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jaelikes's review
3.0
Ugh her books are so dreamy but FLB has an exoticism/racism problem. See also: exoticism of trans people.
llanahreads's review
5.0
This novel helped me to survive my middle school years and has consistently aided me in dark times. I've read this book to my sister when she needed a something to add a little more brightness to her day. The stories are so raw and real but in a beautifully whimsical way. I will never forget Block's writing and I'm so grateful that I found this book. There is a story for everyone, her words just resonate within your soul and it's so profound. I've never read anything like it.
hauntedlibrary's review
4.0
This was my first encounter with Francesca Lia Block, and it was the right book at the right time! What a beautiful collection of stories. This slim volume is full of glowing alien princesses of all ages and forms, with a strong connection to grrl 'zine culture. It is also rich with the sights and smells of California (particularly Los Angeles), from the winding, sage-smelling path of Laurel Canyon to the salty ocean air, to the godforsaken Valley, to the magic of Golden Gate park, with Manhattan thrown in as well for contrast. One of the stories made me cry, and several made me smile. Block's language is really beautiful here. I look forward to reading some of her other work.
nextboldmove's review
3.0
I loved [b:Wasteland|14563|Wasteland|Francesca Lia Block|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1166639453s/14563.jpg|990433] when I read it several years ago, and I always meant to pick up another of Block's books when I had the chance. When one of the short stories in this collection came up recently in a Dear Prudie column at Slate.com, I decided to return to see if the rest of her fiction had the same raw, poetic beauty that took my breath away in Wasteland.
And I'm sorry to say the answer is "Not so much."
There are good short stories here: "Blue" and "Dragons of Manhattan" (the short story mentioned in the Dear Prudie column) were both memorable and good, but in many cases the other pieces felt more like mediocre writing exercises more than conventionally structured stories with something to say.
I might have loved them to pieces when I was younger, but most of the collection left me pretty cold.
monasterymonochrome's review
3.0
I don't think short-form fiction is where Francesca Lia Block most thrives. Most of these stories don't really say anything meaningful or even all that memorable for me at this point in my life, and they often highlight Block's weaknesses rather than her strengths. For example, stories like "Tweetie Sweet Pea" (which is unfortunately not a strong opening statement at all) go all in on her more cutesy and precious tendencies, and since they're so short, she isn't really able to ground them in the realism or pathos necessary for balance in the way she's able to in her longer works. Also, a lot of the stories tread similar themes as her novels, where they are usually handled in a much more nuanced and developed way, meaning they come across as quite flat and pointless here, perhaps cute in the moment but not really having any staying power.
I will say, I found one story in this collection to be quite excellent, which is what saves it from being a two-star rating, and that story was "Dragons in Manhattan." It's easily the longest one here, and it's so much better for having the space to properly tell its story. The main character, Tuck, is a teenage girl with two moms living in New York who has never known her dad and decides to sneak away to San Francisco to find him. At first, this seems like a fairly typical narrative, though Tuck is a great character and Block makes even the expected beats in her story engaging. However, things take a surprising turn when Tuck finds out her father is transgender and is actually one of her mothers, meaning their family has been complete all along. For a cisgender woman in the early '90s, Block handles this topic with a level of compassion and progressiveness that is pretty impressive. Sure, a couple things about the way Tuck's mom's transition is described might be written a bit differently today, but, overall, it's a really sweet and identity-affirming story that further cements Block as an author who has always tried to champion diversity and inclusion in her stories (while also occasionally being too obsessed with thin pale white girls as protagonists for her own good).
I will say, I found one story in this collection to be quite excellent, which is what saves it from being a two-star rating, and that story was "Dragons in Manhattan." It's easily the longest one here, and it's so much better for having the space to properly tell its story. The main character, Tuck, is a teenage girl with two moms living in New York who has never known her dad and decides to sneak away to San Francisco to find him. At first, this seems like a fairly typical narrative, though Tuck is a great character and Block makes even the expected beats in her story engaging. However, things take a surprising turn when Tuck finds out her father is transgender and is actually one of her mothers, meaning their family has been complete all along. For a cisgender woman in the early '90s, Block handles this topic with a level of compassion and progressiveness that is pretty impressive. Sure, a couple things about the way Tuck's mom's transition is described might be written a bit differently today, but, overall, it's a really sweet and identity-affirming story that further cements Block as an author who has always tried to champion diversity and inclusion in her stories (while also occasionally being too obsessed with thin pale white girls as protagonists for her own good).
veewren's review against another edition
4.0
I read this when I was a teenager and enjoyed it, so now as an adult who has read other stuff by her, I went back to read it again.
It's definitely a book for teenagers, but it's written in Francesca Lia Block's signature simple poetic style, and with her signature interplay between tragedy and magic, which I kind of adore. I enjoyed it all over again! (Even though I didn't identify with it like I did when I was 16.)
It's definitely a book for teenagers, but it's written in Francesca Lia Block's signature simple poetic style, and with her signature interplay between tragedy and magic, which I kind of adore. I enjoyed it all over again! (Even though I didn't identify with it like I did when I was 16.)
booksandbosox's review against another edition
4.0
Block delivers a collection of stories about girl goddesses in their various forms.
The stories in this collection are just beautifully written. Block has a quirky prose style that is a joy to read. All the characters were so vivid and interesting. The only complaint I have is that I wish for just one of the stories she had written a more traditional romance (though I suppose the Devil Dogs story was mostly traditional). It seemed a bit like she was trying to prove that non-traditional romance had a place in the young adult canon, which is great, but also a bit overwhelming in this instance. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this.
The stories in this collection are just beautifully written. Block has a quirky prose style that is a joy to read. All the characters were so vivid and interesting. The only complaint I have is that I wish for just one of the stories she had written a more traditional romance (though I suppose the Devil Dogs story was mostly traditional). It seemed a bit like she was trying to prove that non-traditional romance had a place in the young adult canon, which is great, but also a bit overwhelming in this instance. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this.
reaganmurphy's review against another edition
5.0
so great i forgot how much i love flbs writing tbh. i cant wait to read the rest of her books that i own.
fave stories: blue, dragons in manhattan, and the canyon
fave stories: blue, dragons in manhattan, and the canyon
satyridae's review against another edition
5.0
Gorgeous. Edgy, preternaturally aware adolescents stalk these pages like tigers. These short stories are as full as many novels. Where was Block when I was 14? Oh, right. Wikipedia says she was busy being 16. Better to have found her late than never to have found her at all. She's a champion of love, a cheerleader for the ballsy chicks who wear big clunky shoes with wispy skirts, an advocate for the odd and the broken.