/fantasy/drama never attempts to explain why a horde of murderous owls – the bloodthirsty “parliament” of the title – has surrounded a library in small-town West Virginia, trapping a group of adults and teens inside. Pokwatka’s compelling writing demands we suspend disbelief and focus instead on the tension she ratchets to fever pitch. Balancing the hostage drama, she delivers a clever story-within-a-story via a book that is read to the teens in installments to keep them calm during the feathery siege. Both narratives explore trauma, courage, sacrifice and the strength to be found in community, and both remain nail-bitingly gripping throughout.

For fans of Kelly Link – and Pokwatka’s debut Self-Portrait with Nothing.