small__fry's reviews
27 reviews

Walking Practice by Dolki Min

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A delightful queer story that reflects what it is like to be the other. Very funny and endears the reader to the protagonist well. The illustrations are beautiful and a lovely compliment to the text.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.75

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Had some promise, but ultimately fell a bit flat when the big reveal turned out to be a bit silly. 

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

As with many short story collections, some of these were more enjoyable than others.  Personal highlights were a First-Rate Material, Poochie, Eating the City and the titular Life Ceremony. Muraka’s writing is a joy and had me regularly cracking up laughing. 

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

dark fast-paced

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

1.5

Thankfully it’s a quick read but pretty whatever overall 

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Decent body horror tale. I liked the slow build of tension however ending fell a bit flat for me.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.75

A delightfully dark and funny read about being an outsider 

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Carmilla starts strong and is quite intriguing until

it kind of just really abruptly ends? At least it felt that way.

While there is fair criticism to be levelled at a man writing a lesbian relationship I enjoyed the sapphic seduction of our protagonist as part of the allure of Carmilla. (I don’t agree with the idea that it’s making any sort of generalised  statement about lesbian relationships being predatory). I was surprised at how gay it was without stepping into gratuity. 
An enjoyable and relatively quick read that I would recommend to fans of horror literature.