A review by cardaisy
Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Kind of slow to start, probably just because the first couple of stories weren't really my favourite, though it could also be partly because it takes a while for the overarching mystery to properly establish itself as well. I think chapter 4 (Bad Penny) was when it really hooked me. I really enjoyed the interconnectedness of the stories and how events would overlap or how one character would mention another one in passing. You also start to recognise the narrators as they pop up because they've been mentioned or featured in other stories 

It was also really fun having gone into this as a big fan of The Magnus Archives, and to see the parallels between the two. Jonny definitely has a certain style and specific themes that interest him and I really love it. If you are a fan of TMA, you'll almost certainly enjoy this, and I'd recommend the audiobook as well (each chapter also has a different voice actor, which is very fun and fits the book really well as a sort of anthology)

I think the last chapter/climax of the story was maybe a bit heavyhanded, but I also think it maybe needed to be, if that makes any sense at all. Overall I really enjoyed this though, and while I don't think any of these stories are incredibly unique or groundbreaking, I do think that they are all well done. That maybe doesn't sound like a compliment, but I think it can be difficult sometimes to really properly write a specific trope or theme, and Jonny does that for most of the stories in this book

My favourite story was Sleepless (chapter 6), I just think it was really masterfully done storytelling, and the end of this chapter was also a turning point for me putting together my theories for the last chapter/what happened to Tobias Fell. I feel like this chapter just had a really great cohesive story and throughline, and was a great example of a simple story executed really well. The different elements of the story slotted together at the end in a way that felt really satisfying for me. The voice actor also did a fantastic job as well, from her characterization of Alvita, which really does come across as an exhausted and overworked single mother, to the voice she does for the late night host, which is such a nice juxtaposition to the rest of the narration

Besides sleepless, my favourites were: 
- Bad Penny (4), genuinely creeped me out at times, and I like the perspective of a horror story told by a child who doesn’t realise they should be afraid of what's going on
- Essential Viewing (8), a fun "haunted house" story from the perspective of a sort of real estate agent/building manager 
- Inbox (5), this one is maybe a bit more plot heavy, and helps to orientate the overarching story, but I also just really enjoyed the mystery elements of it

Others that I enjoyed were
- A Foot in the Door (7), this was good, centered around a woman who's trying to do a sort of paranormal investigation of the building. We also get a decent amount of exposition and history about the building
- Old Plumbing (11), I really loved Janek as a character, though this story didn't really do much for me, it was good though 
- Round the Clock (10), this explored dynamics of masculinity, bystander-ism, and almost a sort of us vs them mentality and the things you might excuse of a close friend. I liked this one well enough, but I guessed the twist at the beginning (or the general idea of it) and I feel a bit conflicted about it. Very tense at times though, Max comes across as very unstable and violent
- Night Work (1), a decent opener and set the tone for the rest of the book, though maybe not the most interesting or compelling 
- The Knock (2), this was interesting, and it was fun to see such a different perspective right after Night Work. This had a Pickman's Model vibe to it, that concept of a haunted painting, and I overall liked it, though it wasn't really one of my favourites
- Point of View (12), I'm a bit uncertain what to say about Damien's story, because it's written as a transcript of a video and is more a story that ties everything else together, rather than a distinct short story like the others. I also don't think that the format translated super well to audio, but I do think it was a good transition into the last chapter 

Not my favs
- Smart (3), a commentary on AI and smart home technology, not my favourite trope, but I think people who do enjoy it more would like this. I think this one also has a sort of "Black Mirror" vibe to it (though probably just because a lot of episodes center around technology). This was also the first story where the character has a more direct link to Tobias Fell which was fun  
- A Stubborn Stain (9), this just wasn't my favourite. I do actually think the concept is interesting, but there were just too many elements of this that felt too heavyhanded and overt. The parallel of the stain and the decline of his marriage was an obvious plot point from the beginning, which I wasn't opposed to, but then the additional parallel of his work and the pollution caused by the company he works for was just a bit too much. I think if just one of those two themes were explored it would've felt more rounded and cohesive, but there were too many elements going on and they felt rushed and overall the story didn't flow as well as it could've in my opinion  
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