Reviews

Bigfoots in Paradise by Doug Lawson

wwbutler's review

5.0

With this compelling collection of short stories, Doug Lawson captures the uncertainty and tension that comes with living in the Santa Cruz Mountains: an area known for its earthquakes, wildfires, and urban legends. These stories are populated with a host of relatable weirdos and outcasts that feel so true-to-life, I swear I've seen some of them downtown on Pacific Avenue. These characters show their depth in times of moral ambiguity, and illustrate the actions we all might take in desperation.

mizannie's review

5.0

This book of short stories was the perfect quarantine read. Most of the stories are set in the Santa Cruz area and reading them really brought me back to the years I spent in CA, where it seemed everyone I met was a “character” or had some wild dream or career goal. Mind you, Lawson’s characters are never caricatures, they struggle with complicated relationships (hello, Daddy issues!), grief, loss, and longing and.... yes, bigfoots. A few of these stories had endings that were sheer poetry and which I read over just to make sure I appreciated them fully.