April
This was a really enjoyable read. I'm not going to rate it because it's nothing I'm used to reading at all, but I want to give it 5/5.
It's in first person, in a teenage boy's PoV, and his voice is very distinct, as is his uncle's. If you've seen the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople, you already have the basic premise here, but the plot of the book and movie are a little different. I liked both and recommend them. I do think the book is worth reading, whether you've seen the movie or not. I'm not really an adventurous person, but reading this did make me want to live in the wilderness too. I can't say adventure fiction usually has that effect on me.
This is an intense and action-packed sci-fi adventure novel, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The tagline probably got a lot of people's attention (“Golden Girls meets The Expanse with a side of Babylon Five”) and I don't think it's accurate. The only thing it has in common with The Golden Girls is that most of the major characters are older women. The youngest is in her 40s and most are over 60. There's no real humor except (very rarely) a sardonic line here or there - which is fine, it's not that kind of book. But if you're looking for a cozy read with a heavy focus on friendship, or anything in the realm of comedy, this is not that book! It's action-focused, with a lot of political intrigue. The characters are definitely interesting people, but it isn't a character-driven story. There's almost no one-on-one interpersonal drama of any kind. There are some nice friendship moments as the story progresses, and a very light romantic side plot, but neither of those are given too much attention.
I'm not too familiar with The Expanse, having only read the first book, but this book didn't feel too much like that one. I do see the influence of Babylon Five, though. There are a lot of important characters and several important factions, all with different motivations and goals. Some of the battle scenes also reminded me strongly of Battlestar Galactica (2004). I also see the author has written a Shadowrun campaign and that definitely makes sense, because Shadowrun was in my mind during certain moments (there isn't anything fantasy-oriented going on, though).
The premise: a few centuries before the story begins, humans had to flee Earth and founded colonies on extra-solar planets. These colonies are loosely linked to current cultures, and all of the action in this book takes place in Ileri space, where people's ancestors are from Nigeria (again, loosely). And there's trouble on the station, beginning with a massacre. Somehow, I thought this would be a mystery novel with a sci-fi setting; while the characters do solve the mystery over the course of the story, the situation surrounding it is more important than the actual crime. I found that plot thread a little unsatisfying, although you do learn who did it and why.
There really are a lot of major characters, enough that it was difficult to keep track of them. The point-of-view characters are all multifaceted people with strengths and flaws. Their main common trait is competence in their fields. I had the most affection for Noo, a private investigator in her 60s. She seems like the main character (although the book does not really have one). Her motivations were clear and easiest for me to understand. I very much appreciated that all of these characters are competent and tough and some are like action-movie heroines, but the author also allows them to be vulnerable without ever writing them as weak. Their hands shake from adrenaline overload, their muscles ache after fights, and so on, yet I never thought they were about to fall apart. It read as realistic to me.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, but certain aspects of it were challenging for me. The worldbuilding is very good, but somewhat complicated. There are a lot of action scenes, and they're exciting, but this amount of action scenes is not really to my taste as a reader. All of the point-of-view characters are important and I see how everything contributed to the whole, but there are just so many. It took me a few minutes every time to reorient myself for the different characters' chapters or sections.
A note on lgbtq+ rep, since people here have shelved the book that way: this is a book with a queer-inclusive setting rather than one with a focus on lgbtq+ rep. All rep is incidental and feels very casual. I liked this, and it's definitely pleasant to imagine.
This is a very good m/m romance short story. It's unusual in a way that felt fresh to me. It's about a couple who have a major conflict and then resolve it. You also see how they got together, through flashbacks, as well as how they got to the point in their relationship where unaddressed issues came to the surface. The writing style is matter-of-fact rather than flowery, which I feel serves the story well.
It's set in a fantasy world, and the worldbuilding is subtle. Kel reads as trans to me, which comes across as incidental. The story also isn't about orientation, and the society seems queernormative. Social class does play a big role here, though, as does the nature of their relationship.
I'm very happy to have read this. I hope that the author returns to these characters and this world in the future, but this lovely story stands alone very well.
I was very excited when AJ Demas announced a new series, because I really enjoy her work. In fact, I was counting down the hours until I could read this, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it just as much as I hoped to. This is an m/m romance and it stands alone. You don't need to have read any of her other work. This one only shares a setting (an imaginary version of the ancient Mediterranean, specifically Rome here) with her others. There are a few characters mentioned who were also present in other books. But only the philosopher Lysandros (he was in [b:Strong Wine 58848650 Strong Wine (Sword Dance #3) A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629842564l/58848650.SX50.jpg 92695923]) is important here, and he gets fully introduced in relation to the new characters. So, no background required.One of my favorite things about AJ Demas's work is how well she writes character voices, and she does a fantastic job with that here. I loved all the side characters and I can easily imagine (and would read books about!) their lives outside of these pages. But the spotlight is on Nikias and Kallion, and this book is dual PoV, which worked well for the story. They are lovable and complex characters. The story has a fairly leisurely pace, and there's time for a good amount of domestic fluff, which was all fantastic. I also believe completely in their love for each other. Nikias and Kallion have both had difficult pasts, for different reasons, and their experiences have shaped who they are and allowed them to relate to one another. That's all important here, but it isn't the book's only focus. Both MCs truly appreciate each other as they are, both physically and otherwise, and I loved everything about that. Nikias is fat and tall, and his size is definitely part of Kallion's attraction to him. The plot also gives both MCs room to embrace their own skills, to encourage each other, and to grow as people. The non-romance plot has to do with organized crime, which I didn't expect at all from the blurb. I don't know how the plot would seem to someone who's more familiar with those kinds of stories than I am, but I liked it and it kept my attention. There are a few twists and turns as that plot thread progresses, but nothing really shocking. As you might guess from the cover and title, there are some lovely food descriptions. I really could praise this book all day, but I'll leave it here. I was delighted to spend more time in this world and to meet these new and wonderful characters. Looking forward to the next book.Content warnings (to be clear, these are things I noticed, not things I object to or don't object to, and it's not meant to be an exhaustive list):Two characters who start out as slaveowners free their slaves. They're not portrayed as villains for having owned slaves.One MC has experienced past sexual abuse and has complicated feelings about it.There's an on-page attempted sexual assault, other on-page violence, and off-page violence.There's some period-typical internalized homophobia, related to specific sex acts. This issue causes an early conflict between the MCs and it gets resolved.
This is a great paranormal romance. The dangers the characters face feel real and threatening at every moment, but their bond is so strong. For that reason, this is a very well-titled book. I'm definitely excited to continue reading the series.
This book includes some heavy subject matter, so be sure to check the content warnings (here or elsewhere) before reading.
This is my favorite book I've read by Beverly Jenkins so far. I was in the mood to read a straightforward romance novel, and this book delivered on every front. There are some plot threads partly unrelated to the romance, but the focus is on Spring and Garrett. They're both wonderful characters, and their romance completely enchanted me.
The side characters came alive for me too. I really loved the warm friendship between Spring and her sister-in-law Regan. Also, the scene between Garrett and his father made me choke up because I was prepared to dislike the character, but when he and Garrett finally talked, I saw his perspective very clearly. That scene is going to stay with me.
Her books are not slow-paced, but there's a detailed nature to them that I really enjoy. She always takes the time to describe moments that are ordinary to the characters, but unfamiliar to me because of the historical setting. This quality makes her writing very immersive.
A few content warnings:
Spring was sexually abused when she was a younger woman, and it's referenced explicitly. One of her abusers is a villain in this book.
Racism is part of these characters' everyday lives. The town of Paradise is relatively progressive, but there's racism there too.
There's some on-page violence, and one of the MCs is seriously injured.
This book really had a magical effect on me, commanding my attention in a way that I don't expect from a novel without a prominent romance or friendship plot. There are actually a couple of good friendship plots here, as well as a (very) light romance, but overall, I'd say this is a plot-driven book, although the characters have quite a lot of depth as well. I loved it and I'm so excited to continue reading this author.
I am a cis woman, so be sure to look for reviews from trans readers. One of the main characters, Eolo, is a trans man and I felt that aspect of the story was handled very well. It isn't quite incidental representation, but the book is definitely not about his identity. In general, I feel this is more the point-of-view character's story than it is Eolo's.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I have mixed feelings about her narration. I really liked some of her choices, such as the voice and accent she chose for Tikaz. I thought that was perfect, as were most of the other characters. The accent she chose for Eolo worked really well for a farm boy whom others might underestimate, but I really disliked the voice she chose for him. He sounded like a terrified child at several key moments (e.g., when he refuses to go with Mawat into the women's temple, and when he's flirting with Tikaz) and I just don't think that performance fit with the character's words and actions. It is a major flaw of this audiobook. If you are a reader who does either audio or text, I recommend going with the text for this book.
I'm sure there are long essays to be written about this book as a version of Hamlet, but I'm not qualified to do that. Still, as a lifelong consumer of fanfic & transformative works, I want to say that I loved Tikaz on her own, but even more in comparison with the character she's based on. What a wonderful interpretation. I want to draw hearts all around her.
So, I loved this, and I recommend it enthusiastically. It's cleverly constructed, and it touches on some deeper truths, especially about power and loyalty. But mainly, it was just very enjoyable to read.
I've never read a contemporary YA mystery-thriller before, and I was curious about this one. It definitely kept my attention, but I also don't feel eager to continue reading the genre. Still, it was a real page-turner. I'm definitely not the target audience for this book, though, so please take my review in that spirit. I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done, with several different narrators.
About halfway through, I had a guess about the ending which turned out to be totally wrong. So there were some good red herrings, or good to me, anyway. The ending was satisfying, although I didn't predict much about it. I always felt like there was enough detail to make things believable.
There was not a ton of depth to any of the three cousins, but that's okay, because it's more of a plot-driven book. There are also chapters from the PoV of Millie's mother as a teenager. Because of the nature of the book, these kids trying to figure out what happened when their parents were young, her chapters were the ones I was most interested in. So those were the most gripping, but she was the least interesting character of the four. Also, all the leads are hetero but there's an important gay side character who turns out to be pretty saintly, and I don't know, but his saintliness just hit me wrong.
Overall, my experience was somewhere between “okay” and “good.” Perfectly fine but nothing I'm excited about. I wanted something with a fast pace, and this book delivered on that front.
This is a very good and creepy short story but I would've preferred a clearer ending. I guess it's meant to be open to interpretation. I've never read anything by this author before and I think I like his style, especially the extremely sympathetic but flawed main character.
It's funny because everything in this story screams “this is happening in Florida!!” and I don't think the location is given.
Horror is not really a genre I feel knowledgeable about yet, but a three-star rating seems right for my experience. I did enjoy this book overall, and I think certain aspects of it are really done well. For my romance pals: this isn't a romance novel, but the main relationship is central to the story.
However, the book is way, way too long. Really, this could've been a quarter as long as it is and had the same impact. The plot is not complicated, but it's spread out over a lot of words, which are mostly introspection and exploration of feelings. I also think that the author got a little too technical in most of the mountain-climbing scenes. He is a mountain climber and I understand this is based on his own experience, but those sections were the most difficult for me to follow. There's a moment in one of Nick's latter sections in which he's describing a specific technique and why he's using it that worked really well (the Prusik knots, if you've read this), and I wish more of the climbing sections had been like that scene.
To me, the structure detracted from the building sense of dread that I want from a horror novel. There weren't really any huge surprises here. There are a couple of linear narratives, Sam and Nick's own experiences of life after his accident, and then those chapters are interspersed with Nick's story of the accident. In all of these narratives there are a lot of digressions, about local legends of this mountain, both characters' childhoods, and so on. These are all relevant to the story, but I just thought it was all too much. I don't think I will be revisiting this book, but if you pick it up, I would recommend approaching it as a dual character study, rather than as a thriller. It isn't an exciting book, but maybe it wasn't trying to be.
I deeply appreciate that this is a mainstream horror novel and the main characters are two men in a relationship. This is totally unremarkable to every other character, and yet I don't think the story would've worked nearly as well with non-queer leads. Also, at no point did I doubt their love for each other, even though their relationship is difficult. These characters are developed with a lot of depth, and both of the main characters' points of view are distinct. There are two chapters from other points-of-view and they're done well too.
Every review seems to mention the high quality of the translation, and I'm also impressed with it. Fantastic. If I'd somehow picked this up without background info, I wouldn't have known it was translated.
Even though this book did not completely enchant me, I will probably check out more of the author's work. I really did like the overall tone of the book, and the character development is top-notch.
Note: This ebook is free on Amazon right now (2/17/22). I don't know if that's temporary or permanent, but if this book appeals to you, you should grab it!This is the second book I've read by Jackie Lau. I read [b:Bidding for the Bachelor 58541323 Bidding for the Bachelor (Fong Brothers, #2) Jackie Lau https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1626081401l/58541323.SY75.jpg 91975903] a few months ago, which was her first m/m book and a light and breezy read. So I expected something similar here, but I'd call this one, which is m/f, much weightier. Still, it does have a very uplifting tone overall. The characters feel real, although the lives they lead seem like fantasies to me. But that can be a fun aspect of reading romance, and I enjoyed it a lot here. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. She's done many audiobooks but this was my first time listening to one of her narrations, and I really liked her. She performs distinct voices for all the characters. Victor and Amy's romance really captured me, and I totally believed in their happy ending. This is a grumpy + sunshine pairing, and it has everything I like about that sort of romance. Amy and Victor are both remarkably empathetic towards each other, and really, towards everyone in their lives. This is definitely unrealistic, but I liked this trait in romantic leads. They're always respectful of one another.Amy is from a small town and inherits a house in downtown Toronto. She decides to go to grad school and live there. She's very excited about the change in her circumstances. She's an extremely enthusiastic person. If that is not your preference in romance reading, steer clear of this book! I can imagine her relentless cheer becoming annoying to some readers; I might've felt that way too if I'd approached this in a different state of mind. Instead, she really charmed me. I liked traveling along with her as she explored Toronto. There are so many wonderful and detailed food descriptions, often from Amy's perspective, and she's so happy about all the new food, especially the desserts.Amy's family have always relied on her to do a lot of unpaid work, so her main challenge in this book is overcoming the guilt she feels (and that they encourage her to feel) about moving away to the city. Without spoiling anything, I loved the way this plot thread was resolved, as well as how it informed the choices she made throughout the book. I don't have much personal experience of being in this kind of situation, but I have known many people, especially women, who struggle with it. This aspect of the book was really satisfying to me.Victor is just as well-drawn, although it felt at first like his PoV chapters were shorter than Amy's. That evened out as the book continued. His perspective had more relevance to me personally than Amy's. He is dealing with grief (his brother died five years ago) and has closed himself off to close relationships. This is a commonplace character arc for a romance lead, but I thought it was done exceptionally well here. Because of the excellent writing, I felt his loss and how it had shaped his whole life, and I also related to a lot of his lingering issues. I did think he should seek out therapy (therapy is not mentioned in the book), but it was believable that he was able to face his problems, with support from family and friends.To me, this has a medium-to-high heat level. There are a decent amount of sex scenes. Some are unusual, and they're almost all emotionally intense. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm very happy that Jackie Lau has a few audiobooks available now. Looking forward to continuing to enjoy her work.
I'd classify the first two books in this series as pretty straightforward mysteries, while this one feels more like a crime thriller, although it's still definitely a mystery. Sam has also fallen further into his opium addiction, so CW for some very vivid descriptions of withdrawal symptoms. His friendship with Surendranath is very important throughout the series, but it's pretty central here, although still understated. I got a little teary at a moment between them, at the end. I've often seen requests for books that focus on friendship instead of romance, and if that's something you're looking for, I recommend this series. Sam does have a romantic interest also, but that character isn't as prominent in this book as she was in book two.
I really like the immersive nature of the writing, and the plots keep me guessing. But most of all, these characters have captured me, and I look forward to reading more of their adventures.
I enjoyed this so much. It's very gritty without being bleak, and the main character is likeable and flawed. The focus is on the murder mystery, as well as on the main character trying to understand the political situation, but the writing style is straightforward and everything's easy to follow. There's a lot of thoughtful exploration of colonialism and racism that fits very well as part of the main character's perspective.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Malk Williams, was new to me; I thought he was excellent, with distinct voices for all the characters. And in case anyone else was wondering, since a few well-known authors of lgbtq+ books reviewed this here: there's no queer content at all in this book. The violence is at a pretty standard level for a murder mystery (not extreme), but be aware that there is on-page drug abuse.
This is a really nice and short contemporary romance set in Canada. It's a sweet friends-to-lovers plot. An ESL teacher falls in love with his student, Salim, who's from Ethiopia. It's a slice-of-life story, with several lovely moments in their relationship written in detail, in between weeks or months that are just loosely sketched. The MCs just sort of fall naturally into a relationship. There's a real warmth to this story, and I really liked it. It's a freebie right now (here).
I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the performance of the narrator, David Thorpe. He was already one of my fave narrators, so I was excited he did this book that I was so enthusiastic to read. It's like this book was designed to match my tastes as a reader, so maybe I had impossibly high expectations. I have mixed feelings about it.
I'm not dividing the book into three equal parts by page number or anything, but here are my thoughts in the order I had them:
First third, 3 or 4 star read. I'm somewhat interested in the plot, but the MCs aren't charming me. One MC is not at all attracted to the other MC, who is all about keeping his emotions locked down. I think this combo was probably challenging to write, and while I didn't hate it, it also didn't grab me. The mystery plot is okay but I doubt it's going anywhere surprising. The worldbuilding is very good, and I like that it's woven into the story in a way that feels natural.
Second third, 5 star read, instant favorite. I love absolutely everything about this romance, especially the incredible intimacy of the writing style. There are explicit sex scenes and they're quite emotionally intense. Also, one scene involves a kink that I like to read but don't run into too often in books: sensation play, with magic. The non-romance plot has in fact taken some surprising turns, and I'm very invested in the plot.
Third third, 3 or 4 star read. The resolution of the non-romance plot is not satisfying to me. There's a planned sequel, and I'm not at all complaining that it's f/f, because I do read and enjoy f/f. But I feel like these MCs still have fish to fry in the non-romance plot, and they most likely will never be point-of-view characters again. Still, the romance plot wraps up very well and I believe in the MCs' happy ending.
Overall I enjoyed this, and I really loved some aspects of it. I'd recommend it to romance readers over fantasy or mystery readers, though. I might like it better when I reread it in the future.
Reading and listening to this was a great experience, and I recommend it. I definitely wasn't expecting it to engage my emotions, but it really did. I never studied it in school, and I'm glad to have made the time for it now. I listened to a little every day, and reread and relistened to a lot of it before moving on, too, since it is more challenging for me than my usual reads. I wouldn't say this translation reads like natural English, but that was okay; the phrasing helped me pay attention to the language and think about what was being said. But different translations might be easier to read. Dominic Keating narrates the audiobook and he's excellent.My favorite thing: all the glimpses of the time in which this story was told, which was probably different from the time it was told about. There are so many details about daily life, such as food preparation, smithing, and farming. Now I know what Homer thought a woman (well, a goddess) would wear when she got extra dressed up in order to seduce her husband. I also know, judging by Homer's most common metaphors, that lions were serious countryside pests in Greece, and that everyone was intimately familiar with the sea. I did read this because I enjoyed [b:The Song of Achilles 13623848 The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1357177533l/13623848.SY75.jpg 16176791], and I see now that Miller made some choices that are very different from the original. Just to name a couple things, I'm not sure why she wrote Thetis as so unsympathetic, or Patroclus as a non-warrior. If you also liked SoA, give this a try sometime too. Or, if you had to (or were supposed to) read it in school, you probably didn't enjoy it. I don't think I would've liked answering factual questions about it. This translation might be a good opportunity to revisit it.
Both of these main characters were introduced in the Magic in Manhattan series. Everything you need to know about this book is in this book, but I'm glad to have read the other series first. Jade and Zhang are important here, which I liked, and there are intriguing new characters too, including Sebastian's artist cousin Isabel.
Unlike the previous trilogy, this book has a few explicit sex scenes. I thought the scenes were very good as well as relevant to the plot. It's not sex, but I especially loved the scene of Wesley deciding that he doesn't want to be cruel to Sebastian. That really moved me.
This story handles some serious topics with sensitivity, and the pacing is very good. In reality, I'm sure I'd find someone like Wesley impossible to tolerate, but I do believe in this romance. They are both exactly what the other needs and I was cheering for their happiness. There's quite a lot of genuinely funny humor in this book, too; I really liked Wesley's rebellious servants.
So, I absolutely loved this, and I'm very excited to find out what Allie Therin does next.
This was my first time reading anything by Joe Hill. A friend was enthusiastic about one of these stories, Late Returns. When I saw all the well-known narrators, I decided to listen to the audiobook. He's often a very visual writer, but most of these stories aren't action-oriented. He's good at creating memorable characters, which is to my taste as a reader, but I'd say his strength is in exploring intriguing concepts. I will probably read one of his novels soon. I wrote mini-reviews of all the stories:Introduction - I enjoyed this a lot. I'm not a Stephen King fan, but it was interesting. Joe Hill is only a few years older than me, so I have an easy framework for understanding many of the experiences he describes here. Throttle - 2 of 5. This first story, about a motorcycle gang and a really ugly father/son relationship, felt so discordant with the sweet and nostalgic tone of the introduction. Men are being men and their concerns are family and revenge, and how bad meth is compared to the drugs of yesteryear. I disliked this one enough that I almost skipped ahead to the story that had been recommended to me, but I'm very glad I stuck with the book instead. This is the first of two stories here co-written by Joe Hill and Stephen King.Dark Carousel - 3 of 5. I was a teen in 94 also, and my life was not like this, but also, I was well aware that drunk driving and littering were wrong; the main character's assertion to the contrary hurt my suspension of disbelief. The female characters in this story feel three-dimensional, which surprised me after the near-complete absence of female characters in the first story. The action is exciting. To me, though, the story is way too long. The part after the MC's trauma goes on and on.Wolverton Station - 4 of 5. This is a fun romp! Absolutely unrelatable MC (I'm sure he's meant to be), and I'm impressed that the author made me feel his fear anyway. Neil Gaiman narrates this in the audiobook and he's fantastic. The story feels like a little Tales from the Darkside gem, and also a (somewhat heavy-handed) comment on capitalism and so on. I liked it a great deal.By the Silver Water Of Lake Champlain - 3 of 5. It was okay. It reminded me a little of my own childhood, but I think the characters are from the generation before mine. A female main character and I didn't love how that was handled. Faun - 4.5 of 5. I loved this one! I'm taking off half a star because, again, it's heavy-handed, this time in most of its characterizations. It would make a great movie. Creepy with a strong sense of menace and a satisfying ending. Another excellent narration (Zachary Quinto, who I wish did more audiobooks).Late Returns - 5 of 5. This story resonated with me really strongly and it's the highlight of the collection. I can't talk about it objectively. I think it would have a strong effect on any lifelong bookworm, especially if you're mourning someone who was also a bookworm. For me this story alone was worth the time I invested in this book, even though some of them really weren't my kind of thing.All I Care About Is You - 4 of 5. Sci-fi story that reminded me of [b:The Caves of Steel 41811 The Caves of Steel (Robot #1) Isaac Asimov https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335782224l/41811.SY75.jpg 140376] and [b:Biting the Sun 373009 Biting the Sun (Four-BEE, #1-2) Tanith Lee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388216522l/373009.SY75.jpg 362927]. It doesn't have the magic I always feel when reading Tanith Lee, but the world here is in that vein. It's the far future and people seem to be living very empty lives. I'm actually upset about this one! There's low-key sexism in all these stories and it's a little more intense here, because the main character is a teenage girl, but that's not what upset me. In fact, the story bothered me in the way it was meant to, which to me means it's a very good horror story. It's another I can easily imagine as a movie.Thumbprints - 3.5 of 5. This one also has a female narrator and her gender was (sort of) irrelevant, which just makes me feel more disappointed about the sexism elsewhere in the book. Also, I suspect this story is about things the author has no firsthand experience of, which is a problem when we're talking about PTSD. One character also reads to me as neurodivergent in other ways. However, as a creepy short story, it works pretty well. The Devil on the Staircase - 3 of 5. This did not really work for me as a story, exactly, but it was an interesting and disturbing character study, about a truly vile person.Mums - 2 of 5. My least favorite so far, with several sexist tropes, ordinary sexism, fatphobia, and poor treatment of mental illness. Glad this wasn't earlier in the collection or I would've bailed. In the Tall Grass - 1 of 5. I really disliked this one. If you pick up this collection, and you're not into seriously messed-up stories, just skip it. Another that's about experiences the authors can't have had (this is the second story here co-written with Stephen King), and it doesn't treat its characters respectfully. Very disturbing and gross, and I don't know what the point of it was.You Are Released - 4 of 5. I like this format of multiple point-of-view characters for this type of story, where everyone's reacting to the same incident. The plot (about a nuclear apocalpyse) hit my emotions pretty hard, but the story itself is fairly calm, which I appreciated. The author narrates this and he's excellent. Story notes - also interesting. I like how much background info the author included in the introduction and conclusion.A Little Sorrow - 5 of 5. This very short story is hidden after the story notes, and I really liked it.Twittering from the Circus of the Dead - 3 of 5. This is pretty good, a little predictable but nicely creepy. It's not in the audio version, due to the format (a series of tweets), but the PDF of it is easily available.
I didn't like this one. I have no idea what most of the facts of the situation are. I think it's meant to be left up to interpretation, but I'd prefer to have a few clear options to choose between, not just creepy vagueness. I also didn't like the writing style, which was very heavy on sensory imagery.
This story was definitely gripping to listen to. What a weird apocalypse. I didn't really like it because I got the sense the author didn't like the narrator, or real people like the narrator. Anti-vaxx all-natural parents aren't my favorite segment of society, either, to be clear; I'm not saying this to defend people of that type. But in fiction, especially when a character is someone it might be difficult for me to understand in the real world, I want to be able to sympathize. This character, though, seemed to be written with some level of spite towards people like her, which made it much harder for me to suspend disbelief and enjoy the work.
I loved this short story and found it deeply unsettling. If I had known anything about it before I started listening, I would've realized it was extremely up my alley: it's historical and spooky, with events left open to interpretation, and the main characters are two men who are possibly in love with each other - but then, if I'd known all that, I probably wouldn't have listened to this whole anthology, and I've had a great time with it. The audio narrator (he only did this story) was perfect.
