Reviews

Certain American States: Stories by Catherine Lacey

greenblack's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gnoelproduction's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

gabmeti's review against another edition

4.0

In my Catherine Lacey era. 

Not usually a short story fan but really enjoyed this collection 

hg_not_wells's review

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective

3.75

garrett_schaffs's review

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

crockpothead's review

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

h_tom's review against another edition

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

oshrat's review

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

ridgewaygirl's review

4.0

When we were younger my affection for him came so easily and I could listen to his endless opinions for hours and I suppose that meant I loved him in a way that only nineteen-year-olds can love, and though I don't exactly feel that way anymore I do feel some baffling and unexplainable grace, some exhausted affection, though he didn't deserve it any more than a jar of expired mustard deserves its spot in a refrigerator just by being there for so long without someone having the nerve to throw it away.

Catherine Lacey's collection of short stories concerns itself largely with women who are at the end of relationships or are having trouble negotiating life in general. Lacey's writing reminds me of Halle Butler, Kevin Wilson and even Ottessa Moshfegh, and I do like that kind of protagonist, who is constantly getting in her own way and behaving badly. The best story in the collection was Family Physics, about a woman determined to escape her own family.

nataliab's review

medium-paced

3.0

this book did Not grip me, first half was very dull… and yet i kept reading? i suppose for the prose? can’t really say. stories got better as book went on! maybe catherine lacey just isn’t meant to be a short story writer. and that’s okay