The Survival of Molly Southbourne

April 8, 2019
Thompson’s terrifying and poignant follow-up to 2017’s The Murders of Molly Southbourne poses thoughtful questions about identity and what it means to be human, and packs in all the tension of a crackerjack thriller. When Molly Southbourne bleeds, an identical copy of her, called a molly, is made. Until now, she’s killed every one of them. However, she might have found a way to stop the cycle. Unfortunately, life isn’t much easier without the constant threat of the mollys. When Molly meets a woman named Tamara, who has a similar affliction and has made peace with her copies, Molly hopes to find the reason for her unusual existence. But nothing is quite what it seems, and a horrifying discovery leads to startling revelations. Thompson’s atmospheric, twisty narrative radiates low menace and is punctuated by scenes of bloody body horror that aren’t for the squeamish. Molly’s desire to live—not just survive—against all odds will continue to garner her adoring fans.

June 1, 2019

Molly Southbourne is alive--or not. Actually, the original Molly is dead, and one of her duplicates has fled the burned-out house and bodies in the basement, taking on her name and life. Trying to stay under the radar and ignoring all the memories of original Molly's training, she ends up in fights and is followed, saved by the mysterious crew on the other end of the phone number that the original Molly's mother established. As the new Molly tries to move on, she discovers that while she may not be able to bleed and create clones as her original did, her mind keeps them alive and talking. There are people who remember what the old Molly can do; people who want to use or kill her, whatever it takes to stay in control. To put the past behind her, Molly is going to have to confront the truth about her creation, her lives and death, all in order to survive. VERDICT The follow-up to The Murders of Molly Southbourne is just as chilling as its predecessor, exploring identity and nature in a captivatingly bloody manner. This distinctive horror novella will linger in readers' minds long after they finish.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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