six9's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed the voice and storytelling aspect of this book, but the subject matter of most of the short stories was challenging to get through. I wouldn’t recommend, necessarily, but I don’t regret reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Incest
americattt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
3.0
“We had loved people we really shouldn’t have loved and then married other people in order to forget our impossible loves, or we had once called out hello into the cauldron of the world and then run away before anyone could respond.
Always running and always wanting to go back but always being further and further away until, finally, it was just a scene in a movie where a girl says hello into the cauldron of the world and you are just a woman watching the movie with her husband on the couch and his legs are across your lap and you have to go to the bathroom.”
favorite stories: this person + ten true things
Always running and always wanting to go back but always being further and further away until, finally, it was just a scene in a movie where a girl says hello into the cauldron of the world and you are just a woman watching the movie with her husband on the couch and his legs are across your lap and you have to go to the bathroom.”
favorite stories: this person + ten true things
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Minor: Incest
scholarschism's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Bleak. Weirdly sexual throughout, like way more than I would have guessed. Complex representations of queer attraction but few people are actually gay? Some moments of interesting prose, but it was ultimately a chore to finish. I don’t think I will find myself looking back on these stories much, but maybe they’ll take on more interest in hindsight? I wonder if I just don’t “get it”… there were moments of resonance, but it overall felt mostly flat, to me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Animal death, and Pedophilia
cyb's review against another edition
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Incest
emelynreads's review
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Quirky, bizarre collection of short stories. I appreciated the unique writing style. My favs were: the Swim Team, The Sister, Something That Needs Nothing, and How to Tell Stories to Children.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Incest
northernblonde's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
seamoonstone's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I can't say I enjoyed reading this book, but I think that might be intentional–it would be repulsive to say I relate specifically to these characters, but I can say I've perhaps felt just as uncomfortable and lost as these characters. The narrators, regardless of age, are all similarly naive and whimsical, often perfectly capturing that feeling of adolescence when you realize you truly don't know what's going on. This would be enjoyable, maybe even cathartic, except that many of these stories are sex obsessed in an uncomfortable, even perverse, way, implying that the only way to connect with other people is through sex, but the sex is always transactional and exploitative. The stories that are not explicitly sexual are akin to an odd coworker describing their dream in detail to you when you just want to drink your coffee in peace. In spite of all this, July is a talented writer, and the stories or moments that did not rely on taboo were beautiful and charming.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest and Pedophilia
sometimesireadsometimesidont's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
2.75
Thus was a tough read. The content has topics that I usually stay away from as I prefer to read for enjoyment. The authors writing and my curiosity kept me reading. It the stories were longer I doubt I would have kept reading.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Mental illness, Sexual content, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, and Stalking
hal_stelzle's review
2.0
Some stories in this I really liked (first 2, Something that Needs Nothing, This Person) but many were not for me and went too off the rails too often (and usually in a similar way). Was expecting this to be funnier all the way through as well, but truly most of the stories are quite sad, strange, and uncomfortable. Sad and strange isn't always a bad thing but not what I was expecting and not my favorite. Definitely check content warnings before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Incest, and Sexual content
merebear87's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Incest, and Pedophilia