The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
alreadyinpink's review
2.0
So I normally donât review books I donât finish but I got half way. This just isnât the time of book I enjoy. Itâs not my preference so thatâs why I didnât enjoy it
notesonbookmarks's review
4.0
This book had one of the clearest "themes" of short stories I've ever read, while still being impressive in breadth. I loved buddy reading with CR bookish friends!
elawrence14's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
chirson's review
3.0
Very interesting and beautifully written, but slightly more confusing than I'd have liked. The narrators shifted and blended together at times. Curiously enough, the stories contain a very large number of non-straight characters: made me feel like Oyeyemi was perhaps reacting to the backlash to her last novel.
Only three stars because overall, the collection left me appreciative but unaffected. I would compare it to Kelly Link's and (in case of "Presence") Margo Lanagan's stories, but somehow theirs made a larger impression, on the whole.
Favourites: Books and roses, Drownings, Presence.
Only three stars because overall, the collection left me appreciative but unaffected. I would compare it to Kelly Link's and (in case of "Presence") Margo Lanagan's stories, but somehow theirs made a larger impression, on the whole.
Favourites: Books and roses, Drownings, Presence.
readingwithhippos's review
4.0
Reading Helen Oyeyemi is like working out with a friendly but very aggressive personal trainer. At some point, youâre going to find yourself splayed out on the mat, panting like an animal and protesting that itâs too hard, you canât do one more set. And then she'll blow her whistle in your face and cheerfully scream at you to get a move on.
In much the same way as a good, hard workout eventually leads to an endorphin-fueled breakthrough, Oyeyemiâs short stories eventually clarified for me, and what began as a veins-bulging effort relaxed into a steady rhythm that I could keep pace with. Oyeyemi will never let you get comfortable, but if you strap on your weight belt and bring the intensity, her brand of magical realism will slowly coalesce into something you can hold, loosely, if not fully grasp.
Iâm not a big re-reader, but this collection seems ripe for revisiting. In fact, when I finished the first story, âBooks and Roses,â I flipped right back to the beginning and started again, convinced Iâd missed something. I still donât know if I did or not, even after reading it through twice. Oyeyemi is slippery that way. I wish I had encountered books like this in my college English curriculumâI think it would have totally floored me to read about the world as it actually is, as opposed to how it was, for privileged white men, hundreds of years ago. And yes, I realize the strangeness of referring to Oyeyemi as a realist when her work is so clearly fantastical, but her charactersâthese are people I recognize, that are real, that could exist somewhere and have something important to say, even though history up to this point has told them in no uncertain terms that they are insignificant due to their gender or skin tone or sexuality, and therefore not worthy of a voice.
With regards to Riverhead and Goodreads for the beautiful (deckle-edged! What?!) advance copy, which I was lucky enough to win in a recent giveaway. On sale tomorrow, March 8!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
In much the same way as a good, hard workout eventually leads to an endorphin-fueled breakthrough, Oyeyemiâs short stories eventually clarified for me, and what began as a veins-bulging effort relaxed into a steady rhythm that I could keep pace with. Oyeyemi will never let you get comfortable, but if you strap on your weight belt and bring the intensity, her brand of magical realism will slowly coalesce into something you can hold, loosely, if not fully grasp.
Iâm not a big re-reader, but this collection seems ripe for revisiting. In fact, when I finished the first story, âBooks and Roses,â I flipped right back to the beginning and started again, convinced Iâd missed something. I still donât know if I did or not, even after reading it through twice. Oyeyemi is slippery that way. I wish I had encountered books like this in my college English curriculumâI think it would have totally floored me to read about the world as it actually is, as opposed to how it was, for privileged white men, hundreds of years ago. And yes, I realize the strangeness of referring to Oyeyemi as a realist when her work is so clearly fantastical, but her charactersâthese are people I recognize, that are real, that could exist somewhere and have something important to say, even though history up to this point has told them in no uncertain terms that they are insignificant due to their gender or skin tone or sexuality, and therefore not worthy of a voice.
With regards to Riverhead and Goodreads for the beautiful (deckle-edged! What?!) advance copy, which I was lucky enough to win in a recent giveaway. On sale tomorrow, March 8!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
callmesunday's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
I have no idea what happened, but I had a good time. Beautiful prose and thought-provoking stories
megwilli's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.75
hottieb333's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0