Several years ago, I interviewed Missy Wilkinson about her writer life. Afterward, she sent me coffee and a mug as a thank you, and I’ve liked her ever since! Right away, I bought Wilkinson’s novel, Destroying Angel, published by Prizm Books. And I did that thing where I hang on to the book for too long! Woops. After I DNF’d several books last week, I wanted to go someplace I felt “safe,” book-wise. I remembered Wilkinson’s kindness and grabbed her novella.
The story begins with Gates, her father, and Dr. Ascuitto gathered around Gates’s mom’s bed in the hospital. The mother has just died, and while sad, Gates is more puzzled: she hears her mother’s dead body say, “find my heart.” Right away, something paranormal! After, the book proceeds normally for a while. Gates starts at a new high school — the family moved a lot to get the best medical treatment for the mother. There are two beautiful mean girls and one drippy weird girl (per the norm).
Gates tries to befriend both groups without thinking, doing both badly. It doesn’t help that her dad is the school’s new band teacher; guaranteed popularity suicide. However, this year’s drum major, John Ed, is super handsome and doesn’t fit the band geek stereotype. John Ed is invited to dinner at Gates’s house (her dad’s tradition), and readers learn that he is recovering from addiction and a drug charge, but excels at designing marching patterns to go with music.
At school, the beautiful mean girls decide to shun Gates, leaving her with the drippy weird girl, who wears unicorn sweatshirts and carries around toy ponies unironically. This is where everything gets weird! There’s a strange drug called Amanita that either kills people or takes them to a new level of consciousness where they excel in any creative talents they have. There’s a magical kingdom with a murderess ruler. A crazy doctor who steals bodies. And homecoming weekend! I loved the blend of normal and absurd in Destroying Angel, limiting the characters to normal teens who experience strange events and places. I could not guess what would happen next, and I had to keep reading.
The characterization was strong, too. Even though Wilkinson started with stereotypes, she subverts the stereotypes to make the characters unpredictable. The gorgeous guy is a band geek, helpful, and a drug addict. The mean girls need help from the narrator when trapped in a rehab facility. The drippy girl has a deadly aim and thirst for destruction. The narrator never pities herself; she keeps moving forward, and her feelings are naturally revealed instead of told. Even Gates’s father surprised me as he determines when to punish or forgive his daughter as she tells wild stories that seem impossible.
Wilkinson is an inventive, talented woman who made something new for young adult readers that is sure to appeal to adults, too. I couldn’t put this book down! Wilkinson is a small-press author, so I’m including links to support her book. Apparently, the original publisher had to close up shop amid scandal, but there are some used copies of Wilkinson’s Destroying Angel. Used books don’t benefit an author, but the book deserves love — and to be read.
Grab the Lapels 
I hadn’t heard about all that drama surrounding the press, but what a shame for all the authors involved. On a lighter note, I’m glad you enjoyed the book!
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It’s common for a small press to go under. In the U.S., they are often funded by the owner’s personal money rather than any kind of grants or income from books. It’s not so common for a small press to go under in an illegal fashion, though.
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Indeed. It’s difficult enough for a small press to thrive without their authors having to wade such unnecessarily murky waters.
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This certainly sounds imaginative. I always find it interesting when authors subvert stereotypes in genuinely fresh ways. It’s a difficult technique to pull off well, and glad to see it worked so well here.
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I’m so sad that it’s not available through a publishing company anymore! There are copies on Amazon. Wilkinson’s book reassured me that I don’t hate young adult literature, but I hate the fact that all the popular young adult literature out there right now is riding on the same lazy tropes.
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This one sounds really odd, but in a good way. That’s too bad about the publisher. I wonder if the author has another book you can promote, but I just glanced at Amazon and didn’t see another.
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I looked around, and it’s like the author pulled back from a lot of things: social media, Goodreads, even her own website. There is no mention of Destroying Angel on her website, just her freelance journalism pieces. I wish she’d come back!
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Nice! Sounds like a real gem here, and I’m starting to enjoy the blend of real and paranormal a little more these days. I loved it when I was young (hello Buffy the Vampire Slayer!) but it’s having a bit of a renaissance in my life with magical realism, etc.
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And the magical realism in this book isn’t overwhelming. When there’s magical stuff happening, it’s so well done that it’s almost like a different sort of reality. And then everything goes back to reality for reals.
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Sounds fascinating. I do enjoy well-done magic realism and fiction that blends the real and the supernatural. I hope Wilkinson can find a better publisher next time!
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I agree! You know what’s funny is I didn’t even think of Destroying Angle as magical realism until another blogger pointed it out. But it really is! The main character has magical things happen to her and then BOOP! we’re back in reality with little evidence that it actually happened.
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[…] owned it for too long, so I finally read and loved Destroying Angel by Missy Wilkinson. Many of you lamented that her book isn’t available anymore due to a […]
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