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hanz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy
nhewitt99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Literary, unusual, intimate, spooky. Like Our Wives, these stories blend grimy unreality with surprising moments of closeness. Many explore the chasm of unfamiliarity exposed as relationships end. Topics spanning self-image, gender, community, and religion are weaved throughout. Armfield's poetic selection of detail and her striking, uncanny dialogue are major strong points.
Most memorable: Stop Your Women's Ears with Wax
Favorite romance: Cassandra After
Most memorable: Stop Your Women's Ears with Wax
Favorite romance: Cassandra After
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, and Violence
bethsreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really like Armfield’s writing style. I particularly like how the gothic elements of the stories are ever present in the background, creeping closer as each story progresses. They are unsettling and creative and pull you in. My main critique of them is that quite a few of the main characters felt a bit interchangeable. As they are short stories, the characters wont have as much depth as they do in a novel and Armfield does a great job of building these characters in a short number of pages; I was just left feeling like some of the outlooks and personalities of the main characters blurred together a little. It is a good collection though and I would recommend to people who liked The Dangers of Smoking in Bed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death
Minor: Lesbophobia
myk_yeah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Magnificent. Reminds me a lot of “What is Not Yours is Not Yours” by Helen Oyeyemi.
A collection of dark short stories and great sapphic representation. Beautiful writing, human themed with a creepy touch.
A collection of dark short stories and great sapphic representation. Beautiful writing, human themed with a creepy touch.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body horror and Violence
linguaphile412's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
miamcmillan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
overwhelmingly weird. i probably shouldn’t have read this directly after finishing “her body and other parties” because now my brain instinctively wants to compare them and say that while machado’s collection was separate and weird, armfield’s was engaging and personal and direct and weird. the title story made me absolutely squirm i hated it and the concept and i was entirely, unsettlingly hooked. “stop your women’s ears with wax” was my favourite along with salt slow; it just consumed me with a sense of bacchic frenzy that reminded me of the bacchae by euripides and intrigued me all at one time. something i loved was the indifference of the characters (i don’t know how else to describe this) which was conveyed without making them distant and stagnant. i also loved the collectables for its sheer unconcernedness? overall a very reluctantly magnetic and beautifully written little anthology <3 (also a very quick read if that’s what you’re looking for)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, and Violence
zhazhadiamond's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Pregnancy
ladysanctuary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Nine chilling character driven horror stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt