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armenianapricot's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I’ve read to date. Vibrant character development. Made me miss the Deep South.
chillcox15's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciate Nick White's overall project here; he seems to be coming to the Southern Gothic genre and really elevating the queer subtexts of so many of the canonical texts into explicit text, examining the challenges of living queerly in the new (and old) weird south. There are many gratifications to be found in these stories. Where they falter a bit for me is in how close all of those intentions are to the surface. Most of the stories here bear their purpose on their shirtsleeves, and I wish there was a bit more craftiness going on. That being said, I have no reason to argue with the intentions themselves. Maybe I should circle around to White's novel, which I imagine gives itself more room for digression. Overall, it's good stuff, something I could imagine pushing into the right folks' hands.
shewwimonster's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this collection from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the collection. The writing style is great, the stories interesting and real, and the characters engaging. This is a solid read for anyone who loves short stories.
I really enjoyed the collection. The writing style is great, the stories interesting and real, and the characters engaging. This is a solid read for anyone who loves short stories.
karlijnmerle's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
maudmarie2's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the short stories and how they were intricately linked. Looking forward to making my boyfriend read this after Christmas.
Lots of great symbols of the south and it’s way of life. The people here are easy to connect to and you’re sad to let them go at the end of each chapter.
Lots of great symbols of the south and it’s way of life. The people here are easy to connect to and you’re sad to let them go at the end of each chapter.
missamandamae's review against another edition
5.0
Nick White is the new gay Flannery O'Connor we need, and if you're looking for some excellent Southern Gothic, this is definitely something to check out. I devoured this one and will probably have to reread it and his novel How to Survive a Summer again to get my fix.
zeecorster's review against another edition
4.0
Modern-day Southern Gothic short stories that I think O'Connor, Faulkner and McCullers would all enjoy. My favorite story in the collection is the opener, The Lovers, but I also was quite taken by the closing cycle of six stories that all revolved around Forney Culpepper—which, can we just marvel at the Southern Gothic clout that name carries—a would-be poet that White checks in on throughout various stages of his life from various perspectives.
All in all, a wonderful collection of punchy stories written in simple, beautiful language with hints of the grotesque always peeking between the lines. Loved it.
All in all, a wonderful collection of punchy stories written in simple, beautiful language with hints of the grotesque always peeking between the lines. Loved it.
clairevoyants's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5 stars!) really interesting portraiture of queer masculinity in the south, and the prose is crisp and clean.