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kaylasbewks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
stars ,, 4.0
cawpile ,, 8.14
i actually loved this, even if it took me a minute to wrap my head around some of the overarching metaphors, the writing was gorgeous 'nd i'll definitely be checking out 'severance' by the same author. :) none of the stories really fell flat to me either, i definitely had my favourites, those being 'the office', 'peking duck' & 'tomorrow' but all of them were great. not being too detailed in this rvw because there's just ,, so much going on.
boobclub pick with mari !!
cawpile ,, 8.14
i actually loved this, even if it took me a minute to wrap my head around some of the overarching metaphors, the writing was gorgeous 'nd i'll definitely be checking out 'severance' by the same author. :) none of the stories really fell flat to me either, i definitely had my favourites, those being 'the office', 'peking duck' & 'tomorrow' but all of them were great. not being too detailed in this rvw because there's just ,, so much going on.
boobclub pick with mari !!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Blood
w0rmonastring's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
an incredibly imaginative collection of stories where the seemingly innocuous moments of life in cities across the us take a turn for the surreal. ma’s writing is undeniably creative but a lot of these stories either left me wanting a fully fleshed out piece where concepts are fully explored or on the opposite end, not sure which concepts are meant to be being explored at all. there’s also not enough of a connecting thread through each of these stories for my taste, but i am eagerly looking forward to picking up Severance and exploring ma’s long-form work.
“What if I dissected my feelings, pulled them apart and brutalized them so that he would know they were true? Is this enough? … They would explode and drip over everything like bodily fluids and finally he’d be forced to look away.”
- from Los Angeles
“‘I never gave you my heart,’ you told me, two days before you got into that bike accident, breaking three ribs and your ancient, Germanic clavicles. If your body had been broken beyond repair, I would have paid them to pluck out those bones for me — me before all others…”
- from Yeti Lovemaking
“‘Ice cream is my favorite food.’ I write these words in the journal my mother gives me to record my first days in the US. English is just a play language to me, the words tethered to their meanings by the loosest, most tenuous connections. So it's easy to lie. I tell the truth in Chinese, I make up stories in English. I don't take it that seriously … It is the language in which I have nothing to lose, even if they don't believe a thing I say.”
- from Peking Duck
“What if I dissected my feelings, pulled them apart and brutalized them so that he would know they were true? Is this enough? … They would explode and drip over everything like bodily fluids and finally he’d be forced to look away.”
- from Los Angeles
“‘I never gave you my heart,’ you told me, two days before you got into that bike accident, breaking three ribs and your ancient, Germanic clavicles. If your body had been broken beyond repair, I would have paid them to pluck out those bones for me — me before all others…”
- from Yeti Lovemaking
“‘Ice cream is my favorite food.’ I write these words in the journal my mother gives me to record my first days in the US. English is just a play language to me, the words tethered to their meanings by the loosest, most tenuous connections. So it's easy to lie. I tell the truth in Chinese, I make up stories in English. I don't take it that seriously … It is the language in which I have nothing to lose, even if they don't believe a thing I say.”
- from Peking Duck
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Terminal illness
mraddd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Body shaming
Minor: Cultural appropriation
bookworme's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rounding up my overall review bc the stories I liked in this collection were of really good substance. A very matter-of-fact take on moments of surrealism that read as very much part of the ordinary. Full of food for thought. 🍊🍊🍊🍊 favs : G, Yeti Lovemaking, Returning, Office Hours, Peking Duck
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
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