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staticwaffle's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This anthology is like most anthologies in terms of enjoyment—there are some pieces I really enjoyed and some that I didn’t. It does resonate with me a little more because I myself grew up across the Delaware riverin PA. I’ve been in and out of NJ countless times and recognized many of the places mentioned in this book. In a way, it made me feel close to home because Bucks County, whether they like it or not is constantly influenced by our neighbors across the river. Many of the pieces were vivid and captured a clear sense of setting, beautifully encapsulating the characteristics and lives of the people who live there.
I also think this anthology could benefit from a little extra formatting—it’s a collection of photographs, poems, comics, essays, and fiction. The poems are all labeled for what kind of writing they are and the photographs and comics are self-explanatory, but it would be nice to have a little “essay” or “short story / fiction” subtitle before each work of prose. It was like having whiplash when I realized the story about the mermaid (the first work of fiction to appear in the book) was not in fact a personal essay.
Overall, a very nice collection. I’m glad I picked it up at my local bookstore and will definitely be looking into the previous iteration of this anthology, as well as anticipating future editions.
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