Reviews
The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories, by Brenna Yovanoff, Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater
shogins's review against another edition
4.0
This is cool glimpse into the creative process for three YA writers. I'm pretty familiar with Stiefvater's work, but am definitely curious to read more by Gratton and Yovanoff now.
If I ever have to run a writing workshop for tweens/teens, some of the prompts they talk about sing could be cool exercises.
If I ever have to run a writing workshop for tweens/teens, some of the prompts they talk about sing could be cool exercises.
bellatora's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this collection.
Even though I don't love all her books (see: [b:Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie|6076413|Ballad A Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie, #2)|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288028289s/6076413.jpg|6252991]), I think [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1268241579p2/1330292.jpg] is one of the most talented writers with some of the most beautiful writing. I thought [a:Brenna Yovanoff|3023658|Brenna Yovanoff|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1261685101p2/3023658.jpg] was amazingly talented in creating a creepy, haunting atmosphere in [b:The Replacement|9453823|The Replacement|Brenna Yovanoff|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348847078s/9453823.jpg|6911742]. And [a:Tessa Gratton|3111338|Tessa Gratton|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1328563756p2/3111338.jpg] I had no opinion of before reading this book, but now I can't wait to read her novels and am especially excited for [b:The Lost Sun|13021366|The Lost Sun (The United States of Asgard, #1)|Tessa Gratton|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|18183974] because it is clear she is absolutely fascinated by Norse culture and her stories of a Norse-infused modern America were among my favorites.
It was fun to see how much the authors obviously just enjoyed each other. Their side comments and doodles were endearing. It made the book have the same kind of appeal as listening to Tina Fey's memoir on audio - it feels like bonding with the author and makes you want to grab brunch and chat and laugh and drink mimosas with them.
The stories themselves were impressive. While some of them were better than others, none of them were bad. These authors are talented and their ability to create whole worlds and people in so few pages is inspiring.
My favourite stories were “The Vampire Box” (Tessa Gratton) – about a girl whose family keeps a vampire trapped in the basement for luck; it had the same ambiguous ending both hopeful and frustrating that I loved in [a:Vivian Vande Velde|13014|Vivian Vande Velde|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1241839752p2/13014.jpg]’s writing as a teen. “A Murder of Gods” (Maggie Stiefvater) – boarding school of demigods; further proof that Stiefvater can create a simmering romance in even a short story. “Date With a Dragon Slayer” (Tessa Gratton) – love this idea! Ordinary girl wins date with nation’s celebrity du jour, a teen dragonslayer who is going to go off to try to slay another dragon the next morning. “Rain Maker” (Maggie Steifvater) – because I have a thing for asshole geniuses with a layer of kindness, too. “Neighbors” (Brenna Yovanoff) – because I saw the first twist but not the second one. “Beserk” (Tessa Gratton) – trolls, beserker, one of the creepiest/most horrifying scenes (the trolls in the house) in a book full of creepy/horrifying scenes, and a girl who experiences the evil of the world and decides to fight back.
Even though I don't love all her books (see: [b:Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie|6076413|Ballad A Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie, #2)|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288028289s/6076413.jpg|6252991]), I think [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1268241579p2/1330292.jpg] is one of the most talented writers with some of the most beautiful writing. I thought [a:Brenna Yovanoff|3023658|Brenna Yovanoff|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1261685101p2/3023658.jpg] was amazingly talented in creating a creepy, haunting atmosphere in [b:The Replacement|9453823|The Replacement|Brenna Yovanoff|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348847078s/9453823.jpg|6911742]. And [a:Tessa Gratton|3111338|Tessa Gratton|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1328563756p2/3111338.jpg] I had no opinion of before reading this book, but now I can't wait to read her novels and am especially excited for [b:The Lost Sun|13021366|The Lost Sun (The United States of Asgard, #1)|Tessa Gratton|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|18183974] because it is clear she is absolutely fascinated by Norse culture and her stories of a Norse-infused modern America were among my favorites.
It was fun to see how much the authors obviously just enjoyed each other. Their side comments and doodles were endearing. It made the book have the same kind of appeal as listening to Tina Fey's memoir on audio - it feels like bonding with the author and makes you want to grab brunch and chat and laugh and drink mimosas with them.
The stories themselves were impressive. While some of them were better than others, none of them were bad. These authors are talented and their ability to create whole worlds and people in so few pages is inspiring.
My favourite stories were “The Vampire Box” (Tessa Gratton) – about a girl whose family keeps a vampire trapped in the basement for luck; it had the same ambiguous ending both hopeful and frustrating that I loved in [a:Vivian Vande Velde|13014|Vivian Vande Velde|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1241839752p2/13014.jpg]’s writing as a teen. “A Murder of Gods” (Maggie Stiefvater) – boarding school of demigods; further proof that Stiefvater can create a simmering romance in even a short story. “Date With a Dragon Slayer” (Tessa Gratton) – love this idea! Ordinary girl wins date with nation’s celebrity du jour, a teen dragonslayer who is going to go off to try to slay another dragon the next morning. “Rain Maker” (Maggie Steifvater) – because I have a thing for asshole geniuses with a layer of kindness, too. “Neighbors” (Brenna Yovanoff) – because I saw the first twist but not the second one. “Beserk” (Tessa Gratton) – trolls, beserker, one of the creepiest/most horrifying scenes (the trolls in the house) in a book full of creepy/horrifying scenes, and a girl who experiences the evil of the world and decides to fight back.
kirstynelaine's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved the "behind the scenes" concept of this book. It was a peek behind the curtain of a writer's mind, and it was wonderful to see the collaborations and interactions among these writers. True, I didn't love every story, but I did love the book as a whole, and the stories were curious indeed. It was great to see what inspired the authors and how they developed their own work.
(In all honesty, their writing processes were the true curiosities to me.)
(In all honesty, their writing processes were the true curiosities to me.)
jmo789's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 I loved most of these stories but a few I fell totally “meh” about. Super fun to read. I loved the annotations from all 3 authors and their commentary before each story. It made the whole experience more personal and fun to read.
blevisky's review against another edition
3.0
the first 100 pages were amazing, but after that the stories kinda lost their magic.
mehsi's review against another edition
1.0
Some stories were nice, but some just didn't make sense or aren't my style of story.
knallen's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book because not only did it have some amazing short stories by authors I love, they talked about the writing process, how it differs for short stories versus novels. They talked about where ideas come from, how they edit and why you need a critique group of some sort. They also shared bits of themselves in the commentary and you got to know them as people a little as well as authors. This is a great read for anyone that's interested in the process of writing, but doesn't want an instruction manual as well as people who like weird, quirky short stories. If you love any of these authors, it is a must read.
happilyruined's review against another edition
5.0
I have nothing but the best to say about this anthology. The stories range from delightful to heartbreaking, supernatural to realistic. They're all quite well-written, and none are too long or too short. I also enjoyed the footnotes and drawings; they really added to the experience. This book is honestly one-of-a-kind, and any fantasy fan should try it out.
Highlights include:
THE VAMPIRE BOX by Tessa Gratton
A coming of age story including a vampire in the basement. Creepy and full of longing--though not of the romantic variety.
GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES by Brenna Yovanoff
Two teenage girls have an interesting conversation in a bathroom. Probably polarizing amongst reviwers, but wow. It'll strike a chord with people who've felt hopeless without knowing why.
DATE WITH A DRAGON SLAYER by Tessa Gratton
A young woman wins a date--and a scholarship, which is more of her concern--with a dragon slayer on the eve of his next battle. Sarcastic, sexy, and melancholy. Also: hot boy alert.
SCHEHERAZADE by Brenna Yovanoff
A girl spins a story to save her life. Cerebral, chilling; and, oh, yeah, psychopath included. Yes.
THE MADNESS OF LANCELOT by Brenna Yovanoff
The story of a heartbroken boy told through the eyes of a girl who spends more time in a lake, it seems, than on land. Again, I tend towards the melancholy--and this one was just beautiful.
THE WIND TAKES OUR CRIES by Maggie Stiefvater
A woman tells the story of the day King Arthur took her son. Dark, different, and told from a perspective quite different from any other in this book.
AUBURN by Brenna Yovanoff
As Brenna tells it, the story of a jaded girl who faces down a bad, bad man. And oh my gosh, bad person on bad person action.
PUDDLES by Tessa Gratton
A girl is obsessed with puddles. A boy may be obsessed with her, in a pulling-your-pigtails kind of way. Charming, yet somehow sad? I don't know, I liked it.
THE LAST DAY OF SPRING by Maggie Stiefvater
A boy tells the story of the Papillons, who live for only three days. Just... cut my heart out. How does she create these things?
ASH-TREE SPELL TO BREAK YOUR HEART by Tessa Gratton
A woman is created to destroy her master's rival. Very much the bittersweet love story I love to devour.
THE SUMMER ENDS IN SLAUGHTER by Tessa Gratton
A town carries out its annual Samhain tradition. A love story, of sorts, soaked in blood. So, yeah. I liked it.
HEART-SHAPED BOX by Maggie Stiefvater
The story of a musician with a secret. Oh hey, Cole St. Clair prototype in all your glory. This one is actually really heartbreaking in a non-romantic kind of way.
Those were the highlights, but they're all good. I loved this book. So much.
Highlights include:
THE VAMPIRE BOX by Tessa Gratton
A coming of age story including a vampire in the basement. Creepy and full of longing--though not of the romantic variety.
GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES by Brenna Yovanoff
Two teenage girls have an interesting conversation in a bathroom. Probably polarizing amongst reviwers, but wow. It'll strike a chord with people who've felt hopeless without knowing why.
DATE WITH A DRAGON SLAYER by Tessa Gratton
A young woman wins a date--and a scholarship, which is more of her concern--with a dragon slayer on the eve of his next battle. Sarcastic, sexy, and melancholy. Also: hot boy alert.
SCHEHERAZADE by Brenna Yovanoff
A girl spins a story to save her life. Cerebral, chilling; and, oh, yeah, psychopath included. Yes.
THE MADNESS OF LANCELOT by Brenna Yovanoff
The story of a heartbroken boy told through the eyes of a girl who spends more time in a lake, it seems, than on land. Again, I tend towards the melancholy--and this one was just beautiful.
THE WIND TAKES OUR CRIES by Maggie Stiefvater
A woman tells the story of the day King Arthur took her son. Dark, different, and told from a perspective quite different from any other in this book.
AUBURN by Brenna Yovanoff
As Brenna tells it, the story of a jaded girl who faces down a bad, bad man. And oh my gosh, bad person on bad person action.
PUDDLES by Tessa Gratton
A girl is obsessed with puddles. A boy may be obsessed with her, in a pulling-your-pigtails kind of way. Charming, yet somehow sad? I don't know, I liked it.
THE LAST DAY OF SPRING by Maggie Stiefvater
A boy tells the story of the Papillons, who live for only three days. Just... cut my heart out. How does she create these things?
ASH-TREE SPELL TO BREAK YOUR HEART by Tessa Gratton
A woman is created to destroy her master's rival. Very much the bittersweet love story I love to devour.
THE SUMMER ENDS IN SLAUGHTER by Tessa Gratton
A town carries out its annual Samhain tradition. A love story, of sorts, soaked in blood. So, yeah. I liked it.
HEART-SHAPED BOX by Maggie Stiefvater
The story of a musician with a secret. Oh hey, Cole St. Clair prototype in all your glory. This one is actually really heartbreaking in a non-romantic kind of way.
Those were the highlights, but they're all good. I loved this book. So much.
emdoux's review against another edition
5.0
I don't usually do short stories, and if I do, it's not in a book of them, because reading just one doesn't feel right, but I don't like reading an entire book of them.
This book of short stories, however, shattered that trend. I read every single one, couldn't stop reading them, actually.
This book of short stories, however, shattered that trend. I read every single one, couldn't stop reading them, actually.