hjswinford's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This sprawling collection of short stories from the mind of Catherine M Valente is really something. There is a lot of *weird* meshed with a lot of poignant emotions and observations. I loved how creative and smart so many of these stories were, and how different each one was from another. It's a huge collection, but I don't think there was a single story that bored me. I will definitely be grabbing a physical copy of this collection when it is released.
hjswinford's review
4.0
4.5 stars. This sprawling collection of short stories from the mind of Catherine M Valente is really something. There is a lot of *weird* meshed with a lot of poignant emotions and observations. I loved how creative and smart so many of these stories were, and how different each one was from another. It's a huge collection, but I don't think there was a single story that bored me. I will definitely be grabbing a physical copy of this collection when it is released.
amandadevoursbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.0
NetGalley and Subterranean press provided me a copy of the Best Of Cathrynne M Valente to give an honest review.
Here it is: I wanted to like this book more than I did. Part of my challenge, the formatting made the stories bleed into one another like a fever dream. I will try this again in print and not on a deadline.
I loved Past is Red. I enjoyed Space Opera and The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland. This book was not for me in this format or right now, in general.
So what did I like? There was some interesting stories. I liked the rival map makers, the facts about Santa Claus, and a few others. They were inventive, funny, charming. It felt like I was reading a loosely edited writing journal.
What did I not like? This could have been 4 stellar volumes of short stories. All at once, it was like the scene in Matilda where the kid is forced to eat the delicious chocolate cake. It was good, but it was too rich for my taste.
I'll revisit this in print post publication without a deadline and update this review then.
Here it is: I wanted to like this book more than I did. Part of my challenge, the formatting made the stories bleed into one another like a fever dream. I will try this again in print and not on a deadline.
I loved Past is Red. I enjoyed Space Opera and The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland. This book was not for me in this format or right now, in general.
So what did I like? There was some interesting stories. I liked the rival map makers, the facts about Santa Claus, and a few others. They were inventive, funny, charming. It felt like I was reading a loosely edited writing journal.
What did I not like? This could have been 4 stellar volumes of short stories. All at once, it was like the scene in Matilda where the kid is forced to eat the delicious chocolate cake. It was good, but it was too rich for my taste.
I'll revisit this in print post publication without a deadline and update this review then.
airxsouls's review
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I completely enjoyed the wild ride that was this collection! There is something for every person in this GIANT book of mind-bending stories and their gorgeous counterparts. You're taken on a new adventure with every chapter and it sores your imagination to new heights. There's so much detail and world-building that it's absolutely astounding to uncover.
I completely enjoyed the wild ride that was this collection! There is something for every person in this GIANT book of mind-bending stories and their gorgeous counterparts. You're taken on a new adventure with every chapter and it sores your imagination to new heights. There's so much detail and world-building that it's absolutely astounding to uncover.
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