A review by emilyinherhead
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A woman walks down the street and a man tells her to smile. When she smiles, she reveals a mouthful of fangs. She bites off the man's hand, cracks the bones and spits them out, and accidentally swallows his wedding ring, which gives her indigestion.

I loved these stories. Many are contemporary, but some are based on historical figures and/or events (I didn’t always know the source material for these, but they were great nonetheless, and such knowledge didn’t feel absolutely necessary).

There’s a lot here about being a woman, getting messy, breaking free. Kirby doesn’t shy away from really shitting on the patriarchy and honestly, we love to see it. Shit Cassandra Saw would make an excellent pairing with Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder.

Favorites from the collection: "A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot," "Friday Night" (which I believe was a single four-page sentence?), "Casper," "Marcy Breaks Up with Herself," and "How to Retile Your Bathroom in 6 Easy Steps!"

I love to be alone and I am never more alone than after a man leaves. All the space he occupied—the chair, the cup, the looks my way that ask what I am thinking, the glance of the hand against my body, yet another question I have to answer—suddenly, he is out the door, and that chair is mine to sit in.