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kwarren's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tjjerome's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
cerich's review against another edition
5.0
The short stories are very thought-provoking. One of my all time favorite books.
meghaha's review against another edition
2.0
Why does the mom have to die from cancer to make the main character come to an epiphany? It's melodramatic, and it's emotional manipulation to a crass degree. This story irritates me more than I can express.
First, I felt sad (cause how can you not be when the mom dies from cancer and the the main character is irreparably unappreciative!) and then I was angry. This brand of writing -- where you can just feel the author manipulating you in an unsophisticated and easy way from beyond his computer screen -- angers me more than any other type of writing, even incompetent prose writing, cause at least that's usually funny to read.
Also, it's weird that this swept the sci-fi/fantasy awards. The genre is that type of magical realism subpar literary writers try out in a creative writing workshop to "spice" things up or whatever, because somehow magical realism is okay to sprinkle at will in literary pieces but full-blown fantasy is for commoners.
Anyway, this is the kind of thing where even though the actual writing isn't technically bad or anything, I just wish I could delete all of my memories of encountering it and maybe metaphorically throw the electronic copy I read into a melty bonfire.
First, I felt sad (cause how can you not be when the mom dies from cancer and the the main character is irreparably unappreciative!) and then I was angry. This brand of writing -- where you can just feel the author manipulating you in an unsophisticated and easy way from beyond his computer screen -- angers me more than any other type of writing, even incompetent prose writing, cause at least that's usually funny to read.
Also, it's weird that this swept the sci-fi/fantasy awards. The genre is that type of magical realism subpar literary writers try out in a creative writing workshop to "spice" things up or whatever, because somehow magical realism is okay to sprinkle at will in literary pieces but full-blown fantasy is for commoners.
Anyway, this is the kind of thing where even though the actual writing isn't technically bad or anything, I just wish I could delete all of my memories of encountering it and maybe metaphorically throw the electronic copy I read into a melty bonfire.
savagemommy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crookedmidnight's review against another edition
4.5
A collection of mostly good stories. Interesting themes though some seemed a bit repetitive. I learned some history that I didn’t know