58 reviews for:

Permafrost

SJ Norman

3.88 AVERAGE

a_shelf_of_books's review

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

counterturn's review

3.5

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

asfortheeggs's review

4.25

dark medium-paced

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I found this a fascinating collection of shorts, riffing off gothic and folklore traditions. Some of these stories are unnerving, they sit in spaces spilling over with loneliness and the unhomely. Their worlds are rendered with a dense set of images, which means they've stayed with me after I've read them. As a collection they hold together really well, almost seem to build and reinforce each other, with interesting resonances and variation throughout. My favourites: ‘Secondhand’, ‘Whiteheart’ & ‘Unspeakable’. 

theseflowersarecomingupwild's review

4.0

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

laura_reads_'s review

3.0

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

phoebegrant's review

3.75

dark emotional informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

paulineisreading's review

3.0

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

kimswhims's review

4.0

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Thank you SJ Norman for getting me out of my reading slump. The first short story collection I've read this year and won't be the last, I hope. It will be a difficult one to top.
This slightly charged gothic collection suited my mood while reeling from the news from the Russian war in Ukraine.
Some of the stories are set in Europe each have an unsettling element.
A great inclusion in the 2022 Stella longlist and pleased to have got to it after it being on my TBR for longer than it should have been.

myahicks's review

3.25

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

helen_is's review

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes