Desirée de Fez, a film journalist and critic specializing in horror, explores the complexities of familial relationships in her new novel, Don’t Leave Her Alone, released on Tuesday, October 13. The book delves into body horror, intertwining grotesque transformations with a darkly comedic view of motherhood and the emotional burdens we inherit.
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The story follows Alba, who has always relied on the presence of others to manage her anxieties. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she awakens on the floor of a shopping center, bloodied and with little recollection of events. This incident triggers a disintegration of the life she has constructed around her fears. Simultaneously, her sister Diana copes with the conflicting demands of work and motherhood, while their mother, Carmen, is trapped in a relentless cycle of duty and sacrifice. As Christmas Eve approaches, the mounting tensions among the three generations of women manifest in alarming ways.
In an interview with CinemaChords, de Fez discussed how she transforms familiar family pressures into visceral horror, the humor found within bodily grotesquerie, and the unchecked anxieties that flourish when we avoid confrontation.