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lloydhanneman's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best, if not the best, short story collections I’ve read. Every story was unique and haunting and beautiful. It’s not every day you read a collection that doesn’t have at least one dud or at least one you didn’t care for as much. Just buy this book.
n0rmann's review against another edition
4.0
It always impresses me when a short story is written so well I get engaged in such a few number of pages!
rock_n_reads's review against another edition
5.0
"We hold on to the memories we don't want, and we lose the ones we cherish."
2019 is going to be the year that I clear some space on my top bookshelf, which is reserved for my favorite reads. I need some room to include the work of Gwendolyn Kiste! Of all the short story collections I've read, this one moved me the most.
Kiste's writing pulled me in from the very first line of the acknowledgements, and it was a struggle to set this collection down from then on. Every single story in this book is well written, and they are woven together by strong female characters and themes of being overlooked, forgotten, or deemed an outsider by society.
If I had to choose, my top five favorite stories would be:
-Skin Like Honey and Lace
-The Tower Princesses
-The Man in the Ambry
-All the Red Apples Have Withered to Gray
-Ten Things to Know About the Ten Questions
I've often been asked why I love books and films that others might find disturbing, and my main answer is that they make me feel. Even if it's not always happy, I enjoy the experience of so many emotions. This collection made me feel. The stories brought me to tears a time or two, and there were many lines that resonated with my own experiences. Closing this book felt like being released from a warm embrace that I never want to end.
2019 is going to be the year that I clear some space on my top bookshelf, which is reserved for my favorite reads. I need some room to include the work of Gwendolyn Kiste! Of all the short story collections I've read, this one moved me the most.
Kiste's writing pulled me in from the very first line of the acknowledgements, and it was a struggle to set this collection down from then on. Every single story in this book is well written, and they are woven together by strong female characters and themes of being overlooked, forgotten, or deemed an outsider by society.
If I had to choose, my top five favorite stories would be:
-Skin Like Honey and Lace
-The Tower Princesses
-The Man in the Ambry
-All the Red Apples Have Withered to Gray
-Ten Things to Know About the Ten Questions
I've often been asked why I love books and films that others might find disturbing, and my main answer is that they make me feel. Even if it's not always happy, I enjoy the experience of so many emotions. This collection made me feel. The stories brought me to tears a time or two, and there were many lines that resonated with my own experiences. Closing this book felt like being released from a warm embrace that I never want to end.
misterkyle1901's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
popularsong's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy and Suicide
ashley__reads's review against another edition
5.0
Every story in here was absolutely incredible. They just got better and better as the book went on. I read them in order and I’m glad I did it that way because as the book went on the stories got more and more intense, in my opinion.
wpsmith17's review against another edition
5.0
This is an excellent collection. Gwendolyn Kiste is an absolute magician, weaving dark fairy tales that cut so very deep. Her writing is poetic, and I found myself easily enthralled with her twisted worlds. This makes me even more excited to read The Rust Maidens.
avereads's review against another edition
5.0
“I’ve found the best things are the ones you keep to yourself. The little truths about the world that everyone else thinks are crazy.”
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe is a short story collection that I absolutely adored. I loved every single story, but I think my favourite has to be “The Man in the Ambry”, it’s so eerie and engaging. But, some other stand outs are “The Clawfoot Requiem”, “All the Red Apples Have Withered to Gray”, “Skin Like Honey and Lace”, and “By Now, I’ll Probably Be Gone”. I really enjoyed how the stories mostly had female characters and explore their issues too, with stories like “The Tower Princess” really highlighting that. The characters were also really enjoyable, smart, and knew how to take action for their own choices, which in horror can be really refreshing and in turn made the stories relatable in a way. Definitely my favourite collection I’ve read this year and maybe my favourite I’ve read ever. If you’re wondering if this is worth the hype, is definitely is and I can’t wait to read more by Gwendolyn Kiste in the future.
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe is a short story collection that I absolutely adored. I loved every single story, but I think my favourite has to be “The Man in the Ambry”, it’s so eerie and engaging. But, some other stand outs are “The Clawfoot Requiem”, “All the Red Apples Have Withered to Gray”, “Skin Like Honey and Lace”, and “By Now, I’ll Probably Be Gone”. I really enjoyed how the stories mostly had female characters and explore their issues too, with stories like “The Tower Princess” really highlighting that. The characters were also really enjoyable, smart, and knew how to take action for their own choices, which in horror can be really refreshing and in turn made the stories relatable in a way. Definitely my favourite collection I’ve read this year and maybe my favourite I’ve read ever. If you’re wondering if this is worth the hype, is definitely is and I can’t wait to read more by Gwendolyn Kiste in the future.