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A review by ctgt
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste
4.0
In this moment, she is all things, and her jagged pieces fit into the curves of my jagged pieces, and the two of us, these broken girls, are whole for the first time.
This collection started a bit slowly for me but quickly climbed from good to great. Even though it is listed as a Stoker award finalist I wouldn't call this horror, at least not in the traditional sense, there are few real"squishy" moments but plenty of interesting/odd ideas that remind you of something otherworldly or ephemeral.
The Clawfoot Requiem-two sisters and how to deal with death
She was a ghost even when she was alive.
All the Red Apples have Withered to Gray-an interesting twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale.
The Man in the Ambry-a young girl deals with an "imaginary" friend as she ages.
Audrey at Night- a woman is visited by a former rival.
The Five-Day Summer Camp-an older sister tries to help her sibling deal with summer camp.
Adults always thought kids were too stupid to figure out the truth, and sometimes, it was easier to let them go on believing that.
Skin Like Honey and Lace-one of my favorite stories and truthfully I'm not sure how to blurb this. All I can say is read it.
"Figured it was you when I turned the corner", she says. "Your skin sings differently than the others. Like famine and lullabies."
He won't see me for what I am-a cage of beautiful bones I've hidden too long beneath other people's promises.
The Tower Princesses-another of my favorites, a twist on how we build walls around each other (the quote from the beginning of the review is from this story)
Victims are someone to blame.
And Her Smile will Untether the Universe-a man becomes infatuated with an actress from the early days of movies.
Your heart tugs tight like a stone in your chest, as the sunlight hits her face just right. Her skin shimmers, a strange shift that doesn't look confined to the screen. It looks like it's happening somewhere in the middle, between where she is and where you are.
The Lazarus Bride-a man is desperately in love with his new bride.
We end in fire. All beautiful things end in fire.
A great collection of stories that was well worth the price. Hoping for more from this author.
8/10
Everything's gossamer here, paper lanterns on exposed bulbs to minimize the glare, all the harshness in the world scrubbed away.
This collection started a bit slowly for me but quickly climbed from good to great. Even though it is listed as a Stoker award finalist I wouldn't call this horror, at least not in the traditional sense, there are few real"squishy" moments but plenty of interesting/odd ideas that remind you of something otherworldly or ephemeral.
The Clawfoot Requiem-two sisters and how to deal with death
She was a ghost even when she was alive.
All the Red Apples have Withered to Gray-an interesting twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale.
The Man in the Ambry-a young girl deals with an "imaginary" friend as she ages.
Audrey at Night- a woman is visited by a former rival.
The Five-Day Summer Camp-an older sister tries to help her sibling deal with summer camp.
Adults always thought kids were too stupid to figure out the truth, and sometimes, it was easier to let them go on believing that.
Skin Like Honey and Lace-one of my favorite stories and truthfully I'm not sure how to blurb this. All I can say is read it.
"Figured it was you when I turned the corner", she says. "Your skin sings differently than the others. Like famine and lullabies."
He won't see me for what I am-a cage of beautiful bones I've hidden too long beneath other people's promises.
The Tower Princesses-another of my favorites, a twist on how we build walls around each other (the quote from the beginning of the review is from this story)
Victims are someone to blame.
And Her Smile will Untether the Universe-a man becomes infatuated with an actress from the early days of movies.
Your heart tugs tight like a stone in your chest, as the sunlight hits her face just right. Her skin shimmers, a strange shift that doesn't look confined to the screen. It looks like it's happening somewhere in the middle, between where she is and where you are.
The Lazarus Bride-a man is desperately in love with his new bride.
We end in fire. All beautiful things end in fire.
A great collection of stories that was well worth the price. Hoping for more from this author.
8/10
Everything's gossamer here, paper lanterns on exposed bulbs to minimize the glare, all the harshness in the world scrubbed away.