ava_devries's review
emotional
reflective
sad
3.25
Nothing super groundbreaking after reading Summer Sons by the same author, but still a well-done study of grief
owenblacker's review
4.0
A short, sweet, spooky meditation on grief
A very quick read — only 10 minutes — this short sees a character alone in an apartment with their grief. And maybe a ghost.
The theme reminded of me of Mandelo's later work, his debut novel Summer Sons, another spooky queer tale that became an instant favourite when I read it earlier this autumn. Both stories have queer protagonists mourning their closest friends, lost to maybe-suicide. Obviously that novel is a lot more involved and complex than a 22-page short, but this earlier piece still has some of the novel's charm. Y'all should read both.
A very quick read — only 10 minutes — this short sees a character alone in an apartment with their grief. And maybe a ghost.
The theme reminded of me of Mandelo's later work, his debut novel Summer Sons, another spooky queer tale that became an instant favourite when I read it earlier this autumn. Both stories have queer protagonists mourning their closest friends, lost to maybe-suicide. Obviously that novel is a lot more involved and complex than a 22-page short, but this earlier piece still has some of the novel's charm. Y'all should read both.
madarauchiha's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
An interesting piece. I think it's pretty relatable if you've gone through morning someone. Kinda tries hard and I'm not sure if it succeeds?
content warnings:
minor death, suicide ideation,
major suicide ideation,
An interesting piece. I think it's pretty relatable if you've gone through morning someone. Kinda tries hard and I'm not sure if it succeeds?
content warnings:
minor death, suicide ideation,
major suicide ideation,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death and Suicidal thoughts
ruthsic's review
4.0
Talking to ghosts has its dangers — and its rewards.
The Pigeon Summer, despite that cover or that blurb, is not actually horror. I would categorize it most as speculative fiction, in which the existence of the ghost is more or less a matter of perspective. J, the gender neutral protagonist (I am going with gender fluid/agender, since it mentions coming out), is mourning for a lost love/friend. The death was quite recent and in the aftermath, J has been living alone in a run-down apartment, trying to get to another day while not knowing what to do with life. At first, the gender neutral pronouns stumped me, though a bit of Googling banished my doubts as to whether it was a misspelling. The more you know, huh? Anyway, it was made apparent that J had considered this person, C, to be hir best friend, who might have committed suicide, but that is not made apparent. The apartment at which si is living now, seems to be haunted, and J starts writing letters to the ghost, as a way to evade loneliness, I guess. Si sees a kinship with the ghost, in the possibility that si hirself is in a bit of limbo, mourning over a death. Watching over the pigeons' nest in the window seems to be the only thing J feels like doing, a way in which finally J decides to embrace back the world. It is pretty short, this story, but packs a lot of subtleties in between lines and within that beautiful writing.
The Pigeon Summer, despite that cover or that blurb, is not actually horror. I would categorize it most as speculative fiction, in which the existence of the ghost is more or less a matter of perspective. J, the gender neutral protagonist (I am going with gender fluid/agender, since it mentions coming out), is mourning for a lost love/friend. The death was quite recent and in the aftermath, J has been living alone in a run-down apartment, trying to get to another day while not knowing what to do with life. At first, the gender neutral pronouns stumped me, though a bit of Googling banished my doubts as to whether it was a misspelling. The more you know, huh? Anyway, it was made apparent that J had considered this person, C, to be hir best friend, who might have committed suicide, but that is not made apparent. The apartment at which si is living now, seems to be haunted, and J starts writing letters to the ghost, as a way to evade loneliness, I guess. Si sees a kinship with the ghost, in the possibility that si hirself is in a bit of limbo, mourning over a death. Watching over the pigeons' nest in the window seems to be the only thing J feels like doing, a way in which finally J decides to embrace back the world. It is pretty short, this story, but packs a lot of subtleties in between lines and within that beautiful writing.
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