queenmeega's review against another edition
4.0
So not fine -so not fine
We are all completely fine by Daryl Gregory is part horror story, part superhero adventure, part boring therapy notes. And the combination is fantastic. As the characters come together as a therapy group you are fascinated until they get to sharing their histories....then you are reading with your hands over your eyes. I am so intrigued by who these people became after their traumas. I want life-threatening even if their traumas will haunt me when I fall asleep tonight.
We are all completely fine by Daryl Gregory is part horror story, part superhero adventure, part boring therapy notes. And the combination is fantastic. As the characters come together as a therapy group you are fascinated until they get to sharing their histories....then you are reading with your hands over your eyes. I am so intrigued by who these people became after their traumas. I want life-threatening even if their traumas will haunt me when I fall asleep tonight.
raven_morgan's review against another edition
5.0
An eARC of this book was received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
****
We Are All Completely Fine is a strange little novella. Reading it, I had the constant feeling that there were perhaps a half dozen other books that I ought to have read first – one, really, for each of the characters who attend the support group. Each of their stories was so vivid, so visceral, that I felt that there had to at least be a novel-length work behind each of them.
This fact alone speaks to the sheer power of Gregory’s writing. For there are no novel-length stories (except, perhaps, in Gregory’s mind – though Harrison has his own novel now, Harrison Squared, which was written and released after We Are All Completely Fine) – there are only the pieces of story that we are given in this novella. Harrison with his monster-hunting past, Stan half-eaten by cannibals, Barbara with her serial-killer-carved bones, Greta, branded all over by a strange cult and Martin, who prefers to view the world through videogame glasses.
This is a horror story, through and through, and it’s not going to be for everyone. The horror fan in me was practically squealing with glee at the dark and twisted nature of each of the group’s backstories. Barbara’s was the one that haunted me the most: imagine a serial killer opening you, carving secrets on your bones, then closing your skin, so you can never read the words. I shiver, even thinking about it now.
Though the book is short, Gregory manages to flesh out all of the characters and their stories completely, and in a way that many writers of full novels cannot manage to always go. And he also conveys all of this with some truly gorgeous writing. I was hooked from the first sentence, and didn’t want to put down my Kindle until I was finished.
I am really happy that Gregory has given Harrison his own book, and I hope that some of the other characters might get the same at some point. This novella pretty much has cemented me immediately as a fan of Gregory’s work, and I’m going to hope that he writes more of this strange, dark world.
Highly recommended to fans of horror. Those who can’t do gore should probably skip this one.
****
We Are All Completely Fine is a strange little novella. Reading it, I had the constant feeling that there were perhaps a half dozen other books that I ought to have read first – one, really, for each of the characters who attend the support group. Each of their stories was so vivid, so visceral, that I felt that there had to at least be a novel-length work behind each of them.
This fact alone speaks to the sheer power of Gregory’s writing. For there are no novel-length stories (except, perhaps, in Gregory’s mind – though Harrison has his own novel now, Harrison Squared, which was written and released after We Are All Completely Fine) – there are only the pieces of story that we are given in this novella. Harrison with his monster-hunting past, Stan half-eaten by cannibals, Barbara with her serial-killer-carved bones, Greta, branded all over by a strange cult and Martin, who prefers to view the world through videogame glasses.
This is a horror story, through and through, and it’s not going to be for everyone. The horror fan in me was practically squealing with glee at the dark and twisted nature of each of the group’s backstories. Barbara’s was the one that haunted me the most: imagine a serial killer opening you, carving secrets on your bones, then closing your skin, so you can never read the words. I shiver, even thinking about it now.
Though the book is short, Gregory manages to flesh out all of the characters and their stories completely, and in a way that many writers of full novels cannot manage to always go. And he also conveys all of this with some truly gorgeous writing. I was hooked from the first sentence, and didn’t want to put down my Kindle until I was finished.
I am really happy that Gregory has given Harrison his own book, and I hope that some of the other characters might get the same at some point. This novella pretty much has cemented me immediately as a fan of Gregory’s work, and I’m going to hope that he writes more of this strange, dark world.
Highly recommended to fans of horror. Those who can’t do gore should probably skip this one.
seagullsaga's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
afestivalaparade's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ohhdeanna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
roseybot's review against another edition
4.0
Overall this was great! The ideas presented were interesting and well brought up. My only (non)complaint is that it was so short! The story works as it is, and my desire for MORE comes from a place of WANT not needing it for the story to be engaging. I wanted more, I wanted there to be more in the therapy sessions (you know, after Stan got called on hogging time), I wanted more with Harrison and Greta, I wanted more on Martin! I just wanted more.
I suppose I can't really complain about a well crafted story -- you don't get told outright what's going on a lot, but you do get enough information (without, thank god, flashbacks) to figure it out. It's kind of a relief to have the trail of clues spread out for you to read, Gregory and the reader have made the pact of reader and author, and he expects you to hold up your end with a vengeance.
Mostly this is a thinker. I don't think I got into it properly until chapter nine? I felt a weird distance with it, and can't tell if it's cause of the very different style/content to my usual reading, or something in the text. Anyways, I'll definitely be thinking about it. And feel like I should reread it with the understanding of what happens in it. I feel like I was missing something at the beginning that I now have having finished it, and it would be a different, less distancing experience to go through it again!
Check out Robots Read for more!
I suppose I can't really complain about a well crafted story -- you don't get told outright what's going on a lot, but you do get enough information (without, thank god, flashbacks) to figure it out. It's kind of a relief to have the trail of clues spread out for you to read, Gregory and the reader have made the pact of reader and author, and he expects you to hold up your end with a vengeance.
Mostly this is a thinker. I don't think I got into it properly until chapter nine? I felt a weird distance with it, and can't tell if it's cause of the very different style/content to my usual reading, or something in the text. Anyways, I'll definitely be thinking about it. And feel like I should reread it with the understanding of what happens in it. I feel like I was missing something at the beginning that I now have having finished it, and it would be a different, less distancing experience to go through it again!
Check out Robots Read for more!
the_weirdling's review against another edition
4.0
I read Daryl Gregory’s book “We Are All Completely Fine” based on the recommendation of a friend on Twitter. I am glad I took their suggestion.
This short novel is organized around the group therapy sessions of five people who claim to have had extraordinary encounters with the supernatural, evil, or both. The experiences of each form something like five short stories with in the novel. However, it becomes clear relatively early on that each story connects with the others, slowly forming a unified meta-narrative.
The individual stories and the point of intersection at the end are enjoyable, satisfying, and fun. The characters, a bit too two dimensional at first, become fully incarnate in the course of telling their stories and I managed to developed real empathy for them and their plights. I also personally appreciated the Lovecraftian elements to this story.
This short novel is organized around the group therapy sessions of five people who claim to have had extraordinary encounters with the supernatural, evil, or both. The experiences of each form something like five short stories with in the novel. However, it becomes clear relatively early on that each story connects with the others, slowly forming a unified meta-narrative.
The individual stories and the point of intersection at the end are enjoyable, satisfying, and fun. The characters, a bit too two dimensional at first, become fully incarnate in the course of telling their stories and I managed to developed real empathy for them and their plights. I also personally appreciated the Lovecraftian elements to this story.
nicolemhill's review against another edition
4.0
Simultaneously bowled me over and made my skin crawl. Packs a powerful punch for such a slim little number.
marpesea's review against another edition
3.0
Ever wondered what a therapy group for survivors of grotesque tragedy with tinges of the supernatural would look like? What if you gathered monster hunters, survivors of cannibals and cults and had them hash out their issues?
This was dark and creepy and quite good. I plan to check out Harrison Squared -the novel that came after this, but follows one character's back story.
Recommended for fans of unusually artistic serial killers, body modifications, unseen horrors and talk therapy.
This was dark and creepy and quite good. I plan to check out Harrison Squared -the novel that came after this, but follows one character's back story.
Recommended for fans of unusually artistic serial killers, body modifications, unseen horrors and talk therapy.
_viscosity_'s review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5