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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I love these stories — they’re all so tense at the end. I guess you could call them cliffhangers, but it’s more like if the story ended on a comma rather than a period. I love that.
It has elements of banal horror, which I also like. Bodies that don’t work quite right, liminal spaces, the trauma of immigrant experiences and feelings of dissociation. All in the same space as men who don’t ask the cashier for another orange because he’d rather move on with life than deal with confrontation, women who can’t separate themselves from their past relationships, and not-quite affairs. It’s like T. Ligotti, S. King, and C. Machado all wrapped up together in a beautiful mix (and that’s just of the authors I’ve read.)
Very good stories. Do not read this book if you need closure in your stories. Read this book if you like reading about feeling out-of-place in your own life.
It has elements of banal horror, which I also like. Bodies that don’t work quite right, liminal spaces, the trauma of immigrant experiences and feelings of dissociation. All in the same space as men who don’t ask the cashier for another orange because he’d rather move on with life than deal with confrontation, women who can’t separate themselves from their past relationships, and not-quite affairs. It’s like T. Ligotti, S. King, and C. Machado all wrapped up together in a beautiful mix (and that’s just of the authors I’ve read.)
Very good stories. Do not read this book if you need closure in your stories. Read this book if you like reading about feeling out-of-place in your own life.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
could easily be a 4.5
overall solid collection (my favorite is probably "Returning", followed by "Peking Duck")
overall solid collection (my favorite is probably "Returning", followed by "Peking Duck")
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories. A couple stood out in particular - G, Returning and Tomorrow, each highlighting these slightly off kilter realities. Ling Ma has an uncanny ability to take the bizarre and make it feel eerily plausible.
If I had one gripe, it’s some of the loose or ambiguous endings. I’m not even sure what kind of closure I wanted, but it definitely leaves you reading between the lines. Still, a strong 4-star read. It’s got me excited to finally dive into Severance!
If I had one gripe, it’s some of the loose or ambiguous endings. I’m not even sure what kind of closure I wanted, but it definitely leaves you reading between the lines. Still, a strong 4-star read. It’s got me excited to finally dive into Severance!
It felt like I was reading firsthand accounts of fever dreams.
love the way she writes!!! but I do agree with some other reviewers that it's hard to separate each narrator at times, but I didn't mind having that undercurrent for each piece :)
3.5
G alone deserves 100 stars I loved it so much. The others were good and definitely surreal, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing.
“It doesn’t take much to come into your own; all it takes is someone’s gaze. It’s not totally accurate to say that I felt seen. It was more that: Beheld by her, I learned how to become myself. Her interest actualized me.”
G alone deserves 100 stars I loved it so much. The others were good and definitely surreal, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes