A review by illtakethenightshiftx
A Small Apocalypse by Laura Chow Reeve

emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Rarely had a short story collection been this compelling and cohesive. This collection is full of hauntings, grief, exploration and understanding of identity, tenderness, joy, and - above all else - love.  Laura Chow Reeve creates a narrative following recurring characters interspersed with other short stories with similar themes, motifs, and symbols, but wholly original characters. Many of these stories had a gothic/Southern gothic feel similar to works by Shirley Jackson and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. 

I loved this collection so much!! None of the stories felt out of place and the recurring characters are deep, developed, compelling, and easy to love. Reeve balances all of the heaviness with moments of joy and unbridled love between characters. So many moments had me misty-eyed, choked up, kicking my feet, with a melting heart. 

A Small Apocalypse is one of the best short story collections I’ve ever read!!

Favorite stories: One-Thousand-Year-Old Ghosts, A Small Apocalypse, Migratory Patterns
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