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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Short stories have historically been a tough sell for me, but I’m trying to be more open to them after loving Nickolas Butler’s Beneath the Bonfire last year. I’m so glad I gave Why They Run the Way They Do a shot (or, more accurately, that Tara at Running N Reading convinced me to give it a shot) because it’s now only the second short story collection I’ve truly enjoyed from start to finish. On the surface, these stories are about mundane daily life…a harmless middle school prank, a child’s toy, spending time with your mother after some bad news…but, they have a darkness simmering just underneath. This combination makes them incredibly relatable, yet still eye-opening and unique.
There wasn’t a true dud in the bunch (a rarity for me with short stories!), but like with all short story collections, I did have my favorites. The Payoff perfectly encapsulates schoolgirl innocence gone wrong, Michael the Armadillo was whimsical yet sad, and Indulgence is just gorgeous and gut-punching. Why They Run the Way They Do would be a fantastic starter collection for anyone new to short stories or who usually finds it hard to connect with them and it’s going on my Great Books Under 300 Pages List.
Visit my blog, www.sarahsbookshelves.com, for more reviews.
There wasn’t a true dud in the bunch (a rarity for me with short stories!), but like with all short story collections, I did have my favorites. The Payoff perfectly encapsulates schoolgirl innocence gone wrong, Michael the Armadillo was whimsical yet sad, and Indulgence is just gorgeous and gut-punching. Why They Run the Way They Do would be a fantastic starter collection for anyone new to short stories or who usually finds it hard to connect with them and it’s going on my Great Books Under 300 Pages List.
Visit my blog, www.sarahsbookshelves.com, for more reviews.
One of my favorite classes in high school was the "Short Stories" elective I took senior year. I am thrilled that short stories are having a moment again and publishers are highlighting the talent of so many amazing authors, including Susan Perabo.
Perabo's latest collection, Why They Run the Way They Do, does not disappoint. Her creativity shines as she delivers unique, funny, heartfelt, and poignant stories in this collection. Some of the stories deal with major life issues, others are more "slice of life" stories. All are a pleasure to read. I'm sure each reader will have his/her favorites, and mine were "Michael the Armadillo" and "Indulgence".
This is a small volume -- perfect for someone who is wondering whether or not they might enjoy the genre. I savored it in one sitting.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Perabo's latest collection, Why They Run the Way They Do, does not disappoint. Her creativity shines as she delivers unique, funny, heartfelt, and poignant stories in this collection. Some of the stories deal with major life issues, others are more "slice of life" stories. All are a pleasure to read. I'm sure each reader will have his/her favorites, and mine were "Michael the Armadillo" and "Indulgence".
This is a small volume -- perfect for someone who is wondering whether or not they might enjoy the genre. I savored it in one sitting.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Couldn't stop reading this great book of short stories.
Why They Run The Way They Do captured my attetion because of its title and cover. I just had to find out what it was about!
This collection of short stories not only has an interesting aspect but also an interesting content. Susan Perabo's writting makes you want to find out everything about the story you're reading right from the first few lines, just like a short story is supposed to! Each of this characters has their own strenght and their situtations often captures your heart right from the beggining.
In Why They Run The Way They Do you can read about characters with very diverse ages and even though I could understand every story's plot, I do want to come back to this book once I'm older because there where a few (adult) characters I was unable to relate as much as with others. Nevertheless, this was a book that got me thinking a lot since every situtation is so truthfully described and realistic.
All in all, this is quite a worthy read, speacially if you're into brutally honest daily life stories that will make you think about your own.
This collection of short stories not only has an interesting aspect but also an interesting content. Susan Perabo's writting makes you want to find out everything about the story you're reading right from the first few lines, just like a short story is supposed to! Each of this characters has their own strenght and their situtations often captures your heart right from the beggining.
In Why They Run The Way They Do you can read about characters with very diverse ages and even though I could understand every story's plot, I do want to come back to this book once I'm older because there where a few (adult) characters I was unable to relate as much as with others. Nevertheless, this was a book that got me thinking a lot since every situtation is so truthfully described and realistic.
All in all, this is quite a worthy read, speacially if you're into brutally honest daily life stories that will make you think about your own.