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spinstah's review against another edition
2.0
This is supposed to be a series of interlocking stories about four young women, but I never felt like I got to know any of them well enough to really distinguish between them. (The exception to that is a peripheral character who has cancer, and that's really all we know about her.) I also found that it often wasn't clear at the start of a new story whose perspective it was from, which bugged me, especially because you never really got to know any of them well enough to be able to tell. I was really hoping for more from this but it just didn't go deep enough with the characters. If you really enjoy stories of people making bad romantic decisions in NYC, you might enjoy this anyway, especially if you just come at it from a perspective of "the anonymity of the city." So if that's appealing, I'd give it a try. Otherwise, don't.
purrfectpages's review against another edition
2.0
I had a hard time digesting this book. I know it was a series of short stories, but some of the characters reoccurred. Because of this, it was hard switching gears in between each chapter. While some of the characters overlapped, the writing style didn't always remain the same either. Admittedly, I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters and skimmed a few chapters almost entirely. One thing most of the stories had in common, however, is they read like a hipster play. Some of the chapters had more promise than others though, so if you rate each chapter individually my rating would surely differ.
rachel_the_managing_editor's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 stars)
I'll freely admit that I often lose interest with short story collections midway through, but I polished off Reents' debut over the course of a few days. Now that I'm through, I'm almost tempted to go back and re-read a few of the earlier ones since I have more of a handle on the characters now.
For a collection of loosely linked stories, they are surprisingly eclectic stylistically. One story, "None of the Above" features a number of mock multiple choice questions (the narrator writes them for a living) that interestingly advance the plot and reveal the characters. "Disquisition of Tears" is one long metaphor that told with a kind of paranormal twist (the narrator gets a surprise visit from a decapitated woman).
There were lines or ideas from time to time that I really liked.
Bottom line: It's a fun, quick read about young adults (mostly women), which I appreciated... but over all, I wasn't wowed.
I'll freely admit that I often lose interest with short story collections midway through, but I polished off Reents' debut over the course of a few days. Now that I'm through, I'm almost tempted to go back and re-read a few of the earlier ones since I have more of a handle on the characters now.
For a collection of loosely linked stories, they are surprisingly eclectic stylistically. One story, "None of the Above" features a number of mock multiple choice questions (the narrator writes them for a living) that interestingly advance the plot and reveal the characters. "Disquisition of Tears" is one long metaphor that told with a kind of paranormal twist (the narrator gets a surprise visit from a decapitated woman).
There were lines or ideas from time to time that I really liked.
The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it. For a long time, you think you'll change and become a better version of yourself, but, really, you just wind up being a little more tolerant of the person you've always been from. (page 13)
Bottom line: It's a fun, quick read about young adults (mostly women), which I appreciated... but over all, I wasn't wowed.
jtasker's review against another edition
3.0
Some stories dragged or read like inane diary entries, but some just plain blew me away. My over-analytical mind tried to find deeper connections between the stories and overarching themes, as they share a few characters. Once I stopped thinking so much I was able to let go and enjoy the book. These vignettes are perfect for waiting room reading or lunch dates with yourself. They were just absorbing enough to keep your attention but not so engaging that I minded putting down the book every 20 minutes or so. A more in depth review is forthcoming on my blog.
snowbenton's review against another edition
The first chapter starts so abruptly that I thought I had somehow picked up the third or fourth book in a series by mistake. But no, Reents is just a terrible storyteller. Gave up after 44 pages.
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
3.0
This is marketed as a set of interconnected short stories, but that's a little misleading. The stories are interconnected only in that the characters all know each other and a few are the subject of more than one story. For the most part, the stories have little to do with one another. Just a warning, if that kind of thing is going to irk you.
So, you are probably only going to like this if you're a twentysomething who loves rich metaphors. The stories are all pretty heavily focused on the turbulent post-college, figuring-out-what-you-want years, with a heavy emphasis -- as the title suggests -- on relationships. Each story focuses on different types of relationships and each one is narrated in a different way. You can see Reents playing with different styles -- one story is structured as a memo between characters, for example, another narrated in second-person.
I didn't love all the stories, and there were a couple that I abandoned halfway through. But I love Reents' writing style, full of lovely metaphors and beautiful thoughts. Her characters are all very introspective and there were definitely times I felt like I was peeking into Reents' journal. It could be a little difficult to immediately jump from one story to the next, especially the stories with more experimental structures, and so I kind of wish that Reents had taken more care to connect her stories more thoughtfully. I don't know if a stronger sense of chronology would have helped, or maybe a more consistent pattern among the characters. I'm not sure. As individual stories, though, most of them shined. I'm lloking forward to reading more Stephanie Reents.
So, you are probably only going to like this if you're a twentysomething who loves rich metaphors. The stories are all pretty heavily focused on the turbulent post-college, figuring-out-what-you-want years, with a heavy emphasis -- as the title suggests -- on relationships. Each story focuses on different types of relationships and each one is narrated in a different way. You can see Reents playing with different styles -- one story is structured as a memo between characters, for example, another narrated in second-person.
I didn't love all the stories, and there were a couple that I abandoned halfway through. But I love Reents' writing style, full of lovely metaphors and beautiful thoughts. Her characters are all very introspective and there were definitely times I felt like I was peeking into Reents' journal. It could be a little difficult to immediately jump from one story to the next, especially the stories with more experimental structures, and so I kind of wish that Reents had taken more care to connect her stories more thoughtfully. I don't know if a stronger sense of chronology would have helped, or maybe a more consistent pattern among the characters. I'm not sure. As individual stories, though, most of them shined. I'm lloking forward to reading more Stephanie Reents.
nomadreader's review against another edition
3.0
The basics: The Kissing List is the debut short story collection by Stephanie Reents. Some of the stories are linked.
My thoughts: The first story in the collection "Kissing," sets the stage for the rest of the book. Reents and the female narrators of her stories are young, brazen, fun and wise: "The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it." I have a notoriously hard time reviewing short story collections as a whole, and The Kissing List is perhaps the hardest type to review because its stories aren't as linked as I'd hoped and aren't all centered around a common place or theme. They're a schizophrenic group, and while I adored some, there were some I didn't like at all and many fell somewhere between those two extremes.
What is present across all the stories is the quality of Reents' writing. When I didn't like stories, it was sometimes due to plot and sometimes due to character(s). Still, I admire Reents for taking some bold chances. They didn't always work for me, but they were adventurousness in scope, narrative and theme, and I like those traits, particularly in young writers. Reents isn't afraid of taking chances, and I'll eagerly await whatever Reents writes next.
Favorite passage: "If you think too hard about the grammar of talking, it can fill you with despair."
The verdict: While a few stories stood out in this collection, too many fell flat for me. Despite the unevenness of this collection, it made me a fan of Stephanie Reents, and I'll be eagerly awaiting what she writes next.
My thoughts: The first story in the collection "Kissing," sets the stage for the rest of the book. Reents and the female narrators of her stories are young, brazen, fun and wise: "The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it." I have a notoriously hard time reviewing short story collections as a whole, and The Kissing List is perhaps the hardest type to review because its stories aren't as linked as I'd hoped and aren't all centered around a common place or theme. They're a schizophrenic group, and while I adored some, there were some I didn't like at all and many fell somewhere between those two extremes.
What is present across all the stories is the quality of Reents' writing. When I didn't like stories, it was sometimes due to plot and sometimes due to character(s). Still, I admire Reents for taking some bold chances. They didn't always work for me, but they were adventurousness in scope, narrative and theme, and I like those traits, particularly in young writers. Reents isn't afraid of taking chances, and I'll eagerly await whatever Reents writes next.
Favorite passage: "If you think too hard about the grammar of talking, it can fill you with despair."
The verdict: While a few stories stood out in this collection, too many fell flat for me. Despite the unevenness of this collection, it made me a fan of Stephanie Reents, and I'll be eagerly awaiting what she writes next.
robula_shockula's review against another edition
To be clear.. I read 73 pages (per the rule of how many pages you are required to read before quitting a book) and could not get into it.
biglibraryenergy's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really intense, and I feel like I need to read it again to catch the connections between all the stories. The writing is really artsy, and creates a vivid picture of these girl's lives. Definitely worth a second reading!