meganj0107's review
3.0
#gifted | I was kindly sent a copy of The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 by @commapress in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been really enjoying the art of short stories recently; it is a different skill to create a snapshot of a world and make me fall in love. I would definitely like to read more short stories, and so I jumped at the chance to read The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 in anticipation of the 2020 shortlist.
I enjoyed all of the short stories within this collection, but my favourite was definitely Ghillie’s Mum. This story follows Ghillie, a young boy with (I’m assuming) selective mutism, and his mother, who is a shapeshifter. It is a story of prejudice and othering, and it was a very well-crafted contemporary piece with fantastical elements. I definitely think a whole novel could be produced based on that concept and set in that world, and yet the story covers several decades of life in only 20 or so pages.
I definitely recommend this collection, and I would love some more recommendations for short story collections I need to try. Obviously, I will be getting the 2020 anthology when it becomes available on the 11th! It’s actually the 15th anniversary of the award, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
I’ve been really enjoying the art of short stories recently; it is a different skill to create a snapshot of a world and make me fall in love. I would definitely like to read more short stories, and so I jumped at the chance to read The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 in anticipation of the 2020 shortlist.
I enjoyed all of the short stories within this collection, but my favourite was definitely Ghillie’s Mum. This story follows Ghillie, a young boy with (I’m assuming) selective mutism, and his mother, who is a shapeshifter. It is a story of prejudice and othering, and it was a very well-crafted contemporary piece with fantastical elements. I definitely think a whole novel could be produced based on that concept and set in that world, and yet the story covers several decades of life in only 20 or so pages.
I definitely recommend this collection, and I would love some more recommendations for short story collections I need to try. Obviously, I will be getting the 2020 anthology when it becomes available on the 11th! It’s actually the 15th anniversary of the award, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
readingwithkt's review
2.0
I sadly wasn't a fan of this short story collection, which seemed to centre quite heavily on themes of parenthood/family. The early stories felt very upper-middle class. Later stories were a little more political (covering themes such as Brexit and, I think, mental health) but none of them grasped me. Very sad given what a fan I am of short stories, usually.
thebookishmeg's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
#gifted | I was kindly sent a copy of The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 by @commapress in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been really enjoying the art of short stories recently; it is a different skill to create a snapshot of a world and make me fall in love. I would definitely like to read more short stories, and so I jumped at the chance to read The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 in anticipation of the 2020 shortlist.
I enjoyed all of the short stories within this collection, but my favourite was definitely Ghillie’s Mum. This story follows Ghillie, a young boy with (I’m assuming) selective mutism, and his mother, who is a shapeshifter. It is a story of prejudice and othering, and it was a very well-crafted contemporary piece with fantastical elements. I definitely think a whole novel could be produced based on that concept and set in that world, and yet the story covers several decades of life in only 20 or so pages.
I definitely recommend this collection, and I would love some more recommendations for short story collections I need to try. Obviously, I will be getting the 2020 anthology when it becomes available on the 11th! It’s actually the 15th anniversary of the award, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
I’ve been really enjoying the art of short stories recently; it is a different skill to create a snapshot of a world and make me fall in love. I would definitely like to read more short stories, and so I jumped at the chance to read The BBC National Short Story Award 2019 in anticipation of the 2020 shortlist.
I enjoyed all of the short stories within this collection, but my favourite was definitely Ghillie’s Mum. This story follows Ghillie, a young boy with (I’m assuming) selective mutism, and his mother, who is a shapeshifter. It is a story of prejudice and othering, and it was a very well-crafted contemporary piece with fantastical elements. I definitely think a whole novel could be produced based on that concept and set in that world, and yet the story covers several decades of life in only 20 or so pages.
I definitely recommend this collection, and I would love some more recommendations for short story collections I need to try. Obviously, I will be getting the 2020 anthology when it becomes available on the 11th! It’s actually the 15th anniversary of the award, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
traceythompson's review
5.0
My initial thoughts (I’ve only read each story once and am exciting to hear them on Radio 4 this week):
The Children - Lucy Caldwell: Moving, incredibly current, absolutely heartbreaking. So many things going on, but nothing feels rushed or forced. Flows beautifully.
Ghillie’s Mum - Lynda Clark: Probably my favorite story. Boy whose mother is a shapeshifter. As fantastical as this sounds, it’s incredibly real.
Silver Fish in the Midnight Sea - Jacqueline Crooks: Gorgeous. Very excited to hear this one read aloud, to fully appreciate the rhythm and musicality of the narration. Again, fantastical and magical elements, but so authentic. And devastating.
My Beautiful Millennial - Tamsin Grey: As the title may suggest, this is the story that felt the most current. Incredibly endearing narrator. I was excited to go on her literal and metaphorical journey.
The Invisible - Jo Lloyd: This one is my runner-up. Elements of folk horror. Hatred of “the other”, who may or may not exist.
This award is one of the highlights of my literary year. I loved all the stories this year, and again, a completely female shortlist. Fantastic.
The Children - Lucy Caldwell: Moving, incredibly current, absolutely heartbreaking. So many things going on, but nothing feels rushed or forced. Flows beautifully.
Ghillie’s Mum - Lynda Clark: Probably my favorite story. Boy whose mother is a shapeshifter. As fantastical as this sounds, it’s incredibly real.
Silver Fish in the Midnight Sea - Jacqueline Crooks: Gorgeous. Very excited to hear this one read aloud, to fully appreciate the rhythm and musicality of the narration. Again, fantastical and magical elements, but so authentic. And devastating.
My Beautiful Millennial - Tamsin Grey: As the title may suggest, this is the story that felt the most current. Incredibly endearing narrator. I was excited to go on her literal and metaphorical journey.
The Invisible - Jo Lloyd: This one is my runner-up. Elements of folk horror. Hatred of “the other”, who may or may not exist.
This award is one of the highlights of my literary year. I loved all the stories this year, and again, a completely female shortlist. Fantastic.
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