B99
Public Record
Excerpt from Public Opinion.

Most Popular Positive Opinion Of with Abandon by Frida Bilson.

Frida Bilson’s book with Abandon is a visceral look into the most difficult parts of a loving relationship. On a surface level, her novel deals with the narrator’s lover finding new love. Cleverly, though, she deftly avoids placing blame on the narrator’s partner or the “other person” by separating her antagonist from a person and merely calling them Abandon. This clever tactic avoids attaching a singular name to the pains the narrator describes, and allows for much more relatable poetry and themes. […] Bilson plays with grammar to create emphasis in individual moments and throughout the book. For example, each mention of the narrator’s partner uses a capitalized pronoun (the partner’s name is never given), which grants a sense of reverence and worship from the narrator toward their partner. The first line, “My Love is with Abandon.” By using her word play so plainly, Bilson is able to remove blame from the partner and acknowledge the true fear of the narrator within the first five words. How can one be blamed for being “with abandon?” Carelessness is infrequent, and should be nurtured. But the narrator sees only the threat of abandonment. Through the progression of the story, Abandon takes on a sinister personality, as told from the perspective of the narrator. […] In this beautiful work of Freeform Fiction, Frida Bilson has created a beautiful and harrowing depiction of self-inflicted fear.

Ambrin Crabgrass