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camerontrost's review
4.0
"No Need To Reply" is a wonderful and tantalising collection of flash fiction that you'll need to read at least twice before even attempting to understand what is happening. That's what is so special about these stories - their ambiguity and vagueness. We are in this world but Jodi is making us look at everyday people and places from a difference angle and through a strange veil. It won't take you long to read each of these tales, but you'll be left pondering them after reading the last line.
tsana's review
4.0
No Need to Reply by Jodi Cleghorn is a collection of flash stories. They are not speculative fiction — I felt that was important to say up front. For that reason, they are also not the kind of thing I usually read but they were a pleasant enough way to pass the time. The blurb summarises the theme of the collection better than I can.
This is actually a difficult form to review. I swore off individually reviewing flash stories (like I would a short story collection) last year which doesn't leave much to say. The stories are all flash pieces, of similar length and none are super-short short stories. They are also all some amalgamation of mood and character pieces, deftly balancing the two sides of that coin.
The stories are mostly sad, but for a variety of reasons. The opening and titular story, involving letters, was my favourite and a strong opening for the collection. In all her stories Cleghorn gradually reveals character and then deftly illuminates the situation, previously ambiguous. I did write a brief note for each story, mostly as a memory aid for myself and not as a review, which I include below in case you are interested.
I would recommend this collection to fans of contemporary fiction, particularly of the contemplative/literary variety. It's short on pages — how long could eight flash pieces really be? — but not on emotional heft. A thoughtful read.
~
No Need To Reply — Unopened letters
It Could Be — Friendship contemplation over a dirty sink
Squeeze Box — War veteran remembering his wife
Holding On — Woman visiting a lover in London
Olives — A woman’s conversation and contemplation over olives
Shuffling — A Tarot reading over Skype (or whatever)
Wishing, Happily Ever After — A day at the beach from a child's perspective
Closure — Basically what the title says (includes poem)
4 / 5 stars
This is actually a difficult form to review. I swore off individually reviewing flash stories (like I would a short story collection) last year which doesn't leave much to say. The stories are all flash pieces, of similar length and none are super-short short stories. They are also all some amalgamation of mood and character pieces, deftly balancing the two sides of that coin.
The stories are mostly sad, but for a variety of reasons. The opening and titular story, involving letters, was my favourite and a strong opening for the collection. In all her stories Cleghorn gradually reveals character and then deftly illuminates the situation, previously ambiguous. I did write a brief note for each story, mostly as a memory aid for myself and not as a review, which I include below in case you are interested.
I would recommend this collection to fans of contemporary fiction, particularly of the contemplative/literary variety. It's short on pages — how long could eight flash pieces really be? — but not on emotional heft. A thoughtful read.
~
No Need To Reply — Unopened letters
It Could Be — Friendship contemplation over a dirty sink
Squeeze Box — War veteran remembering his wife
Holding On — Woman visiting a lover in London
Olives — A woman’s conversation and contemplation over olives
Shuffling — A Tarot reading over Skype (or whatever)
Wishing, Happily Ever After — A day at the beach from a child's perspective
Closure — Basically what the title says (includes poem)
4 / 5 stars
calissa's review
3.0
This collection of flash fiction isn't my usual fare, but made a great change of pace. I found myself nodding in recognition in places and I appreciated the threads of grief and longing that wove through the collection.
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