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lyriclorelei's review
challenging
emotional
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
3.0
A solid collection.
kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars. A fabulous, emotional set of short stories. I enjoyed all of them. Highly recommend.
janinereader's review
4.0
I don't usually read collections of stories, but after seeing good reviews, I decided to, and it is without a doubt that Rohan writes beautiful stories with very strong characters. This is a beautiful book, and I think many people - regardless of preferred genre - will enjoy this one.
wollsocke's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tinamayreads's review
4.0
IN THE EVENT OF CONTACT by Ethel Rohan is a great short story collection! There were several stories that dealt with some heavy issues such as cheating, abuse and death. I really enjoyed the stories featuring strong female characters. My fave stories were Rare, But Not Impossible and At the Side of the Road which both had women as the main characters. It was interesting to read the Irish dialect in all these stories. I read this book a few stories at a time in between my other current read and it was nice to be able to read this book a bit at a time. I’d definitely recommend to pick this one up if you’re interested in short stories! 2021 is turning out to be the year of short stories for me and I’m loving it!
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Thank you to DZanc Books for my advance review copy!
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Thank you to DZanc Books for my advance review copy!
katrinelinden's review
3.0
I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately didn't. A few of the stories captivated me, a few left me wanting more from them, and some were difficult to even finish. Rohan's style of writing is amazing, though I expected more from the stories themselves - but I have definitely not given up on her just yet.
jillianwilliams05's review
1.0
Unreasonably crass. Boring, the common thread was weak. I enjoyed the first story, but that was about it.
ruesparks's review
5.0
(Trigger Warnings at bottom of review hidden behind spoiler tags, FYI!)
This contemporary short story collection traverses the complexities of human contact (both the existence and absence) through the lens of Irish and American characters, each story a unique stone that builds a foundation of complex experiences that are both familiar and idiosyncratic.
Rohan tackles some tough subjects in this anthology. Despite this, I do think Rohan handles the trauma by carefully extruding the emotion at the core, not glorifying the drama and tiptoeing away from being crass or cruel in its expression. Except for when it’s triggering or when we’re not mentally in a healthy space to approach it (see trigger warnings at bottom of review), these are subjects and themes that we can’t ignore; they’re part of all our lives or the lives of those around us. It’s a tough read in places, but I think there’s value in books like this because it forces us to look in the mirror to the parts of us we don’t like to see.
As a writer, I admire authors that can wield techniques in fiction that I’m not as fluent in achieving myself. The subtlety and nuance that Rohan creates in her stories, saying so much with so deft a palette, is beyond my capabilities. It’s like watching an impressionist artist at work; each colorful, bold stroke of paint on its own a beautiful but innocuous mark, but together an organic, flowing portrait that creates a whole that is both raw and unmistakable. She takes a story with so much emotion and texture, and turns it at just the right angle to leave us guessing except for the moments where the jigsaw pieces fit just right, and we’re hit with the enormity of it.
Trigger Warnings:
This contemporary short story collection traverses the complexities of human contact (both the existence and absence) through the lens of Irish and American characters, each story a unique stone that builds a foundation of complex experiences that are both familiar and idiosyncratic.
Rohan tackles some tough subjects in this anthology. Despite this, I do think Rohan handles the trauma by carefully extruding the emotion at the core, not glorifying the drama and tiptoeing away from being crass or cruel in its expression. Except for when it’s triggering or when we’re not mentally in a healthy space to approach it (see trigger warnings at bottom of review), these are subjects and themes that we can’t ignore; they’re part of all our lives or the lives of those around us. It’s a tough read in places, but I think there’s value in books like this because it forces us to look in the mirror to the parts of us we don’t like to see.
As a writer, I admire authors that can wield techniques in fiction that I’m not as fluent in achieving myself. The subtlety and nuance that Rohan creates in her stories, saying so much with so deft a palette, is beyond my capabilities. It’s like watching an impressionist artist at work; each colorful, bold stroke of paint on its own a beautiful but innocuous mark, but together an organic, flowing portrait that creates a whole that is both raw and unmistakable. She takes a story with so much emotion and texture, and turns it at just the right angle to leave us guessing except for the moments where the jigsaw pieces fit just right, and we’re hit with the enormity of it.
Trigger Warnings:
Spoiler
Abortion, Homophobia (brief mention), Death, Graphic Violence, Domestic Violence, Sex, Hallucinationsjustineveras's review
I want so desperately to see what others love about this collection but I could not get into it. 4 stories in and I only liked one of them.