Scan barcode
haircurtains's review against another edition
If u want to read something sad-girl-dark-feminine-rage cuz tiktok told u to, read this instead of my year of rest and relaxation. I loved “abortion, a love story;” “‘it’s so beautiful on earth,’ she said. ‘I haven’t seen much of the outside world’ ‘have you been in prison?’ ‘Sort of.’”
literarycrushes's review against another edition
5.0
The all-female protagonists in Nicole Flattery’s short story collection, Show Me A Good Time, are a subversive group. Each woman is in the midst of some turmoil in her life – abuse, financial ruin, anxiety – and in most cases, the problem is not something she cares to do anything about. Flattery’s (often self-described) nihilistic and ambitionless characters have a strong resemblance to those of Ottessa Moshfegh’s in My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Halle Butler’s The New Me. Rather than treat these attributes as shortcomings, Flattery uses them to as jumping off points for unique brand of dark comedy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I struggled a bit with ‘Abortion, A Love Story,’ which was unfortunately the longest of the collection, set on a dystopian college campus where two female students set about writing an absurdist play. But Flattery’s unusual perceptions about her characters’ inability to connect felt refreshing, even on a subject that has been written about endlessly in the last few years.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I struggled a bit with ‘Abortion, A Love Story,’ which was unfortunately the longest of the collection, set on a dystopian college campus where two female students set about writing an absurdist play. But Flattery’s unusual perceptions about her characters’ inability to connect felt refreshing, even on a subject that has been written about endlessly in the last few years.
zdkb24's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
rachelosullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t even know how to explain this, but I’ll try.
I think you’re only going to connect with these stories if you’re a certain type of person. It’s kind of like, if you’ve ever walked into a room filled with people and you’re the butt of the joke and you can’t figure out why; you feel very suddenly, starkly alone, and it strikes you that maybe it will always be that way. Or if you’ve ever been walking down a street when suddenly you get dizzy because of how big and small the world is, all at once. I understand not everyone will connect with this book, but for me, this felt like one of those rare reads where the author took a look into my brain and just put words to the feelings she found inside.
I think you’re only going to connect with these stories if you’re a certain type of person. It’s kind of like, if you’ve ever walked into a room filled with people and you’re the butt of the joke and you can’t figure out why; you feel very suddenly, starkly alone, and it strikes you that maybe it will always be that way. Or if you’ve ever been walking down a street when suddenly you get dizzy because of how big and small the world is, all at once. I understand not everyone will connect with this book, but for me, this felt like one of those rare reads where the author took a look into my brain and just put words to the feelings she found inside.
jacksontibet's review against another edition
2.0
It's kinda like if Miranda July wrote a book in black and white. Depressed, traumatized women in situations that maybe are supposed to be comical but most often are not. I did enjoy the centerpiece story (Abortion: A Love Story) and the last one.
hannafrykberg's review against another edition
might finish when i’m in a different mindset!
anni_reads_sometimes's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-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
2.5
kellie1851's review against another edition
1.0
I had such high hopes for this book based on the description. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it funny or interesting. The stories didn’t make sense and I struggled to trudge through them. This one just wasn’t for me.