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elstarkey's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
katherineharnisch's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I went into this book with no expectations and I loved it! I felt each story stood well on its own, though I liked the interconnected ones the most.
One of my favorite stories was “Safekeeping,” in which a woman is hidden away in a bunker (we don’t know how long, only that the world may be unsafe, likely dystopian/apocalyptic). I generally don’t gravitate toward stories that focus on character with not much plot, but this one was so short that it worked well. I also thought it was interesting that one of the actresses in “Weekend” had spent time in a bunker in preparation for a role—same woman? Maybe, maybe not…
I really enjoyed “Go West, and Grow Up” and “I’m Unarmed.” It was clear these two were set in the same world with the same characters (“Softening” may be part of this series as well, it’s unclear). I thought it was very interesting that “I’m Unarmed” was placed four stories after “Go West, and Grow Up” but I think this placement worked really well with the other stories included in the book.
Another favorite of mine was “Nitrate Nocturnes,” the first story in the book. What a great starter! I was really invested in Fiona’s story and the way Joffre writes had me feeling all of her emotions through the timer process. I would recommend this book!
tiffanymae2022's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
mplakke's review
4.0
Love, lust, and loss. Three fundamental human emotions that connect us all. We’ve all experienced them, in one form or another. I can’t predict when we will be affected by them. Some embrace this, others avoid them as best they can.
Night Beast by Ruth Joffre envelops all that surrounds these three little words. As a collection of short stories, each tale weaves its own unique perspective. Some take place in the normalcy of the everyday, others explore the potential future of our species. But each stays true to the heartache of love.
I am coming to realize that I love collections of short stories. I rarely pick them up to read, but always find myself engrossed in their brevity. From the start, Joffre introduces us to worlds that are so similar, and yet unlike our own that you can’t help but be intrigued. But then, it just ends. She only gives us a snippet or a window into the life of the characters. They don’t do anything extraordinary, they are just living. At first, this bothered me. I wanted a big, punchy ending. But the more I thought about the stories, the more I realized that just wouldn’t fit. There couldn’t be an ending, because they kept on living, regardless of their situation. They persisted. There’s no fanfare for that. And yet, the stories and their players are extraordinarily personal. In fact, there was one story that connected to a recent experience of my own, and the story made it raw again. It brought all that emotion to the forefront of my conscious.
I felt the advertised description for this book was a little misleading, as it made me believe going into it that it would focus on relationships between mothers and daughters. While this was the case in a couple of the stories, I would by no means pick that out specifically over any of the other expressions of love provided throughout the pages. But the representations of love were beautiful in these stories, and I applaud the F/F depictions. These are the kinds of stories our society needs more of.
*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Night Beast by Ruth Joffre envelops all that surrounds these three little words. As a collection of short stories, each tale weaves its own unique perspective. Some take place in the normalcy of the everyday, others explore the potential future of our species. But each stays true to the heartache of love.
I am coming to realize that I love collections of short stories. I rarely pick them up to read, but always find myself engrossed in their brevity. From the start, Joffre introduces us to worlds that are so similar, and yet unlike our own that you can’t help but be intrigued. But then, it just ends. She only gives us a snippet or a window into the life of the characters. They don’t do anything extraordinary, they are just living. At first, this bothered me. I wanted a big, punchy ending. But the more I thought about the stories, the more I realized that just wouldn’t fit. There couldn’t be an ending, because they kept on living, regardless of their situation. They persisted. There’s no fanfare for that. And yet, the stories and their players are extraordinarily personal. In fact, there was one story that connected to a recent experience of my own, and the story made it raw again. It brought all that emotion to the forefront of my conscious.
I felt the advertised description for this book was a little misleading, as it made me believe going into it that it would focus on relationships between mothers and daughters. While this was the case in a couple of the stories, I would by no means pick that out specifically over any of the other expressions of love provided throughout the pages. But the representations of love were beautiful in these stories, and I applaud the F/F depictions. These are the kinds of stories our society needs more of.
*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
kellylynnthomas's review
5.0
Read my full review at Ploughshares!
If I had only one word to describe Ruth Joffre’s debut short story collection, Night Beast and Other Stories, I would choose “fluid.” In many ways this book resembles a river, always moving, constantly changing, but with steady force sufficient to grind stone into sand. Like water, these stories dance through—not around—their subject matter, seeping into every crack and crevice, making connections in one scene and dissolving them in the next.
Read my full review at Ploughshares!
If I had only one word to describe Ruth Joffre’s debut short story collection, Night Beast and Other Stories, I would choose “fluid.” In many ways this book resembles a river, always moving, constantly changing, but with steady force sufficient to grind stone into sand. Like water, these stories dance through—not around—their subject matter, seeping into every crack and crevice, making connections in one scene and dissolving them in the next.
Read my full review at Ploughshares!
kiramke's review
3.0
No time for review so you get my notes.
Thought I'd read her before but I guess not. Maybe a rec from another author whose good was really good, and the rest didn't reach me.
interesting premise
Go West is excellent
several forgettable
by Weekend I kind of get the sadness.
Night Beast pretty good.
"The point was not to see but not to fall. To instead remain as dark and quiet as life so your blood would always be your own."
Thought I'd read her before but I guess not. Maybe a rec from another author whose good was really good, and the rest didn't reach me.
interesting premise
Go West is excellent
several forgettable
by Weekend I kind of get the sadness.
Night Beast pretty good.
"The point was not to see but not to fall. To instead remain as dark and quiet as life so your blood would always be your own."
dazlious's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
branpender12's review
2.0
***I was provided these ARCs in exchange for an honest review and all of the thoughts and expression are my own***
I was super excited to read this collection of stories! I found that they were hit and miss though and never really finished. Not one of them was life-changing and made me want to run out and buy this book. I wanted to stop a few times but I made myself finish to see if all the stories came together to make one big picture but that did not happen. It was more like a collection of shorts found unfinished and then bound together quickly to have a full-length novel.
It is so hard to critique a collect as there will be stories for everyone and no one at the same time. I do commend the author for trying to put together a cohesive collection but it kind of fell short. I will read more books if she puts them out just to see her grow as an author.
I was super excited to read this collection of stories! I found that they were hit and miss though and never really finished. Not one of them was life-changing and made me want to run out and buy this book. I wanted to stop a few times but I made myself finish to see if all the stories came together to make one big picture but that did not happen. It was more like a collection of shorts found unfinished and then bound together quickly to have a full-length novel.
It is so hard to critique a collect as there will be stories for everyone and no one at the same time. I do commend the author for trying to put together a cohesive collection but it kind of fell short. I will read more books if she puts them out just to see her grow as an author.
mad_taylh's review
4.0
"If I had said anything that night, my mother would have cracked under her silence, so I said nothing and sharpened under mine."
amalia1985's review
3.0
‘’Εven if you do reject your timer, it’s going to count down anyway.’’
This collection has long been on my list but life and other books got in the way. After having read Her Body and Other Parties, I thought Night Beast would be a nice choice to pair it with. Hidden behind a beautiful front cover that combines Belle Epoque style and contemporary graphic novel art, these stories deal with grief, loss, love and sexual identity. Mainly set in the Midwest, it is not a light read but an ambitious project focusing on difficult themes like child abuse, the exploitation of the weakest, the inability to distinguish between our wishes and perceptions and the world around us. However, Night Beast was less interesting than its title. These are the best moments, in my opinion:
Nitrate Nocturnes: A timer that counts the years, the days, the seconds until someone finds the one soulmate in a society of the future. A future that has everything programmed, down to the day you’ll die…
Go West, and Grow Up: A woman and her teenage daughter escape from an abusive, alcoholic husband. In an old car, they are trying to reach Oregon with no possessions and no defense. This story was so hard to read, every page was like a punch in the face.
‘’He loved to see the others fail.’’
General, Minister, Horse, Cannon: A Chinese boy, living in the USA, wants to become an Emperor. This is a tender, heartfelt story that starts as a comedy and becomes a hymn to friendship, diversity and the dream of a better life.
I’m Not Asking: Two women are trying to cope with the loss of their unborn child through an artificial world of make-believe, where the sun never sets. A sad but exceptional story in which the writing reminded me of Jeanette Winterson.
There are a few stories that made absolutely no sense at all, especially in relation to the rest of the stories in the collection. Many just ended abruptly. I am all for open-ended stories but this was an example of choppy, inspired writing. They are disjointed, unclear and some of them presented a rather distasteful version of sexuality. At times, I felt there was too much emphasis on sex, just for the sake of it, without any symbolism or substance. This was the major difference between Night Beast and Her Body and Other Parties. The really positive thing is that Joffre shows real potential in the writing and the style. My issue with this collection is mainly derived from the fact that there are so many excellent examples of Magical Realism and Gender Studies in recent publications and one needs to excel in order to surprise. The emphasis on queer relationships is always fascinating and provides an endless source of themes, but every dynamic needs to be cohesive and serve a purpose. I didn’t see this in the majority of the stories. I couldn’t connect with them, I didn’t feel any magic. With the exception of a few examples of extraordinary writing, this is a collection I won’t remember after a while…
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
This collection has long been on my list but life and other books got in the way. After having read Her Body and Other Parties, I thought Night Beast would be a nice choice to pair it with. Hidden behind a beautiful front cover that combines Belle Epoque style and contemporary graphic novel art, these stories deal with grief, loss, love and sexual identity. Mainly set in the Midwest, it is not a light read but an ambitious project focusing on difficult themes like child abuse, the exploitation of the weakest, the inability to distinguish between our wishes and perceptions and the world around us. However, Night Beast was less interesting than its title. These are the best moments, in my opinion:
Nitrate Nocturnes: A timer that counts the years, the days, the seconds until someone finds the one soulmate in a society of the future. A future that has everything programmed, down to the day you’ll die…
Go West, and Grow Up: A woman and her teenage daughter escape from an abusive, alcoholic husband. In an old car, they are trying to reach Oregon with no possessions and no defense. This story was so hard to read, every page was like a punch in the face.
‘’He loved to see the others fail.’’
General, Minister, Horse, Cannon: A Chinese boy, living in the USA, wants to become an Emperor. This is a tender, heartfelt story that starts as a comedy and becomes a hymn to friendship, diversity and the dream of a better life.
I’m Not Asking: Two women are trying to cope with the loss of their unborn child through an artificial world of make-believe, where the sun never sets. A sad but exceptional story in which the writing reminded me of Jeanette Winterson.
There are a few stories that made absolutely no sense at all, especially in relation to the rest of the stories in the collection. Many just ended abruptly. I am all for open-ended stories but this was an example of choppy, inspired writing. They are disjointed, unclear and some of them presented a rather distasteful version of sexuality. At times, I felt there was too much emphasis on sex, just for the sake of it, without any symbolism or substance. This was the major difference between Night Beast and Her Body and Other Parties. The really positive thing is that Joffre shows real potential in the writing and the style. My issue with this collection is mainly derived from the fact that there are so many excellent examples of Magical Realism and Gender Studies in recent publications and one needs to excel in order to surprise. The emphasis on queer relationships is always fascinating and provides an endless source of themes, but every dynamic needs to be cohesive and serve a purpose. I didn’t see this in the majority of the stories. I couldn’t connect with them, I didn’t feel any magic. With the exception of a few examples of extraordinary writing, this is a collection I won’t remember after a while…
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
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