Reviews

The Best American Short Stories 2023 by Heidi Pitlor, Min Jin Lee

lily_eames's review

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dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked several of these stories, but after Carmen Maria Machado’s they fell a little flat. 

anj_t's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

aoibhmc's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

stressgirl70's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

3.0

livingprose's review

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challenging reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

nikogatts's review

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3.75

 I can't help but wonder who wrote the synopsis for this collection, because "Twitter users miraculously muster enough empathy to help a lost cat find a forever home" is not an accurate descriptor of any of the stories.

My favorites in this year's batch:

  • "Tender" by Cherline Bazile
  • "His Finest Moment" by Tom Bissell
  • "The Company of Others" by Sara Freeman
  • "The Mine" by Nathan Harris
  • "Grand Mal" by Joanna Pearson
  • "Supernova" by Kosiso Ugwueze
  • "Moon" by Esther Yi 

marthaweeze's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

shereadstales's review

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4.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the digital galley of this anthology.

I don’t do too many short stories, but every once in a while, I come across an anthology, and the yearly wrap ones are a good way to not completely lose touch with short fiction. From the publisher:

These twenty pieces of short fiction that reflect a world full of fractured relationships, but also wondrous hope. A lifelong friendship may become a casualty of the Russia-Ukraine war. Rejected by his lover, a man seeks to reconcile with his family. Twitter users miraculously muster enough empathy to help a lost cat find a forever home. Enlightening, poignant, and undeniably human, the stories in this anthology bravely confront societal darkness and offer, in Lee’s words, “our emotional truths, restoring our sanity and providing comfort for the days ahead.”

Authors include: Cherline Bazile • Maya Binyam • Tom Bissell • Taryn Bowe • Da-Lin • Benjamin Ehrlich• Sara Freeman • Lauren Groff • Nathan Harris • Jared Jackson • Sana Krasikov • Danica Li • Ling Ma • Manuel Muñoz • Joanna Pearson • Souvankham Thammavongsa • Kosiso Ugwueze • Corinna Vallianatos • Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi • Esther Yi.

I really enjoyed this collection. Since the only theme is the best of, these stories run the gamut of plot, characterization, theme, and genre. It was an excellent mix, and I definitely recommend to see what happened this year in the world of short stories. 
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