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pearseanderson's review
4.0
What a great collection! This took me two weeks of nightstand reading to finish, and I only skipped two stories, Cougar and History in China, because those were not grabbing me by halfway through. Everything else was good or great, with my favorites being Jamel Brinkley's "A Family" and Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prairie Wife". This book was full of interesting two-person interactions, from a elderly Korean grandparent who might have killed his grandson and forgotten it to a elk horn hunter and her lover. On the second read of Emma Cline's Los Angeles I still loved it, and Esme Weijun Wan's "What a Terrible Things It Was" still felt a bit too sudden in construction. It was a pleasure to read most of these and learn about the authors and why they created them, especially how long they were crafting them and storing them away. Made me confident in my ability. I can do some of these tricks. I can certainly read and understand what they put down here. Thank you Roxane Gay.
artemismoon's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kimtrucks's review against another edition
4.0
Brief reviews of every story:
Cougar: a child on the brink of adulthood, from an impoverished and small family, becomes fixated on a local cougar, for good reason. Very good.
A Family: so like the stories from his collection that I had to double check that I hadn't read it already.
The Art of Losing: a lovely and understated view of aging, esp. As immigrants. Wonderful.
Los Angeles: an aspiring actress working at an unnamed-but-clearly-American-apparel store finds a new way to make money. Did not leave a strong impression on me.
Unearth: an adult woman grapples with her brother's heretofore denied death in a residential school (designed to destroy Native culture). Very good.
Boys go to Jupiter: a photo of a confederate flag bikini creates a college scandal. I find this one shallow.
A history of China: a woman goes to a family reunion after her father's death, unable to say what she needs to. Fine, the time shifts made an otherwise wonderfully concrete story feel deliberately unmoored.
Come on, Silver: a bride-training camp for menstruating young women meets am unwilling participant (and some very bad Latin?). Wonderful tone, not sure about the whole.
What got into us: a young queer romance goes awry. Very well done.
Everything is far from here: from inside the refugee camps at the border, a mother searches for her son.
Good with boys: a young woman tries a very determined plot to turn a field trip into a burgeoning romance. Lovely narrator.
Control negro: a father explains a son's life. Shades of Three Identical Strangers.
The brothers brujo: I could not finish this, it as relentlessly concerned with the horror of abuse.
A big true: an itinerant immigrant musician from Iran tries and fails to connect with his daughter. Fine.
Items awaiting protective enclosure: a subtly post-apocalyptic tale that sneaks up on you. Very good.
The baptism: a pastor attempts to right his prior wrong in a frontier setting. Soli's.
Suburbia!: a woman places a bet to never go home. Despite an unexpected twist, did not enjoy it.
The prairie wife: a strangely vicious roman-a-clef about a prominent food blogger turns into something sweeter, but not enough to wash the sour taste out of my mouth.
Whose heart I long to stop with the click of a revolver: a woman grapples with the history of her newly child in light of their reunion. Excellent.
What terrible thing it was: a psychiatric patient considers treatment options. Great.
Cougar: a child on the brink of adulthood, from an impoverished and small family, becomes fixated on a local cougar, for good reason. Very good.
A Family: so like the stories from his collection that I had to double check that I hadn't read it already.
The Art of Losing: a lovely and understated view of aging, esp. As immigrants. Wonderful.
Los Angeles: an aspiring actress working at an unnamed-but-clearly-American-apparel store finds a new way to make money. Did not leave a strong impression on me.
Unearth: an adult woman grapples with her brother's heretofore denied death in a residential school (designed to destroy Native culture). Very good.
Boys go to Jupiter: a photo of a confederate flag bikini creates a college scandal. I find this one shallow.
A history of China: a woman goes to a family reunion after her father's death, unable to say what she needs to. Fine, the time shifts made an otherwise wonderfully concrete story feel deliberately unmoored.
Come on, Silver: a bride-training camp for menstruating young women meets am unwilling participant (and some very bad Latin?). Wonderful tone, not sure about the whole.
What got into us: a young queer romance goes awry. Very well done.
Everything is far from here: from inside the refugee camps at the border, a mother searches for her son.
Good with boys: a young woman tries a very determined plot to turn a field trip into a burgeoning romance. Lovely narrator.
Control negro: a father explains a son's life. Shades of Three Identical Strangers.
The brothers brujo: I could not finish this, it as relentlessly concerned with the horror of abuse.
A big true: an itinerant immigrant musician from Iran tries and fails to connect with his daughter. Fine.
Items awaiting protective enclosure: a subtly post-apocalyptic tale that sneaks up on you. Very good.
The baptism: a pastor attempts to right his prior wrong in a frontier setting. Soli's.
Suburbia!: a woman places a bet to never go home. Despite an unexpected twist, did not enjoy it.
The prairie wife: a strangely vicious roman-a-clef about a prominent food blogger turns into something sweeter, but not enough to wash the sour taste out of my mouth.
Whose heart I long to stop with the click of a revolver: a woman grapples with the history of her newly child in light of their reunion. Excellent.
What terrible thing it was: a psychiatric patient considers treatment options. Great.
kkline20's review
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
ejones08's review
4.0
The story "Suburbia' carved its way into my heart. Not sure exactly if that's good or bad or something more towards indescribable, only know it won't leave me anytime soon.
frantastic's review
my favorite stories:
“los angeles” by emma cline
“boys go to jupiter” by danielle evans
“come on, silver” by ann glaviano
“good with boys” by kristen iskandrian
“the brothers brujo” by matthew lyons
“suburbia!” by amy silverberg
“whose heart i long to stop with the click of a revolver” by rivers solomon
“los angeles” by emma cline
“boys go to jupiter” by danielle evans
“come on, silver” by ann glaviano
“good with boys” by kristen iskandrian
“the brothers brujo” by matthew lyons
“suburbia!” by amy silverberg
“whose heart i long to stop with the click of a revolver” by rivers solomon
terpomai's review
5.0
Highlights: The Art of Losing, Yoon Choi; Boys Go to Jupiter, Danielle Evans; Come On, Silver, Ann Glaviano; Good With Boys, Kristen Iskandrian; The Prairie Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld.
ckporier's review against another edition
3.0
3-1/2 stars. Some of these stories were great, some were "eh.". Enjoyed it overall.