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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
It’s always tricky reviewing short story collections—some stories inevitably resonate more than others. Unfortunately, in this case, I only really connected with two pieces out of the entire collection.
One standout for me was Squirm. I genuinely wish it had been developed into a full novel. It gave off strong “Would you still love me if I was a worm?” energy—and for the record, no, I would not. But I was hooked by the tone, the strangeness, and the sense of underlying dread. It had so much potential to go deeper.
The writing across the collection was solid—sharp, smart, and clearly promising. That said, I think I would have appreciated this debut more if it had been a full-length novel. A longer format might’ve given me the chance to really sink into one character, one arc, one emotional payoff. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future work from this author, but this one just didn’t quite hit for me overall.
One standout for me was Squirm. I genuinely wish it had been developed into a full novel. It gave off strong “Would you still love me if I was a worm?” energy—and for the record, no, I would not. But I was hooked by the tone, the strangeness, and the sense of underlying dread. It had so much potential to go deeper.
The writing across the collection was solid—sharp, smart, and clearly promising. That said, I think I would have appreciated this debut more if it had been a full-length novel. A longer format might’ve given me the chance to really sink into one character, one arc, one emotional payoff. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future work from this author, but this one just didn’t quite hit for me overall.
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Shades of Camilla Grudova. Lots of exploration of the violence against women's bodies
medium-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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This was a very interesting and weird collection of short stories!! Excellent for a debut! 🙌
My favorites in the collection include:
📖 Oddbody
📖 Bela Lugosi Isn’t Dead
📖 Next to Cleanliness
📖 Eggshells
📖 The Vegetable
Oddbody was hands down my favorite! I mean, who wouldn’t love hanging out with a ghost? 👻
Definitely recommend picking this one up if you love weird fiction and body horror!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted finished copy in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
My favorites in the collection include:
📖 Oddbody
📖 Bela Lugosi Isn’t Dead
📖 Next to Cleanliness
📖 Eggshells
📖 The Vegetable
Oddbody was hands down my favorite! I mean, who wouldn’t love hanging out with a ghost? 👻
Definitely recommend picking this one up if you love weird fiction and body horror!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted finished copy in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
Name sums it up pretty well.. an odd bunch of stories. 🫣🥴
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes