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mmikenaite's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I appreciate this book for how easy it was to ready, however every story follows the same formula and after a while it got kinda boring. Not to mention the weird sort of beastiality moment that happened also brought this book down for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
rubyseemorebooks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Creepy, stories linger on your mind, some were great, some forgettable
tazdy's review
4.0
A great collection of stories. You want weird tales but female lead you have it here. Strong women in strange situations that make you think about the uncanny.
booksandsalt's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pbanditp's review
5.0
“If any of them took the time to actually understand me, they would know to keep their distance, they would know to let a lady read her damn book.” -Unravelling
I can not express how much I adore the women in these stories. Smart, strong, fierce, and independent but also vulnerable, scared, and tired but mostly, they are not going to put up with anyone’s shit.
The writing is to die for, Victoria Dalpe brings absolutely everything to the table. I savored every emotion brought forth, whether I was melancholy or excited, the settings were real, the characters were ones that you rooted for and you couldn’t help but be absorbed into each story. When I mean absorbed into the story, I mean I could taste the salty minerals of the ocean, smell the dusty dry rot of the haunted house, hear the creaky floor of the old mill, and feel the exhaustion of being worshipped and being kept alive.
There are many favorites in this book but I need to talk about the last story, The No Places. It was special and really got to me emotionally. It just hit home. It’s a long quote but I love it.
“Everyone is always looking for the big moments, the big scares, the big joys, but they are wrong. It is here, the in-between spaces, it’s the movement at the corner of the eyes. The moments that can be overlooked. That’s where magic and wonder live.” -The No Places
I can not express how much I adore the women in these stories. Smart, strong, fierce, and independent but also vulnerable, scared, and tired but mostly, they are not going to put up with anyone’s shit.
The writing is to die for, Victoria Dalpe brings absolutely everything to the table. I savored every emotion brought forth, whether I was melancholy or excited, the settings were real, the characters were ones that you rooted for and you couldn’t help but be absorbed into each story. When I mean absorbed into the story, I mean I could taste the salty minerals of the ocean, smell the dusty dry rot of the haunted house, hear the creaky floor of the old mill, and feel the exhaustion of being worshipped and being kept alive.
There are many favorites in this book but I need to talk about the last story, The No Places. It was special and really got to me emotionally. It just hit home. It’s a long quote but I love it.
“Everyone is always looking for the big moments, the big scares, the big joys, but they are wrong. It is here, the in-between spaces, it’s the movement at the corner of the eyes. The moments that can be overlooked. That’s where magic and wonder live.” -The No Places
drakaina16's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
To me, the mark of a really great short story collection is: do the stories leave me wanting more? In the case of Les Femmes Grotesques, the answer is a resounding yes! Almost all of these stories could be expanded to novella or novel length and I still would have devoured them. It's hard to pick favorites, but the standout stories for me are The Guest, The Horror on Sycamore Lane, The Ranch, and The Dare.
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