Tender Morsels

Tender Morsels cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Technical
  • ID: 4621
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • ISBN: 9780099546139
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2010-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

In a world filled with cruelty, a young woman finds solace in a magical realm where she can raise her two daughters in peace. This alternate reality provides a respite from the horrors she has endured, allowing her to heal and nurture her family. However, as the barrier between her sanctuary and the real world weakens, the fragile balance of their existence is threatened. The story explores themes of trauma, resilience, and the fragile nature of safety, all wrapped in a richly imagined fantasy setting.

Reviews
Kara Reviews · Kara Babcock · 2014-02-11
compelling 4.00

The reviewer appreciates the slow build-up and the unique characters that interlope on Liga's fantasy world. The book is noted for its dark and cruel moments, but the beautiful writing keeps the reader engaged.

Kara Babcock appreciates the slow build-up and the unique characters that interlope on Liga's fantasy world. She notes that the book is dark and cruel at times, but the beautiful writing keeps the reader engaged. The reviewer suggests that the book's exploration of themes like abuse and resilience makes it a powerful read, though it can be quite disturbing. The slow build-up is used effectively to create a sense of tension and unease.


Quick quotes

    Lanagan uses the slow build to good effect.

    Those other characters are interlopers on Liga's fantasy world.

    The dark, boiling awfulness established in the first section is what makes the book so compelling.

The Book Smugglers · 2009-08-11
masterful 4.00

The book is praised for its dark and vivid storytelling, set in two worlds. The prose is masterful, and the unique take on the fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red is particularly noted.

The reviewer highlights the dark and vivid storytelling of the book, set in two worlds. They praise the masterful prose and the unique take on the fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red. The reviewer suggests that the book's exploration of themes like abuse and resilience makes it a powerful read, though it can be quite disturbing at times. The beautiful writing keeps the reader engaged even through the darkest moments.


Quick quotes

    Tender Morsels is a dark and vivid story, set in two worlds and worrying at the border between them.

    It has some of the most masterful prose I've read in a long time.

    The beautiful, precise writing kept me plowing forward even when the story got so dark and cruel that I felt sick.

The Guardian · 2009-07-31
profound 4.50

The book is a blend of humor, tragedy, and wisdom, beautifully written but also shocking. It explores themes of resilience and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

The reviewer found the book to be a profound exploration of human resilience and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality. They appreciated the humor, tragedy, and wisdom woven into the narrative, noting that the book is beautifully written. However, it also left them gasping with shock, indicating that the content is not for the faint-hearted. The reviewer suggests that the book's unique take on fairy tales makes it a standout read.


Quick quotes

    Tender Morsels, by the Australian author Margo Lanagan, is funny, tragic, wise, tender and beautifully written.

    It also left me gasping with shock.

    It is a story about resilience and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

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