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angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
5.0
Besides the short story collaborations with his father, this was my first foray into Joe Hill. And while I’m aware this was only my first book of his, it reminded me of early Stephen King. It was phenomenal. Four short novels and I’d grade one as mediocre (Aloft) and the other 3 as exceptional. On par with some of his dad’s best work. And 3 out of 4 is an excellent ratio. Considering I’ve found the majority of King’s last decade of work as being fairly unremarkable I was very pleasantly surprised by Hill’s work. The afterward about the genesis and length of these pieces almost seemed like a tacit jab at his father’s recent bloated efforts although I don’t truly believe that’s the case (and I also think a lot of other Hill novels are likewise lengthy) I do agree with what he said. These works are the perfect length for great novels. I’m just well chuffed to have found Hill is actually a pretty great writer and not just a product of nepotism; hopefully along the lines of Amis.
dunwall's review against another edition
The scariest thing about this book was me having Stephen King flashbacks.
sparklepony503's review against another edition
4.0
Strange Weather was something a little different than what I have been reading lately. I really enjoyed the idea of short novels in a compilation. Despite the title, I didn't really understand the common theme of weather until I was well through the second novel. What I liked about this, was that although there was this unifying theme throughout the books, they were more about the characters within the books and the weather was more of a backdrop. All of the books had a twist towards the end that really made you rethink what you thought you were reading which I liked. I would also say that most of the books were very visceral in their description of events that happened. Joe Hill is always really skilled in describing things in a way where you can feel them. There were also several heart wrenching moments through the books, at least one in each book where you really feel for the main character in the book.
I would rate the books in order from best to worst (I did enjoy all 4 for different reasons):
Loaded - I thought this was a good take on the good guy with a gun idea that has been floating around politics in the last few years. It touched on multiple aspects of our modern life that I thought were interesting.
Snapshot - I liked that this had more of a science fiction bent. It reminded me a lot of NOS42, which is a book of Joe Hill's that I previously read.
Rain - This was good, I felt like some of the threads within the story were a little hard to follow and there was a lot that distracted from the main story that didn't necessarily lead up to the conclusion at the end of the book.
Aloft - This was my least favorite. I didn't really enjoy the main character and sometimes the story and imagery was hard to follow. It did remind me of the Balloon Boy story from 20th Century Ghosts.
I would rate the books in order from best to worst (I did enjoy all 4 for different reasons):
Loaded - I thought this was a good take on the good guy with a gun idea that has been floating around politics in the last few years. It touched on multiple aspects of our modern life that I thought were interesting.
Snapshot - I liked that this had more of a science fiction bent. It reminded me a lot of NOS42, which is a book of Joe Hill's that I previously read.
Rain - This was good, I felt like some of the threads within the story were a little hard to follow and there was a lot that distracted from the main story that didn't necessarily lead up to the conclusion at the end of the book.
Aloft - This was my least favorite. I didn't really enjoy the main character and sometimes the story and imagery was hard to follow. It did remind me of the Balloon Boy story from 20th Century Ghosts.
jenhurst's review against another edition
3.0
A mixed bag overall. Not his best short stories work but still enjoyable enough
ttodd86's review against another edition
3.0
Four novellas that are ok, but not great. The length of each seems to present a conundrum in that, by their nature, these are not tightly written short pieces nor are they more fully developed novels, instead living somewhere in an unsatisfying land of in-between. Two of them ("Snapshot" and "Aloft") may have worked better as short pieces. The plot in "Rain" opens a broad landscape more suited for a large novel, but instead seems forced to meet the constraints of the format rather than following a more natural arc. The best of the four "Loaded" feels like a bit of a missed opportunity -- another case where a more developed and lengthier piece could have really examined a lot of the issues and behavior regarding gun violence, mass shootings, the media, law enforcement, etc...
jenilee87's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5
connorrooke's review against another edition
4.0
Snapshot is interesting and a little sad.
Loaded is very well told and deeply, deeply horrible and distressing. I can acknowledge and respect the skill that went into it and still wish I hadn't listened to it.
Aloft is good.
Rain was an extremely interesting concept and I really really appreciated it.
Loaded is very well told and deeply, deeply horrible and distressing. I can acknowledge and respect the skill that went into it and still wish I hadn't listened to it.
Aloft is good.
Rain was an extremely interesting concept and I really really appreciated it.
sarakuhn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
lancemama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Murder, Xenophobia, and Grief
klparmley's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed all of these.
No question about Hill's political opinions when you're through.
No question about Hill's political opinions when you're through.