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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Overall, the writing was boring and the 'tales of everyday horror' were no more than cynical retellings of well-known stories. While there is nothing inherently wrong with retellings, these did not add much and had very little merit of their own. I had high expectations for this and was left pretty disappointed.
dnf after the first two stories.
i'll give the audio a shot, when i find it.
i'll give the audio a shot, when i find it.
It isn't an unpleasant read, but I walked away with the impression that the author's goal was to dazzle me with their intelligence rather than spin some excellent yarns, which means that they didn't necessarily compete well with the originals. That said, there are a couple gems and her take on Mr. Toad could be a stand alone horror novel.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So creepy and strange. A really great weird read.
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was recommended via Reactor via Isaac Fellman as an underrated short story collection, and generally, I'm happy that I picked it up. The horror aspects were a bit different in each story but were certainly more commonplace and often not gruesome - like being gaslit repeatedly, chronic illness, and things of that nature - but the gruesomeness wasn't lacking, either. I liked the wry narration in which each story was rendered - a kind of modern twist on the tone of those classic tales, and I also appreciate that there was a reference list for each of the stories included in this collection. The author also takes some liberties with gender representation, which is fantastic and a nice little subversion treat in already subversive stories.
Standouts for me were "The Daughter Cells," "Fear Not: An Incident Log," "The Six Boy-Coffins," and "The Rabbit". "The Rabbit" was especially dark, since "The Velveteen Rabbit" is considered very heartwarming and sweet.
Standouts for me were "The Daughter Cells," "Fear Not: An Incident Log," "The Six Boy-Coffins," and "The Rabbit". "The Rabbit" was especially dark, since "The Velveteen Rabbit" is considered very heartwarming and sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Incest
This is a highly unusual and fascinating take on a range of fairy tales, folk tales, and Biblical stories. The "everyday horror" bit in the title is apt. Horror is not a genre I usually care for, but this book is not horrible from excessive violence; instead, it is about the horrors people inflict on each other. The writing quality is superior. One of the most original books I've read in a good while. I can recommend this highly. I'm going to get her first book and read that one next.
I liked some stories, but the others were so-so. My favorite was Cast Your Bread upon the Water, where Johnny were going into the sea with his wife.