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A review by bookofcinz
Where There Are Monsters by Breanne Mc Ivor
4.0
Updated July 2020
After reading Where There Are Monsters in January I felt the need to not stop talking about it and that I needed people to talk about it with so, I made it a BookOfCinz pick. In re-reading this collection I have to say I made a great choice. So many different themes, so many stories to discuss at lengths. Hands down one of my favorite collection of Caribbean stories.
January 2020
I will admit, I took my time getting around to this book for a lot of reasons. My top being, in the blurb it said folklore and the title said monsters so I was expecting a lot of magical realism based on Folklore from Trinidad and Tobago. Let me tell you, when hear about a Trini folklore, your pores will raise, I am VERY afraid of hearing about them, hence my reason for not putting this book to the top of my list. I will admit, it is a silly reason but.... yah girl lives alone.
The entire time I was reading this book I kept thinking to myself "Cindy, WHY did you wait so long to read it?!!!" This is a brilliant collection of short stories- absolutely brilliant. I rated each story in this collection and only one was below three stars. McIvor did a great job of showcasing Trinidad and Tobago in a contemporary way and from a myth and folklore perspective. I also feel that even if you are not from the Caribbean you will appreciate a lot if not all the stories in this collection.
Where There Are Monsters a debut collection of twelve stories. Mc Ivor plays on the title throughout the novel and makes us aware that monsters are not just the creepy crawly thing we so often hear about but also the people around us. The collection explores so many themes that are timely and relevant including mental illness, dating in the 21st century, domestic abuse, heartbreak, betrayal, infidelity and love.
Your heartbreaks for so many of the characters and what they are going through because of the “monsters” in their lives. From the young man who is struggle to catch a break and go out on a date with his crush, to the woman who was forced to have an abortion because her husband gaslight the hell out of her, to the woman whose husband mistress showed up pregnant at her door… the list goes on. As much as some of these stories are heart-breaking they are somehow also uplifting. You feel for the characters, sometimes pity but mostly pride.
My absolute stand out reads were:
Ophelia
The Course
The One Night Stand
Things We Don’t Say
Kristoff and Bonnie
Robber Talk
Overall, a solid collection of short stories and I highly recommend you give it a read. Also, lets support new and upcoming writers. I love the refreshing perspective Mc Ivor brought to this collection/ Caribbean literature.
After reading Where There Are Monsters in January I felt the need to not stop talking about it and that I needed people to talk about it with so, I made it a BookOfCinz pick. In re-reading this collection I have to say I made a great choice. So many different themes, so many stories to discuss at lengths. Hands down one of my favorite collection of Caribbean stories.
January 2020
I will admit, I took my time getting around to this book for a lot of reasons. My top being, in the blurb it said folklore and the title said monsters so I was expecting a lot of magical realism based on Folklore from Trinidad and Tobago. Let me tell you, when hear about a Trini folklore, your pores will raise, I am VERY afraid of hearing about them, hence my reason for not putting this book to the top of my list. I will admit, it is a silly reason but.... yah girl lives alone.
The entire time I was reading this book I kept thinking to myself "Cindy, WHY did you wait so long to read it?!!!" This is a brilliant collection of short stories- absolutely brilliant. I rated each story in this collection and only one was below three stars. McIvor did a great job of showcasing Trinidad and Tobago in a contemporary way and from a myth and folklore perspective. I also feel that even if you are not from the Caribbean you will appreciate a lot if not all the stories in this collection.
Where There Are Monsters a debut collection of twelve stories. Mc Ivor plays on the title throughout the novel and makes us aware that monsters are not just the creepy crawly thing we so often hear about but also the people around us. The collection explores so many themes that are timely and relevant including mental illness, dating in the 21st century, domestic abuse, heartbreak, betrayal, infidelity and love.
Your heartbreaks for so many of the characters and what they are going through because of the “monsters” in their lives. From the young man who is struggle to catch a break and go out on a date with his crush, to the woman who was forced to have an abortion because her husband gaslight the hell out of her, to the woman whose husband mistress showed up pregnant at her door… the list goes on. As much as some of these stories are heart-breaking they are somehow also uplifting. You feel for the characters, sometimes pity but mostly pride.
My absolute stand out reads were:
Ophelia
The Course
The One Night Stand
Things We Don’t Say
Kristoff and Bonnie
Robber Talk
Overall, a solid collection of short stories and I highly recommend you give it a read. Also, lets support new and upcoming writers. I love the refreshing perspective Mc Ivor brought to this collection/ Caribbean literature.