| Category: | Fiction Satire |
|---|---|
| Author: | Zoé Mahfouz |
| Publisher: | North Meridian Press |
| Publication Date: | May 3, 2026 |
| Number of Pages: | 155 |
| ISBN-13: | 979-8991952576 |
| ASIN: | B0GZH5T4N3 |
Few books capture the chaos of a restless mind quite
like ADHD in D Minor, Zoé Mahfouz's new and compelling collection
of satirical short fiction. The book delivers forty-one short stories and skewers
everything from literary elitism to Hollywood gatekeeping, TED Talks, wellness
culture, and the endless noise that populates pop culture, to WhatsApp group
chats. These are told through the enthralling voice of a neurodivergent
narrator who refuses to apologize for taking up space. The stories gleefully
shapeshift between forms: a fake news report on an actress faking Italian
heritage, a BBC motivation letter stitched entirely from show titles, a Nobel
Prize application from a proudly childless woman, and a retold Very Hungry
Caterpillar who devours conspiracy theories before revealing himself as a
Lizard Man. Whether answering a talent agent two years too late or taming a
clueless classmate like a rescue donkey, Mahfouz’s heroine turns frustration
into pure comedic ammunition.
What sets the collection beyond mere provocation is Zoé
Mahfouz’s daring and captivating voice. The storytelling mimics the ADHD brain
itself: breathless run-on sentences that spiral from locking a front door to
earning the Victoria Cross, as in “Building a Neurospicy Fort,” where a
childhood pastime becomes the perfect metaphor for a mind constructing
elaborate catastrophes. The characters, from the fiercely self-aware narrator, Sonic
the Hedgehog, to the deluded actress Mia, are absurd yet achingly resonant.
Beneath the wry humor are currents of well-developed themes: the hunger to be
seen, the exhaustion of performing normalcy, and the madness of institutions
demanding conformity. Even the title carries symbolic weight—D minor, music's
most mournful key, hums beneath every joke, reminding us that comedy is often
grief wearing a clown nose. Razor-sharp, fearless, and unexpectedly tender, ADHD
in D Minor announces Mahfouz as a satirist of rare talent and
considerable heart. I read it in one sitting; your attention span will thank
you.
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