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Armfield writes of the girl’s flesh “cracking” and “severing” beneath her clothes, and the pieces of skin and hair that she cleans up from the floor.

The collection begins with the story, “Mantis”, a tale about an adolescent girl who begins shedding her skin, hair, and teeth during puberty. Perhaps “curiosities” is the wrong word to use here, as these characters are almost all fully realized and sensitively treated by the narrative, and provide a solid anchor for the more magical storylines. Amongst Armfield’s collection of curiosities is a woman whose girlfriend returns to her apartment as a rotting zombie, a girl coming to terms with her canine stepsister, a woman who gives birth to a sea creature, and a magnetic girlband whose fans morph into monsters. The stories are chiefly concerned with the bodies of young women, and explore both autonomy and human connection. Salt Slow is the debut story collection from Julia Armfield, one that blends nature and magical realism with dazzling results.