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valjeanval's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
I've been 50/50 on CJA's novels, but I really think she excels at the short story. The range demonstrated in this one collection stretches from whimsically cheerful to violent absurdist to scathing speculation and dark realities. "Captain Roger in Heaven" and "Power Couple" are probably the standouts that were new to me in this collection. I think the only one I really didn't care for was "Fairy Werewolf vs. Zombie Vampire" which just tipped my whimsy scale over the edge. The only other slightly disappointing factor was that I already owned other collections featuring these stories, but it was still a nice excuse to reread them. I think I could read "As Good as New" any number of times and still appreciate it.
The book jacket to this edition calls her "This generation's LeGuin," but I think that's not entirely fair. Yes there's a heavy dose of social commentary and speculation, but CJA's style is distinctively her own and is deeply rooted in this generation here and now
The book jacket to this edition calls her "This generation's LeGuin," but I think that's not entirely fair. Yes there's a heavy dose of social commentary and speculation, but CJA's style is distinctively her own and is deeply rooted in this generation here and now
Moderate: Cursing, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Confinement, Murder, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, and Mental illness
kelseyr713's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Charlie Jane Anders never disappoints me, and all of these stories are gems in their own way. A couple didn’t hit the target completely for me, but still had great pieces/ideas. Each story sucks you into a believable world immediately, and her characters are so well-drawn over such a short page count.
Minor: Murder, Blood, Hate crime, Sexual assault, War, Violence, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Body horror, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
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