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A review by pbanditp
FEMINA: A Collection of Dark Fiction by Caitlin Marceau
5.0
Want to get your blood boiling? Dismissed, shamed, taken advantage of, under valued, unappreciated, humiliated and frustrated. Women suffer indignation after indignation and it was good to see people get put in their place in this short story collection.
“She hates their conflation of beauty and weight, and how they've weaponized her size to cut at her sense of self-worth.” -Billie in the story Gastric
Of course not all the stories are about demeaning women, Caitlin shows quite a wide variety of sub genres and writing styles in FEMINA with some sci-fi horror, screenplay writing, poetry, playing around with formatting, and a very short and incredibly twisted shocker. I don’t think I could choose a favorite as there were so many exceptional stories.
This collection has solidified Caitlin Marceau as one of my must read authors. Her work is flowing and easily immerses you into the story. She writes solid characters, empathic plots, and settings that have texture and feeling. You are not just in a car in her story but you can hear the engine, feel the vibration of the road and see the dust on the dashboard. Whether it is in a submarine or drinking wine with neighbors, you are not just reading a story, you are with the characters…and sometimes you probably wish you weren’t.
The last story in this collection is called 23 McCormick Road. It is a haunted house story that absolutely made me break out in goosebumps, sent chills down my spine and just creeped me the fuck out. By the end, it was overflowing with emotions.
I’ll leave you with this to sum it all up-
“She feels helpless, something she's never been before, and the realization makes her furious.”-Cassie in the story Tabula Rasa
“She hates their conflation of beauty and weight, and how they've weaponized her size to cut at her sense of self-worth.” -Billie in the story Gastric
Of course not all the stories are about demeaning women, Caitlin shows quite a wide variety of sub genres and writing styles in FEMINA with some sci-fi horror, screenplay writing, poetry, playing around with formatting, and a very short and incredibly twisted shocker. I don’t think I could choose a favorite as there were so many exceptional stories.
This collection has solidified Caitlin Marceau as one of my must read authors. Her work is flowing and easily immerses you into the story. She writes solid characters, empathic plots, and settings that have texture and feeling. You are not just in a car in her story but you can hear the engine, feel the vibration of the road and see the dust on the dashboard. Whether it is in a submarine or drinking wine with neighbors, you are not just reading a story, you are with the characters…and sometimes you probably wish you weren’t.
The last story in this collection is called 23 McCormick Road. It is a haunted house story that absolutely made me break out in goosebumps, sent chills down my spine and just creeped me the fuck out. By the end, it was overflowing with emotions.
I’ll leave you with this to sum it all up-
“She feels helpless, something she's never been before, and the realization makes her furious.”-Cassie in the story Tabula Rasa