South

by A M Molloy

[Ben Pick]

South is a coming of age story as multiple individuals in an art college in Toronto meet and become friends. The characters felt natural, each with their own quirks, strengths, and weaknesses. The plot and dialogue flowed well and included some genuinely heart-breaking moments.

The story takes place over a two year college experience with each chapter being roughly a month. This give room for the characters to grow for both the better and worse from beginning to end.

Also, A.M. Molloy has written some well great songs within the story. These did not have to be explicitly written out, but they added to the story, its characters, and the lived in world created.

There are some strong trigger warnings. One of the main point of view characters suffers from PTSD and has vivid hallucinations throughout the story.

South includes several romantic scenes, though these never felt overly indulgent or included as spectacles. This was an incredible LGBTQ+ story which showcased how characters can struggle in their moments of weakness and rise to the challenges in their lives, even when a building falls on them.