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eletricjb's review against another edition
2.0
This was not a bad book, but I did not like it very much.
bluefelix's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
emmeganreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. All of the stories were beautifully written. Some were more impactful than others. After a while I felt there was too many similarities in the stories that made the collection drag a little.
moirastone's review against another edition
4.0
Laura van den Berg is so good. She's so good. The women in these stories navigate menace and tenderness and confused, misshapen love, and they live and breathe in writing as clear and sharp as anything I've ever read. While not as strong as her second collection The Isle of Youth (and that's a bar set so high thatmost books would struggle to clear it), this book shook and wounded me.
limdz's review against another edition
4.0
A really stunning collection of short stories, one of the most masterfully "human" collections I've read. Van den berg's characters are so three-dimensional, it's uncanny. The range of settings and places in this book complements the overarching motif of "water" throughout. I just think these stories are remarkably researched and intricately woven. A great first collection by a writer I'll look forward to reading again in the future.
chrisralonso's review against another edition
4.0
Damn, what a great collection of stories. Two themes I loved in this one -- the presence of water in every story, whether it's a lake, the sea, the rain, and the sense of wanting, whether it's wanting to be someone else or somewhere else. I'm definitely going to read more of her work.
callmesunday's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0