“And I Do Not Forgive You” by Amber Sparks is a collection of short stories that are all unique accounts of love, tragedy, life, fantasy and religion told through a feminine lens. Somehow, these fictional stories blend together perfectly to create a book that centers around one common theme: revenge. 

The typical revenge stories we see in mainstream media — gory Tarantino movies like “Kill Bill,” meticulously framed ex-lovers like “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, or “Carrie” by Stephen King — are not the stories the author delivers. Though these stories of women seeking their revenge through violence (mostly against men) are great tales, there is something about their nature that doesn’t realistically portray what revenge is like for women in real life.

This novel gives a new perspective to the word revenge and makes the reader question their own definition of forgiveness as well. 

Some of what Sparks writes feels like you could be reading it straight from the page of Seventeen magazine. Other short stories feel like all-too-familiar experiences you have had with best friends, mothers and fathers, siblings and strangers. The stories are narrated by different personalities, from princesses to teenage girls in trailer parks, most of them women. 

Despite the different tones, the theme is tied so strongly to the experiences of women. The themes of fault, blame, guilt, betrayal and forgiveness are among some of the common themes; however, the novel doesn’t overwhelm the reader with sadness or anger.

Though this book is about revenge, it’s easy to forget the overarching theme at any given time. The language is vivid, the author is humorous and reflective and the imagery is nothing short of beautiful. This book might be the definition of genre blurring.

One great example of the author’s balance between comedy and drama is her story “Short and Slightly Speculative History of Lavoisier’s Wife,” a tale about a woman married to a chemist. She was more educated than him, but she was simply an assistant to his work and in making him famous. Even when writing about the injustice of not being recognized as a scholar in comparison to your less-qualified husband, Sparks doesn’t let the character stray from feelings of both love and resentment for him. This underlying anger in this chapter is buried deep beneath layers of humor and wit.

“Perhaps they could have been friends, had Corday not been, you know, guillotined on the Place de la Revolution. Maybe they could have started a zine, could have conducted their own chemical experiments. Perhaps they could have discussed the practical problems of being broad-minded women when women were basically just broads. Perhaps they could have at least had coffee and croissants and bitched about the nuns,” reads a passage in “Short and Slightly Speculative History of Lavoisier’s Wife.” 

This collection of short stories is a fast and entertaining read. Are breakup books a thing? If so, this one should be at the top of your list. Whether you have been scorned by an ex lover, abandoned by a former best friend or simply love a good revenge story, this one’s for you.

Rating: 8/10