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cosmosbtwnpages's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
scijessreads's review
3.0
Short story collections can be tricky to pull off. Do they all have the same theme? Are they all wildly different? Do they all share an idea, but take it in opposite directions? With Fifity Beasts to Break Your Heart, some of the stories were perfect glimpses into the creepy, the absurd, and the ache of the ugly parts of living. Others seemed to fall a little short of the mark.
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase reminded me of "Welcome to Nightvale" in its portrayal of weird events as a fact of life. A Diviner's Abecedarian gave us hints of every high school horror movie. Thread Boy felt the most real, in how we give pieces of ourselves to others or leave them behind in places we have gone, and if we're not careful, we can become so entangled in these webs that we lose ourselves. The War of Fog is every creeping gothic folk tale, where we know something is coming, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is going to be. Drowning Lessons is a glimpse at how things we take for granted aren't necessarily available for everyone to enjoy. These were the stories that resonated with me out of all of this collection. Some of the other stories may resonate with someone else.
If you are a fan of the surreal, open-ended stories, creeping unease, and harsh reflections on life, there is something here for you. Fifity Beasts to Break Your Heart has enough hidden in its pages to make this book worth picking up.
*I read this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase reminded me of "Welcome to Nightvale" in its portrayal of weird events as a fact of life. A Diviner's Abecedarian gave us hints of every high school horror movie. Thread Boy felt the most real, in how we give pieces of ourselves to others or leave them behind in places we have gone, and if we're not careful, we can become so entangled in these webs that we lose ourselves. The War of Fog is every creeping gothic folk tale, where we know something is coming, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is going to be. Drowning Lessons is a glimpse at how things we take for granted aren't necessarily available for everyone to enjoy. These were the stories that resonated with me out of all of this collection. Some of the other stories may resonate with someone else.
If you are a fan of the surreal, open-ended stories, creeping unease, and harsh reflections on life, there is something here for you. Fifity Beasts to Break Your Heart has enough hidden in its pages to make this book worth picking up.
*I read this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
maddy_yeah's review
It’s supposed to be like spooky stories but nothing is flushed out enough to be spooky or interesting. You wait around for the story to get good and then it’s the end of that chapter
itsyogirl's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
poisoned_icecream's review
4.5
I had a lot of fun reading these stories. They are surreal and fantastical. The writing is pretty and it made me so engaged. I'm definitely reading more from GennaRose Nethercott.
jettreads's review against another edition
The first story had me hook, line, and sinker. Later on, the stories meandered too much for me and I don't think the narrator did it justice for me. I enjoyed her novel Thistlefoot immensely.
I may come back to this book one day, or may read it in physical form instead.
I may come back to this book one day, or may read it in physical form instead.
fi_reads_books's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.75