Don't Kiss Me

An explosive story collection from a bold blistering new voice. With broken language deep vernacular unexpectedly fierce empathy and a pace that''ll break your granny''s neck Lindsay Hunter lures cajoles and wrenches readers into the wild world of Don''t Kiss Me. Here you''ll meet Peggy Paula who works the late shift at Perkin''s and envies the popular girls who come in to eat french fries and brag about how far they let the boys get with them. You''ll meet a woman in her mid-thirties pining for her mean-spirited abusive boyfriend Del a nine-year-old who is in no way her actual boyfriend. And just try to resist the noir story of a reluctant Afrin-addled detective. Self-loathing self-loving and otherwise trapped by their own dumb selves these characters make one cringe-worthy mistake after another. But for each bone-headed move Hunter delivers a surprising moment that chokes you up as you peer into what seemed like deep emptiness and discover a profound longing for human understanding. It''s the collision of these moments that make this a powerful alive book. The stories of Don''t Kiss Me are united by Hunter''s singular voice and unflinching eye. By turns crass and tender heartbreaking and devastatingly funny her stories expose a world full of characters seemingly driven by desperation but in the end they''re the ones who get the last laugh. Hunter is at the forefront of the boldest most provocative writers working now.