Small Bites, by Eliane Boey

Small Bites is a really brilliant novella, but I'm not sure I will be able to do it justice with just words; a domestic horror without villains, that slowly dissects the causes behind the situation in parallel with its main character, paired with an amazing prose that elevates the reading experience.

At its core, what we have it's a novella built around Hammie, a mother that has lost the appetite and herself, rediscovering them through the company of a spider in her cupboard; a slow dissection of the causes, those moments where she slowly abandons herself in order to give to the others, dismissing herself. A marvelously complex character who has lost her identity, in parallel with the increased pressure coming from other sources as motherhood, career, or marriage; we see how she loses that appetite in parallel to how she stops being Hammie to become the mother, the wife. Boey manages to pack much commentary on all of those topics through incisive and even darkly humorous prose.

Another aspect to highlight is the role that food plays in this novella, and how Boey's prose creates vivid descriptions of it, almost too vivid at moments, playing into the horror elements of the novella. That, paired with how visceral and raw much of the novella feels, makes an excellent combination, creating a memorable piece.

Small Bites is a novella you need to experience by yourself because I can assure you it won't leave you indifferent; if you are looking for an impactful piece that you can devour in one sit, I strongly recommend picking Small Bites.