Fresh Apples

Winner of the ‘Orange Futures’ Award with In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl, Rachel Trezise has produced a stunning selection of short stories in Fresh Apples. All of her stories take us into real-life situations that are often gritty and dark, though they have humour as well. There is immense talent in her portrayal of these lives – ‘Coney island’ is exquisite in its description of two vulnerable young people who spark each other off into a complex and edgy situation which takes them from Treorchy in South Wales to the USA, very clever indeed. Her humour resonates well after the end of the stories, and although some of imagery can shock, it can also jolt the reader into engaging and then staying with the story as she elaborates with sparkle. Trezise often mixes the homely with the sinister, as in ‘The Joneses’ – where a teenage boy falls for his neighbour who has a violent boyfriend. She gets the balance of atmosphere perfectly as the tension builds, and keeps the story alive. There is often a touch of sadness that resonates, particularly regarding cultural and economic stresses. She captures these moments neatly and sensitively –in ‘Jigsaws’ ‘I spent the first year of my marriage with a Media Guardian in my hand, picking out graphic designer appointments and circling them in red ink. Sometimes, I got as far as folding an application letter into an envelope, I don’t think I ever posted one; the post office was so far away.’ Every story in this collection will have you reeling. It is an intense and wonderful book from a very talented writer. -- Clare Maynard @ www.gwales.com