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mitskacir's review against another edition
4.0
Because of the short story format, I don't think these will stick with me for long (short stories rarely do), but I did really enjoy these while I was reading them. I especially liked the first story, Sugar Babies - it was sad and poignant, but also extremely funny. I would certainly come back to read that one again. I picked up this book because it was part of an NPR article highlighting books representing each state, this one for Colorado, and I was interested to read fiction that took place where I was born. However, while familiar names like Durango and Colfax Ave occasionally popped up, the stories were very character driven and didn't have a strong sense of setting or place - or perhaps my experiences in Northern Colorado just differ from the Denver/Southern Colorado settings of these stories.
sean_burciago's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
always_reading_ashley's review
3.5
Well written, but not my jam. I by no means thought these were bad, but with the exception of the first story, I was somewhat bored throughout the rest of them. I did really enjoy the first story, Sugar Babies.
brulereads's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Powerfully written ingrained sadness in each narrative. The stand out stories for me were: Tomi, Sabrina & Corina, Sugar Babies, Ghost Sickness & Remedies. Two I felt were the weakest / redundant were: Any Father West, All Her Names.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, and Grief
catwhisperer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
316bunny316's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jemiddleton7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
lgiery's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Excellent short story collection that delves into generational and embodied trauma, maternal wounds, poverty, domestic violence, abandonment, disease, death, and story telling. The stories feature narratives of Latina women of Native American ancestry in the American West. My favorite was "Any Further West" with "Sugar Babies" and "Tomi" as close runners up. Some of the stories did, however, feel like they weren't completly fleshed out hence the 4.0 star rating.
laura_corsi's review against another edition
5.0
I flew through these stories. Kali Fajardo-Anstine is an amazing writer. Her language is spare and beautiful. You can see the landscape through the eyes of her characters. Each story is complete in itself and fully draws and shows development in its characters. No cliffhangers that leave you wondering what the point was, but rather beautiful stories that give you many characters to love and revisit. An amazing collection. Just beautiful. Definite trigger warnings though. These stories are often dark and difficult.