Reviews

False Bingo: Stories by Jac Jemc

rvlgonzalez's review

3.0

I'd say more like 3.5. Some stories were better than others. Most felt like they didn't have an ending, they just ended, which I didn't love, but Jac Jemc clearly has a very interesting mind and sensibility.

zuly's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

gph's review

5.0

many of these knocked me off my seat and now i'm covered in thorny vines AND it's getting darker and darker.. yes

mb918's review

2.0

I will admit that these stories were all super well written, but I felt a little dissatisfied with many of them because I struggled to find a purpose. The few that actually had something to say were great, and I liked the theme of luck woven throughout, but this book ultimately just felt to me like a bunch of good writing with no motive.

vampirehelpdesk's review

3.0

I love Jemc’s writing style. Her characters feel very Shirley Jackson-esque to me, which is high praise. However, this falls under the curse many collections have where the stories are unevenly developed. I found myself trying to push through many and savor in some. Glad I read it but her novel, The Grip of It, still rings superior to me.

veritablysloth's review against another edition

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

4.25

clarxvizconde13's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.75

anthonyk's review

2.0

This is my first foray into Jac Jemc's writing. Her second collection clocks in at a little over 200 pages and consists of twenty (yes, twenty!) short stories. Meaning, a lot of these stories are incredibly short, most only a few pages, with the longest story sandwiched in the middle at around twenty or so pages. This collection was a disappointment as I had high expectations after seeing glowing reviews by people I trust, and from magazines I trust. The stories here are very quiet without being disquieting, the threat or the sense of unease or unsettlement is either nonexistent, or the thing causing it is never seen on page or is hinted at, but just barely. These stories to me were too short for me to feel anything: dread, disgust, horror, shock, sadness, despair, anything. A collection filled with mostly misses for me. Read this if you enjoy very short, quiet stories about people leading mundane lives.

Favorite stories: Delivery, Get Back, Manifest, Default, Trivial Pursuit

hippoponymous's review

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

kiramke's review

4.0

There are at least three great stories in here, which is quite a lot for a short story collection. I feel particularly susceptible to some of the main themes, which left me a bit rattled in a good way; something about boundaries and how we treat each other. This one is staying on my shelf for rereading.