Reviews

Half an Inch of Water by Percival Everett

peoplearescary's review

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

I really liked this collection! My favourite stories were the ones that had some sort of magical element which works for the sort of transient feeling I prefer in short stories
Favourite is Stonefly (big fan of uncannily big trout)

unorthodoxras's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.5

timbo001's review

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aarikdanielsen's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

jeichael's review

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emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

elfington's review

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4.0

The stories in this collection do the thing that I hate about short stories - they end midstream, with an elliptical flourish as if to say... think about it. And yet I'm giving it four stars because I could have read forty more.

As a reader I slip into these laconic Western small towns immediately, peopled mainly by laconic men. Men who love horses, drive trucks, and are Black in a place where they will always stand out, never quite fit in.

One story has the main character objecting to being referred to with the Lakota slang for White, only to be told, "well you sure aren't Indian." And I believe that is the only reference to race in that particular story. The touch is light, and all the more effective for it.

These stories make me want to dive head first into another of his novels. Perhaps one with an ending.

abiancanello's review

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4.0

a writer

sophiecatherine's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

This was surprisingly good! I wouldn't say I liked it initially; I thought it would be boring, and the first few stories were odd and a little boring. But they get better as you go, and towards the end, I look forward to getting back to reading them. 

veronicaouellette's review

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adventurous reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

montemaq's review

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4.0

This is a pretty good collection of linked short stories. They all take place in Wyoming and have a very Western feel. The stories pick up toward the end. They get very dark and Lynchian. There is a very Twin Peaks vibe in the last few stories. I loved the majority of the stories. There were a few hackneyed ones, but overall a good collection.