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dgrachel's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is nearly impossible for me to rate. Most of these are perfect examples of noir. They are gritty, dark, and hopeless. I can’t fault the writing in 75% of the stories. But, and this is big, I’ve never read a collection that left me feeling as despondent as this one. I wish I could bleach my brain and remove all remnants of these stories. I can’t fault them but I wish I’d never had to experience them. There are two exceptions to this - there's a story with a baseball conspiracy at its heart, "The Silent Partner" by Susan Petrone, which was fun, and "Sugar Daddy" by Abby L. Vandiver, which was also entertaining. If the entire collection had been like these, it would have been perfect. They had classic noir elements, but did not leave me feeling hopeless or dirty. If you are sensitive to child abuse and/or detailed horrors of gay conversion therapy (of which I had been blissfully unaware) DO NOT READ "Jock Talk" by Sam Conrad. This was so horrific that it overshadowed the entire collection. I wish it had never been written or included in this anthology, and I absolutely wish I had the warning so I could have never, ever read it. It has haunted me for days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Drug use
foureyebooks's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Cleveland Noir is one of best short story collections I've read in a long time (and I don't say that lightly). It's gritty, suspenseful, and sometimes heartbreaking. The editors really crafted a collection of stories from points of view that are atypical of the noir genre and its refreshing. I can't wait to dive into the reading the authors other works. Do yourself a service and pick this up from your local indie bookstore.
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