A review by tamzy6
Pretty Monsters: Stories by Kelly Link
3.0
Man, this book is weird... There are several standout stories that fully embrace gothic horror themes and the extraordinary ("The Specialist Hat"; "Monster"; "The Faery Handbag"). I like how this anthology is branded as a YA book and the protagonists are teens and preteens but the themes are surprisingly mature. The protagonists deal with loss, grief, and complex guardian/parent-child relationships.
That said, some stories are really kooky and off the wall ("Pretty Monsters"; "The Surfer"), and their narrative structures have more layers than I can count. Not sure if I'm so obtuse such that the references are lost on me, but I prefer to think I'm more inclined towards conventional narrative structures.
That said, some stories are really kooky and off the wall ("Pretty Monsters"; "The Surfer"), and their narrative structures have more layers than I can count. Not sure if I'm so obtuse such that the references are lost on me, but I prefer to think I'm more inclined towards conventional narrative structures.