gynocyber's review against another edition
4.0
v consistent and well-rounded collection; only three of these stories at most weren’t to my taste (white throat holler in particular feels out of step and not quite there). chronister shows off impressive fluency in multiple styles of horror and never betrays or underexplores her premises ... occasionally a little pat or neat but oh well.
also my fav story in the bunch is currently “the women who sing for sklep” :)
also my fav story in the bunch is currently “the women who sing for sklep” :)
eggp's review against another edition
3.0
They'll grow up someday
holding them back helps no one
children need to eat.
holding them back helps no one
children need to eat.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
4.0
"The filmmakers were not our first foreigners. Others had come, to build schoolhouses that the monsoons later destroyed or to hold clinics that healed us once and then never again. When we failed to smile in their photographs or come to their English classes, they would pack up their things and go abruptly, saying no goodbyes, making no excuses. We were a graveyard of failed charities.
They can sense the ghosts around us, Ming used to tell me. I thought maybe they could sense that we were too haunted for their week-long projects to do any good."
They can sense the ghosts around us, Ming used to tell me. I thought maybe they could sense that we were too haunted for their week-long projects to do any good."
zuly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
sunnybopeep's review against another edition
4.25
This was an excellent, haunting collection of stories. The only criticism I have is that there was no theme tying them all together, but they were very beautifully written and wonderfully gothic.
merricatzimmerle's review against another edition
5.0
Genuinely the best short story collection I have read so far. Every story is compelling and uncomfortable in just the right way.
melanie_page's review against another edition
I'm just really not into this. There's no clear setting. Relationships between characters are foggy. The language doesn't even make sense in some places, saying blood was like tendrils and then a cobweb in the same sentence. What does cobweb-like blood look like?
hallabearsbairn's review against another edition
5.0
I am baffled that this is a first collection. It's incredibly assured and deeply, deeply strange. Chronister is definitely a writer to watch.
Standouts for me were Russula's Wake, The Women Who Sing for Sklep, and the title story, but there isn't a miss here.
Standouts for me were Russula's Wake, The Women Who Sing for Sklep, and the title story, but there isn't a miss here.
silenthillgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was provided with a copy in exchange for a review and I am glad I got a chance to read it. If you like eerie stories make sure you check this one out!