A review by inkyinsanity
Things You Need by Kevin Lucia
4.0
4.5 stars
I received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review—however, I bought a physical copy of the book soon after from the author at a local comic con. I love everything I have read by Kevin Lucia so far, and Things You Need did not disappoint.
The book opens from the point of view of a depressed traveling salesman who ends up in the strange town of Clifton Heights. He walks into Handy’s Pawn and Thrift, where he discovers the rest of the stories in one interesting format or another, all the while slowly unfurling his own story. I absolutely loved how this was all framed, and became just as entranced by his tale as I was by the others.
The Way of Ah-Tzenul
5 stars
A farmer tells a doctor about this strange almanac he discovered and what came about after he used it. This was a delightfully weird and creepy story to open with, and I loved it.
The Office
5 stars
A man toys with his magic eight ball while searching for something to read, but his cats keep making strange noises in the hall and his things keep moving around the shelves. I loved this story. It kept me glued to the pages, frantic to figure out what was coming, and the ending blew me away.
Out of Field Theory
5 stars
A young photographer takes pictures at an abandoned house, hoping to rediscover his creativity, but he keeps seeing shadows at the edges of his pictures. This was super good. As a college student myself, the character’s need to stay creative and pass his classes really rung a bell. The story was also terrifying, and I didn’t guess the ending at all, but I loved it!
Scavenging
4.5 stars
A sidewalk scavenger searches for the thing he needs most of all. It took me a little bit to get into this because I didn’t like the character, but I ended up really enjoying it.
A Place for Broken and Discarded Things
5 stars
A grieving man and his wife attempt to buy furniture for their new house. This was fantastic! Also devastating. I cried.
The Black Pyramid
4 stars
A reverend finds an interesting trinket in a sidewalk sale. I’m not sure why I didn’t like this one as much; maybe because I guessed right away what was going to happen. I still enjoyed the story, though.
When We All Meet at the Ofrenda
4 stars
A recent widower celebrates Dia de los Muertos with his family one last time. This was a really interesting and captivating story, but it just didn’t grab me like the others did.
Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology and would totally recommend it!
I received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review—however, I bought a physical copy of the book soon after from the author at a local comic con. I love everything I have read by Kevin Lucia so far, and Things You Need did not disappoint.
The book opens from the point of view of a depressed traveling salesman who ends up in the strange town of Clifton Heights. He walks into Handy’s Pawn and Thrift, where he discovers the rest of the stories in one interesting format or another, all the while slowly unfurling his own story. I absolutely loved how this was all framed, and became just as entranced by his tale as I was by the others.
The Way of Ah-Tzenul
5 stars
A farmer tells a doctor about this strange almanac he discovered and what came about after he used it. This was a delightfully weird and creepy story to open with, and I loved it.
The Office
5 stars
A man toys with his magic eight ball while searching for something to read, but his cats keep making strange noises in the hall and his things keep moving around the shelves. I loved this story. It kept me glued to the pages, frantic to figure out what was coming, and the ending blew me away.
Out of Field Theory
5 stars
A young photographer takes pictures at an abandoned house, hoping to rediscover his creativity, but he keeps seeing shadows at the edges of his pictures. This was super good. As a college student myself, the character’s need to stay creative and pass his classes really rung a bell. The story was also terrifying, and I didn’t guess the ending at all, but I loved it!
Scavenging
4.5 stars
A sidewalk scavenger searches for the thing he needs most of all. It took me a little bit to get into this because I didn’t like the character, but I ended up really enjoying it.
A Place for Broken and Discarded Things
5 stars
A grieving man and his wife attempt to buy furniture for their new house. This was fantastic! Also devastating. I cried.
The Black Pyramid
4 stars
A reverend finds an interesting trinket in a sidewalk sale. I’m not sure why I didn’t like this one as much; maybe because I guessed right away what was going to happen. I still enjoyed the story, though.
When We All Meet at the Ofrenda
4 stars
A recent widower celebrates Dia de los Muertos with his family one last time. This was a really interesting and captivating story, but it just didn’t grab me like the others did.
Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology and would totally recommend it!