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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
When I’m feeling most optimistic about my abilities, this is the kind of book I imagine writing. I loved it.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
i just finished this book and all i could think for a solid 5 minutes was what?????? these stories will haunt me. i felt a little nauseous reading a lot of them, and i couldn’t look away. i loved the way a thread connects all of them without ever once explaining or making the strange world clearer. strange, creeping, haunting, visceral girlhood. i’ve been wanting to read more short horror-adjacent stories and this was excellent for that. lost half a star bc a couple chapters felt a little boring and flat compared to the rest, almost filler to me. otherwise i LOVED this book, i adore strange women and dark fairytales and this had both, executed in a unique way that will stick with me.
This was a great collection of stories - twisty, magical, dark, and alluring. Looking forward to reading other publications by this author.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
YES. This was incredible. Daisy Johnson bases these stories around the same somewhat-mystical setting but gives each a unique voice and perspective. The community is slowly illuminated through stories that feel like a great force is being held back. My only negative comment is that Part 2 felt disjointed with Part 1, but I adored every story in the first part.
Fanciful stories situated in eastern England’s marshy flatlands, populated with creatures from folklore and comprised of odd events only partially explained. The local pub is always the Fox and Hounds, and the narrator is always a woman, and usually she is young. There isn’t much differentiation in the characters and tone throughout the book. All the stories kind of run together by the end, a bit waterlogged in their nonchalant magical realism. Link to this review on my booklog
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was a really dark read, but satisfied my craving for feminist short stories. Like Angela Carter, Daisy Johnson carved out a space for female expression and worked dark fantasies into feminine experiences. It's a really great book, and many of the stories left me wishing they were their own texts. But I think that is the point - to make us think further about each of these women, to wish only good, male-conquering futures for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy