And then it came to her, all of a sudden, like the crack of a shotgun: they’re the ones inside a soap bubble. Not me. The Storyteller is a deeply layered novel of pain, abuse and our ability to survive it. This survival may not be the final scene you were hoping for but it’s real, it hurts and in some strange way it releases you from the burden in order for you to move on. It was a disaster … It was the most wonderful thing in the world.When I started The Storyteller I knew it was going to be a dark read, I just didn’t understand how dark. Antonia Michaelis takes you on a treacherous journey and I’m still sitting here not sure if I truly understood it all. This book depicts graphic violence; acts that cannot be forgotten and they are shockingly painful to read. Intertwined with that violence are words woven together almost like a soft blanket. It’s this combination of hurt and pain paired with utter beauty that makes this novel so unique.… She tasted the fairy tale’s words on his tongue, not vanilla ice cream or chocolate or cigarettes. No. She tasted the words themselves, the ocean’s salt water and the wolf’s blood … and behind the words, winter. But behind the winter, there was another taste, a taste she only recognized after a while: the taste of fear. He was afraid, and he was not holding her—he was holding onto her. She was suddenly and completely aware of that. I’m not sure that I can even discuss what happened in the book without spoiling something for the reader. Just know that in these beautifully flawed characters Antonia Michaelis has been able to pull you into a world that is so believable it’s almost painful. Just a tiny little pain, Three days of heavy rain, Three days of sunlight, Everything will be all right. Just a tiny little pain …
