Spooky Mo By Marivi Soliven
This new edition of Marivi Soliven's scary and unpredictable stories feature the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, avarice, anger, sloth, gluttony,and lust. Read them at your own risk.
Take a tour and try Socorro’s special dish stirred with fury. Have a bite of Lola Ichay’s special palabok with just adash of pride. If you're up for a bit of exercise, join Magda’s intense way of working up a sweat—but steer clear ofYolanda’s pilates class. Be cautious when wandering around alone, danger slithers unexpectedly. A swig of acurious potion may protect you from harm but might prove to be a little biting towards insistent men.
Marivi Soliven has authored 17 books and was granted a Hedgebrook writing residency in 2012. She has taught creative writing at the University of the Philippines and at the University of California San Diego. Her debut novel The Mango Bride won Grand Prize at the 2011 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippine counterpart of the Pulitzer Prize. The novel is being adapted to film, featuring Sharon Cuneta as a principal character and executive producer.
“Pandemic Bread,” her nonfiction essay about interpreting for end of life calls, ranked in the top ten of a hundred stories in The San Diego Decameron Project, an anthology about the Covid 19 pandemic.
What they say about Spooky Mo
“Spooky Mo, as its title intimates, is a lighthearted romp in the horror genre. But don’t let this make you think that it’s all fun; each story’s theme has been inspired by one or more of the seven deadly sins, and although the tales are told in an amusing manner, each one comes from a wound that cuts deep, exposing the rot that many humans, particularly Filipinos, try to hide.
“Soliven deftly makes use of Filipino cultural signposts such as the manananggal, the urban legend of a human snake hybrid in a mall, the querida, and the Japayuki as canvasses for tales of anger, revenge, and comeuppance, making the book feel like a catharsis for the reader, the author, and even some of the characters.
“Soliven herself says that the book was written as therapy, and it is easy to feel the emotion unleashed with every word. Despite what was written in the first sentence, horror is less a genre and more of an emotion, and it’s something Spooky Mo delivers, along with measured doses of comedy, absurdity, and social commentary.” - Yvette Tan, author of Walking the Dead and Other Stories
“There's something reassuring about Marivi Soliven's stories of female rage. If girlfriend can't do it for herself, there's a piece of her energy, wild-eyed and alive in some form, in another plane, that will do the job. The storytelling is brisk, the characters are unforgettable, and the endings are extremely satisfying. If you've ever fantasized about waking up with superpowers one day and going on a rampage to avenge injustice, keep this book close — on your nightstand, in your bag, as your standard gift to friends. Reading these stories is like opening the release valve we all need.” - Tara Sering, author of Getting Better
“Marivi Soliven Blanco has a unique brand of horror stories. Drawing on old folk beliefs, urban legends, popular culture, and even such mundane realities as provincial Philippine cuisine, she concocts this collection of tales, through which runs a dark humor, so outrageous that one is tempted to call it camp. And yet they are truly horrific.” - Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, author of Recuerdo, A Book of Dreams,
Catch a Falling Star, and Collected Stories and Tales.
ISBN: 978-971-828-125-3
Trim size: 5" x 8'