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pendleton 's review for:

How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
4.0

There are a few stories in here that are among the best short stories I have ever read. There are also some that I just couldn't really care less about...going to rank them in order of my enjoyment in case you want to target read this.

1)The Isabel Fish
2)Pilgrims
3)When She Is Old and I Am Famous
4)Stars of Motown Shining Bright
5)Care
6)The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones
7)What We Save
8)Stations of the Cross
9)Note to Sixth-Grade Self

None of these are poorly written and perhaps the ones I did not enjoy were because all of these stories are from a deeply female perspective and some were more easily related to on a human level...Note to Sixth-Grade Self being an intense example of this (one which I skimmed.

Do read at least the first story on my list. It will be with me forever.