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jdgcreates's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed these stories despite a realistic (read: depressing) foundation that often included inappropriate and unsatisfying female-male relationships, often with a noticeable age gap, but the last story, "Walled City," sealed the deal with its apocalyptic take on what my own rampant judgments and zealous attachment to "rules that everyone should follow and we'd all be better off" would probably actually lead to. And it wasn't world peace. Most of the stories I was sad to have end which is the best thing about a well-written short story: it leaves you wanting more.
runslikesnail's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting. I liked it. But I'm just not going to love stories about ill-advised relationships right now.
meredithkhd's review against another edition
4.0
I have a love/hate relationship with short stories. When they're just OK, I'm grateful they're short and I can quickly move on the next. But when they're good, I want more.
Christine Sneed's collection of stories is more hot than miss, which is great because she's quickly become one of my new favorite authors, but I also want to know what happens next. And yes, I've tweeted her, but I don't think I can ask that. :)
Christine Sneed's collection of stories is more hot than miss, which is great because she's quickly become one of my new favorite authors, but I also want to know what happens next. And yes, I've tweeted her, but I don't think I can ask that. :)
sonadora9's review
3.0
I received a copy of this through the GoodReads First Reads program.
This was a decent enough collection of short stories. For me, the nice thing about a collection like this is that you can pick it up, read a few sections, and put it down for a week, a month, a year -- and not really necessarily miss out by doing so. At the same time, this is the kind of thing that makes it hard for me to get through them -- I may like some of the stories, but if you lose me on a few of them, it's that much easier for me to put it down for an extended period of time.
Which is what happened in the case of this collection. For me, the best stories didn't come until much later in the collection -- the earliest stories really didn't grab me. My favorites were definitely "By the Way," "Alex Rice, Inc.," and "Interview with the Second Wife," which are pretty much the last bits of the book. Though, least favorite? Definitely the very last one. "Walled City" felt out of place in the collection because it didn't feel even remotely real.
I'd recommend this to folks who are fans of short stories, but I'd definitely say to pick and choose, or read out of order. Going from front to back will likely slow you down as you lose interest after the first few stories.
Lines/quotes I liked:
"We keep savaging our own hearts when we look back and wonder what has happened to us, why we all have to suffer the hardship of losing who we once were, even as we know we're lucky to be around to grow older. We watch our faces and bodies change into something we knew was coming but still are ashamed. I loved who I once was; I do not know if I will ever love who I am becoming."
"Promises, in this town, are the main currency, one constantly being devalued by its abundance."
This was a decent enough collection of short stories. For me, the nice thing about a collection like this is that you can pick it up, read a few sections, and put it down for a week, a month, a year -- and not really necessarily miss out by doing so. At the same time, this is the kind of thing that makes it hard for me to get through them -- I may like some of the stories, but if you lose me on a few of them, it's that much easier for me to put it down for an extended period of time.
Which is what happened in the case of this collection. For me, the best stories didn't come until much later in the collection -- the earliest stories really didn't grab me. My favorites were definitely "By the Way," "Alex Rice, Inc.," and "Interview with the Second Wife," which are pretty much the last bits of the book. Though, least favorite? Definitely the very last one. "Walled City" felt out of place in the collection because it didn't feel even remotely real.
I'd recommend this to folks who are fans of short stories, but I'd definitely say to pick and choose, or read out of order. Going from front to back will likely slow you down as you lose interest after the first few stories.
Lines/quotes I liked:
"We keep savaging our own hearts when we look back and wonder what has happened to us, why we all have to suffer the hardship of losing who we once were, even as we know we're lucky to be around to grow older. We watch our faces and bodies change into something we knew was coming but still are ashamed. I loved who I once was; I do not know if I will ever love who I am becoming."
"Promises, in this town, are the main currency, one constantly being devalued by its abundance."
xtinevs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Incredible writing!
gessellemaria's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nglofile's review against another edition
4.0
One of the better recent story collections I've read. The prose is lovely and evocative, and the stories are modern both in setting and style. Many of the characters stay with me almost as memories of varied, interesting people I've met in passing but wish I had a chance to know better. The last stories take a decidedly different tone but still have impact.
kaileycool's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this! Probably my favorite I've read for the City Lit book club. There were some beautiful passages, particularly one about aging in "By The Way" that moved me. The last two stories are wildly different from the rest. I'm excited to discuss their relevance.