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samstillreading's review against another edition
4.0
I first saw Leesa Cross-Smith’s book of short stories in a bookshop, attracted by the title and cover. I’m always after books that I can dip in and out of (i.e., so I don’t stay up too late reading) so this short story collection sounded like fun. However, I did end up being unable to put it down after I realised that there are interconnected stories!
The book contains stories of varying length from one to two pages to others that span ten to twenty pages. Some are told in the first person, others in the third person but they all focus on women and relationships. Some are about strong romantic relationships; others are about bad men and less suitable relationships. Some stories focus on the depths of female friendship and others on growing up. The neat thing about these stories is that they don’t hold anything back, spelling out the bad and awkward times in addition to the hood ones. It’s about life in all its messiness and doesn’t shy away from any topic. However, all the characters have some ideal – or close to – that they are chasing. Some know that what they’re doing won’t end up in glory, but they are honest and want it anyway (e.g., the love of a bad man, which is followed up in one of the later stories. It didn’t end up well, but it had benefits). Other stories are wonderfully nostalgic of summer, teenage years and growing up.
What I loved was that about halfway or so through the book I noticed some recurring characters. Some are just hints, some are obvious. (I’m also wondering what I missed). I was very eager to try and spy any more connections as I read through the stories. Some of the really short stories didn’t hit me with the same intensity as others, but I think that’s me rather than the author. Overall, the stories are intriguing, passionate and alive.
Don’t forget to read the inspirations in full at the end for a super hit of nostalgia and an awesome playlist.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The book contains stories of varying length from one to two pages to others that span ten to twenty pages. Some are told in the first person, others in the third person but they all focus on women and relationships. Some are about strong romantic relationships; others are about bad men and less suitable relationships. Some stories focus on the depths of female friendship and others on growing up. The neat thing about these stories is that they don’t hold anything back, spelling out the bad and awkward times in addition to the hood ones. It’s about life in all its messiness and doesn’t shy away from any topic. However, all the characters have some ideal – or close to – that they are chasing. Some know that what they’re doing won’t end up in glory, but they are honest and want it anyway (e.g., the love of a bad man, which is followed up in one of the later stories. It didn’t end up well, but it had benefits). Other stories are wonderfully nostalgic of summer, teenage years and growing up.
What I loved was that about halfway or so through the book I noticed some recurring characters. Some are just hints, some are obvious. (I’m also wondering what I missed). I was very eager to try and spy any more connections as I read through the stories. Some of the really short stories didn’t hit me with the same intensity as others, but I think that’s me rather than the author. Overall, the stories are intriguing, passionate and alive.
Don’t forget to read the inspirations in full at the end for a super hit of nostalgia and an awesome playlist.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
whatshawnareads's review against another edition
3.5 stars. Short stories aren't my favorite because too often I'm left wondering what the point was, but I enjoyed every moment where I was able to go "oh these relate to each other!" Also important to note that this was something I picked up and put down a lot, not because I wasn't interested, but just because that's how I like to read collections and you might have a different experience if you read all of them together.
Thanks to Grand Central for my copy to review.
Thanks to Grand Central for my copy to review.
swordsforhands's review against another edition
4.0
4.5...4.75. Idk but it made me FEEL THINGS AND I AM SO ALIVE. This book is definitely not for everyone, but it really spoke to the world I live in...one in which I yearn much too much while listening to/watching basically all of the music and movies mentioned. Some of the stories didn't do much for me, but they were revisited later in the book and created a more cohesive experience. The mood of this book matches my soul and the relationships I have had with my friends, so I couldn't rate it anything less than a 4.5
Read my full review here!
Read my full review here!
nicolekukral's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not usually a short story reader, so I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to reading a collection. While I didn’t enjoy all the stories equally, I did really appreciate the variety of female experiences and characters represented in this volume. These stories seemed to encapsulate the complexity of many female experiences.
I also really loved it when some of the stories connected to each other and how I could see what happened to some of the characters later on in their lives. I found each of those stories to be fun, surprising discoveries.
This book definitely made me curious about other short story collections, so it may be a genre that I add to my repertoire.
I’m not usually a short story reader, so I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to reading a collection. While I didn’t enjoy all the stories equally, I did really appreciate the variety of female experiences and characters represented in this volume. These stories seemed to encapsulate the complexity of many female experiences.
I also really loved it when some of the stories connected to each other and how I could see what happened to some of the characters later on in their lives. I found each of those stories to be fun, surprising discoveries.
This book definitely made me curious about other short story collections, so it may be a genre that I add to my repertoire.
sodrewrites's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this short story collection! 4.5 stars.
biblio_amy's review against another edition
4.0
Usually when I read short story books they are just okay, but I really did enjoy these short stories. Obviously, I had so me Stories I still didn't like as much as others but there wasn't a single one that I hated. Overall, good book.
lulureads365's review against another edition
4.0
What a wonderful collection of 42 short stories that celebrate the versatility of girls and women and what love means to us…how we acknowledge it, live with it, and overcome it! It can’t be denied that Leesa Cross-Smith is a magnificent writer.
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
4.0
This collection got better and better the longer I kept reading. When the stories flipped and started reprising earlier ones, everything came together in the most satisfying ways. I loved the variety of form and perspective. Fantastic collection.
parker00's review against another edition
4.0
Finally finished this book of short stories. It has been on my kindle since early 2020 and I've picked up it up every so often to read a couple stories. Each story is focused on a different woman and gives you a fly-on-the-wall view of a snippet in her life. Often just a couple pages long, each story is rich and beautiful and leaves you wanting more.