Kris Bentley

Dark satire tackling gender and power dynamics in the 21st century: In Boy Parts (2020), Eliza Clark produces a rebellious and fevered narrative that is equally hilarious and disturbing. Clark's work tackles power themes to destabilize discourse around gender representation in the 21st Century. The result is a vicious dark comedy that lingers with the reader long after the final chapter. Boy Parts (2020) is a biting satire that explores power dynamics in art. Throughout the text, Clark explores the relationship between the photographer and the subject in erotic art. The narrative subverts the camera gaze by concentrating on the male body. Irina, the narrator, manipulates and dominates her men and adopts a commanding and dominating personality. By shifting the focus onto the male body, Clark subverts discourses about gender representations and roles while raising questions about consent and manipulation. The novel also plays with genre conventions and literary techniques. Clark establishes the narrative as a dark comedy, spending most of the story within this genre. Early chapters satire upper-middle-class British culture. Clark uses her character's dialogue and Irina's observations to critique vapidness and self-obsession regarding status. In addition, Clark delves into horror at the climax. The final chapters indulge in violence and shock. In a weaker narrative, the violence could be considered shock value; instead, Clark uses gore to represent Irina's unstable mental health and her reaction to repressed childhood trauma. The shifts in genre maintain the reader's attention and shows Clark's ability to write across multiple genres. Boy Parts (2020) is a solid first novel that showcases Clark's writing talent and crafts an engaging narrative. Clark's prose is farcical and shocking. The story works as comedy and horror and raises questions about gender, power, and consent. Eliza Clark produces a challenging, aggressive and disruptive tale which proves her worth as an upcoming author.