A review by booksnpunks
Open Up by Thomas Morris

4.0

So odd but also outstandingly good. Really, really enjoyed this collection. The first story ‘Wales’ was the weakest which made me nervous that I wasn’t going to enjoy it but the rest of the stories were completely brilliant. Morris writes about the human condition with such a unique outlook on life and his stories force you to confront your own inner demons. One story follows a family of seahorses and at its core is about grief, loneliness and abandonment - never thought I would be able to sympathise with a seahorse so much but Morris’s writing just completely sucked me in. The other three stories in the collection are a deep and humorous comment on relationships, identity crises and how we connect with each other in a world of social media and virtual distractions telling us that everything we do and say is wrong.

Truly and pleasantly surprised by this collection and will be eagerly awaiting more from Morris as he has genuinely mastered the art of short story writing. Thank you Faber for sending me an advance proof copy of this for review.