Reviews

After The Carnage by Tara June Winch

gabrielle_erin's review against another edition

2.0

This was a really mixed bag. There were some stories that were truly haunting and really stuck with me, and others that I was left feeling as if I didn't really 'get'. Short story collections are always hit and miss, and alas, this one falls into the forgettable category for me. Such a shame as I've really enjoyed Winch's writing style before.

amerasuu's review against another edition

5.0

Superb writing. I read one story, put the book down for two months and then read the rest over two days. What a rollercoaster of emotions this book is. It's not a gentle book, it's raw and painful to read but in an exquisite way. Aptly named, there's a lot of suffering in this. Be warned, there's a few deaths.

essjay1's review against another edition

3.0

A good collection, quite diverse and on the whole sharply observant. I really loved Cloud Busting, which appeared in the 2005 Australian Short Stories.

lottiegasp's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I definitely enjoyed Winch's novel and novella much more than this short story collection. Her writing is good here, but doesn't go to the same heights as her other writing. I didn't find that many of the stories had an interesting hook, they tended to be slices of life that didn't leave me caring much about the characters or outcomes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Racism

Mosquito has a graphic description of suicide ideation

jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition

4.0

3.5

rhodaj's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

laura_storyteller's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

acosyreader's review against another edition

4.0

I am always hesitant that short stories won't give me enough but Tara June Winch's collection here is just brilliant. Every story has it's own sense of character and place, done in the perfect number of pages.

Find more at @acosyreader

carlytenille's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

kimswhims's review against another edition

4.0

A fabulously diverse collection of short stories by 2020 Miles Franklin winner, Tara June Winch.
All these stories have characters dealing with the messier aspects of life, but are set all around the world in different settings.
Sometimes unsettling but all held my interest and of relatively equal merit so I would have trouble picking favourites.
Can't wait to read more by this author