Sophia was made for him. Her perfect husband. She can feel it in her bones. He is perfect. Their home together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect. Everything is perfect.
It's just that he's away so much. So often. He works so hard. She misses him. And he misses her. He says he does, so it must be true. He is the perfect husband and everything is perfect.
But sometimes Sophia wonders about things. Strange things. Dark things. The look on her husband's face when he comes back from a long business trip. The questions he will not answer. The locked basement she is never allowed to enter. And whenever she asks the neighbors, they can't quite meet her gaze...
But everything is perfect. Isn't it?
With a Stepford Wives vibe, Comfort Me with Apples, questions a so called perfect husband who may not be so perfect after all.
I wouldn't have thought one hundred pages would take me to a wtf moment but it did. Valente used a short length novel to her advantage and packed a punch. It may have seemed obvious what the town represented but it was lost on me until the moment where everything became clear. I was impressed with how engaged I felt with such a short book. I wouldn't say Comfort Me with Apples was a thrilling horror but it is a realistic one which can be very discomforting in itself. I can see why this would be a book where either people love it or hate it so I'm glad I am the former.
Sophia's narration could be flowery with her depictions of her perfect life including when sinister details start to unravel. I think the psychological factor could have been beefed up with about fifty more pages. So although I praise how much storytelling I received in a short book, it could still be short but give me a little something more.
I was confused a good portion of the book. I mean I knew where part of the story was going but then there was that twist. I liked not knowing the dark underbelly of what was happening in Sophia's world. It kept me reading. There is a moment after the reveal that Sophia basically asks why she isn't as important as her husband. With the implications of the reveal it's an impactful line to every woman who has felt caged by a man and/or who has faced abuse in any form by a man. Now of course there are many great men but I could understand where Sophia was coming from. Like Gwen Stefani sings, "Oh, I'm just a girl, guess I'm some kind of freak / 'Cause they all sit and stare with their eyes / Oh, I'm just a girl, take a good look at me / Just your typical prototype. Sophia's question was a quiet, painful cry from someone who knew her destiny. It was disconcerting which is why it was my favorite part.
It really depends on you if you'll love this or not. Of course that's with every book but if I was trying to recommend this book it could be difficult. If you like the Stepford Wives, don't mind a flowery prose, and are up for anything I would give Comfort Me with Apples a try. It might surprise you.
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