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lillycano's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories about small town living. I would have given it 5 stars but the last short story was really dark and hard to read….. Didn’t think I was a short story gal. But I might be after this read.
alisha247's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
what an excellent short story collection. they were brutal and difficult to read at times, but well worth it. the common theme in these stories seems to be how the characters view and contend with morality. jones does not shy away from interrogating the complex and violent experiences and motivations of each character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death
sharlappalachia's review against another edition
5.0
I saw another reviewer lament how depressing these stories are, and yeah. Not going to argue there. But Jones is a very keen observer, able to put words to emotions and people that feel intangible but perfectly captured. These are good stories, but don't read this if you're wanting to feel happy.
sylviaisme's review against another edition
4.0
I protagonisti di questi racconti sono tra i più vivi che mi è capitato di incontrare finora.
Ho trovato le loro storie dure e crudeli, estremamente reali, ed alcune così scomode ed indigeste che risultano difficili da mandare giù.
La scrittura è eccellente, essenziale; davvero una bella scoperta quest'autrice.
Ho trovato le loro storie dure e crudeli, estremamente reali, ed alcune così scomode ed indigeste che risultano difficili da mandare giù.
La scrittura è eccellente, essenziale; davvero una bella scoperta quest'autrice.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
Good writing. I loved "Life Expectancy" and "An Upright Man." Several of these stories are coming-of-age tales. All of them are deep, with fully-realized characters that came alive in my mind. Holly Goddard Jones has a novel coming out.
drcbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know if I would ever recommend this book to others, but it was important in my journey.
mryjne's review against another edition
4.0
very pleased with this read. even though some of the stories i kind of had to fight through i cant ignore how they made me feel.
desirosie's review against another edition
5.0
Most of these stories were brutal and heartbreaking, but they were all so well done. They were all very strong.
blchandler9000's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellently written collection of stories. One of them may be added to my mental list of "Best Short Stories I Ever Read."
The stories here are mostly tragic or unhappy ones, tales of people trying to get over the past or plow through the present. Boys and girls come of age, adults nurse their wounds, and sometimes they catch a glimmer of healing or briefly escape in the tangles of their lives.
The real power behind the writing here is how Jones describes feelings. The emotions are raw, real, and extremely poignant. Jones created layers of feelings for her characters to experience, digest, and balance, and often I was pulled in to feel with them.
I was really impressed by this book.
The stories here are mostly tragic or unhappy ones, tales of people trying to get over the past or plow through the present. Boys and girls come of age, adults nurse their wounds, and sometimes they catch a glimmer of healing or briefly escape in the tangles of their lives.
The real power behind the writing here is how Jones describes feelings. The emotions are raw, real, and extremely poignant. Jones created layers of feelings for her characters to experience, digest, and balance, and often I was pulled in to feel with them.
I was really impressed by this book.
lilly_bakker's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories about small town living. I would have given it 5 stars but the last short story was really dark and hard to read….. Didn’t think I was a short story gal. But I might be after this read.