Scan barcode
rosewolfeemery's review against another edition
3.0
This is an unsettling collection of short stories.
I was lucky enough to hear Kristen speak before I read the collection. It was interesting to learn that she opened with “Bad Boy” so the reader knew what they were getting themselves into. I think this was a wise choice. “Bad Boy” is the most extreme story in the collection, but I found its pace and narrative voice really gripping. You’ll also know immediately if it isn’t for you.
I think it was wise to place the best stories - “Cat Person”, “The Good Guy” and “The Boy in the Pool” - in the middle of the collection. These stories carry you through the more forgettable ones - of which, there are eight.
One of my favourite things about “Cat Person” is the small details; experiences that you’ve subconsciously registered are brought to life in a way that shocks you. I appreciate that “Cat Person” isn’t supposed to define You Know You Want This, but the nuance of that story is often lost in the rest of the collection. “The Matchbox Sign”, for instance, is an obvious reference to The Yellow Wallpaper, but the story lacks the atmosphere and tension it really needed. “Biter”, like most of the stories, is just too obvious.
You Know You Want This had the potential to be a fantastic collection, and the best stories leave a bad taste in your mouth.
I was lucky enough to hear Kristen speak before I read the collection. It was interesting to learn that she opened with “Bad Boy” so the reader knew what they were getting themselves into. I think this was a wise choice. “Bad Boy” is the most extreme story in the collection, but I found its pace and narrative voice really gripping. You’ll also know immediately if it isn’t for you.
I think it was wise to place the best stories - “Cat Person”, “The Good Guy” and “The Boy in the Pool” - in the middle of the collection. These stories carry you through the more forgettable ones - of which, there are eight.
One of my favourite things about “Cat Person” is the small details; experiences that you’ve subconsciously registered are brought to life in a way that shocks you. I appreciate that “Cat Person” isn’t supposed to define You Know You Want This, but the nuance of that story is often lost in the rest of the collection. “The Matchbox Sign”, for instance, is an obvious reference to The Yellow Wallpaper, but the story lacks the atmosphere and tension it really needed. “Biter”, like most of the stories, is just too obvious.
You Know You Want This had the potential to be a fantastic collection, and the best stories leave a bad taste in your mouth.
apoulsonfriesen's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lydia_woolf's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
minnaobrien's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't read a short story collection since I was a teenager. This was a great reacquaintance to the form.
What defines Kristen Roupenian's voice is her talent for specific and disturbingly recognizable observation. Each of these stories are unsettling, with a few tipping over into horror.
What defines Kristen Roupenian's voice is her talent for specific and disturbingly recognizable observation. Each of these stories are unsettling, with a few tipping over into horror.
soopushie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
logolepsy_e's review against another edition
4.0
Io ho sempre le mie difficoltà con le raccolte di racconti. Non sono per me, preferisco i romanzi che si prendono il tempo di espandere meglio, i racconti spesso mi lasciano una sensazione di incompiuto un po' fastidiosa. E infatti, anche questa raccolta all'inizio mi ha lasciato la stessa sensazione. Ho letto la prima metà dei racconti chiedendomi quale fosse il punto di tutto, ma mi sono fatta forza, un po' perché comunque i racconti erano interessanti, anche se inconcludenti, e un po' perché ero curiosa di leggere questo osannatissimo "Cat Person", il racconto più condiviso di sempre. "Ma è una raccolta di racconti!", direte voi, "Puoi leggere i racconti nell'ordine che ti pare!". Potrei, sì, ma le mie manie non me lo lasciano fare. E così ho percorso una strada di alti e bassi, partendo dal picco di "Ragazzaccio", scendendo nel baratro dell'ansia col racconto successivo e toccando il fondo con "Corridore Notturno". Arrivata a "Cat Person", un grande meh, una classica reazione tiepida a qualcosa che tutti celebrano come svolta del secolo, imperdibile, irripetibile. Inconcludente, per me.
Per fortuna, però, ho proseguito nella seconda metà della raccolta, e così mi sono imbattuta nei racconti migliori. Alla faccia di "Cat Person", quelli che io ho trovato veramente molto validi sono stati altri: "Il Bravo Ragazzo", una rappresentazione del "nice guy" davvero centrata, "La Prova nel Portafiammiferi", imperdibile quadro di una follia infettante, "Voglia di Morire", sottile e spiazzante, e i meravigliosi "Non Avere Paura" e "Mordere".
Insomma, questa raccolta non è oro puro al cento per cento, ma quando colpisce, lo fa nel punto giusto. L'autrice ci porta per mano in un percorso spinoso fatto di riflessioni e simbolismi che riguardano la sfera delle relazioni umane, scardinando alcuni concetti e ribaltando certe convinzioni. Leggendo le sue storie brevi e crude, ci troviamo davanti a dei quadri che ci fanno storcere il naso, ci rivoltano lo stomaco e ci fanno prendere le distanze dai protagonisti, ma ci rendiamo conto, solo dopo, che alcuni passaggi ci sono rimasti sotto pelle, che alcune idee ci si sono fissate in testa. Il linguaggio semplice, la scrittura scevra ma efficace, si insinuano nei nostri pensieri e ci instaurano il tarlo del dubbio, la curiosità, l'inquietudine. Una cosa che questi racconti riescono di sicuro a fare, è suscitare emozioni, anche se a volte lo fanno a scoppio ritardato, anche se a volte neanche ce ne accorgiamo. E rivalutiamo tante cose, perché l'autrice riesce a trasportarci nel punto di vista di persone sulle quali troppo spesso non ci soffermiamo, ma non lo fa mai in modo apologetico, lei non vuole far capire, comprendere, compatire: vuole solo mostrare. E ci riesce benissimo, anche senza che ve ne rendiate conto.
Per fortuna, però, ho proseguito nella seconda metà della raccolta, e così mi sono imbattuta nei racconti migliori. Alla faccia di "Cat Person", quelli che io ho trovato veramente molto validi sono stati altri: "Il Bravo Ragazzo", una rappresentazione del "nice guy" davvero centrata, "La Prova nel Portafiammiferi", imperdibile quadro di una follia infettante, "Voglia di Morire", sottile e spiazzante, e i meravigliosi "Non Avere Paura" e "Mordere".
Insomma, questa raccolta non è oro puro al cento per cento, ma quando colpisce, lo fa nel punto giusto. L'autrice ci porta per mano in un percorso spinoso fatto di riflessioni e simbolismi che riguardano la sfera delle relazioni umane, scardinando alcuni concetti e ribaltando certe convinzioni. Leggendo le sue storie brevi e crude, ci troviamo davanti a dei quadri che ci fanno storcere il naso, ci rivoltano lo stomaco e ci fanno prendere le distanze dai protagonisti, ma ci rendiamo conto, solo dopo, che alcuni passaggi ci sono rimasti sotto pelle, che alcune idee ci si sono fissate in testa. Il linguaggio semplice, la scrittura scevra ma efficace, si insinuano nei nostri pensieri e ci instaurano il tarlo del dubbio, la curiosità, l'inquietudine. Una cosa che questi racconti riescono di sicuro a fare, è suscitare emozioni, anche se a volte lo fanno a scoppio ritardato, anche se a volte neanche ce ne accorgiamo. E rivalutiamo tante cose, perché l'autrice riesce a trasportarci nel punto di vista di persone sulle quali troppo spesso non ci soffermiamo, ma non lo fa mai in modo apologetico, lei non vuole far capire, comprendere, compatire: vuole solo mostrare. E ci riesce benissimo, anche senza che ve ne rendiate conto.
abbeyholland's review against another edition
Got through 2 short stories before quitting 😬
Trigger warning for the first 2: necrophilia and child sexual assault / murder - sooooooooo yeah a definite no
Trigger warning for the first 2: necrophilia and child sexual assault / murder - sooooooooo yeah a definite no
rereader33's review against another edition
3.0
I have pretty conflicted feelings about this collection. On the one hand, I did really like a handful of the stories, and even those I didn't like I admit were written well or was disturbing. On the other hand, there were 12 stories in this collection and I only really like 6 of them and 6 stories out of 12 isn't good and certainly can't carry the collection. Overall, this was a good short story collection and one worth giving a chance, even if you only end up reading a handful of the stories inside.
Before I start the tedious task of reacting/briefly reviewing each story, let me tell you what the author nails in every story: perfectly encapsulating what makes each story disturbing/dark/frustrating. Whatever emotion(s) are meant to be felt while reading, Roupenian nails it every time. That being said, just nailing the emotions meant to be portrayed in each story doesn't make the story great, so enough bullshit, here are my thoughts on each story. *long sigh* Let's get this done.
"Bad Boy"-disturbingly plausible. Seriously, I could definitely imagine this exact scenario playing out and it made me super uncomfortable. I would have like more paragraph breaks and less run on sentences, but still a good story. Starts off the collection right, too.
"Look at Your Game, Girl"-Holy fucking SHIT, this disturbed me so much I felt my skin crawl. I could imagine myself being the main character and feeling everything she felt. Again, disturbingly real and exceptionally unnerving.
"Sardines"-That did NOT go where I thought it was going, but I actually really liked it. The ending was really cool and I liked the idea of wanting to punish those who've wronged you, only to be uncertain about your decision once you see the consequences. Very well done.
"The Night Runner"-All this story did was make me hate teenagers, specifically school kids. That's it. Honestly, not a good story and the ending was kind of predictable.
"The Mirror, the Bucket, and the Old Thigh Bone"-A very well-written fairy tale-esque story, but it kind off lost it's charm towards the end. Not bad, but not great either. I did like the ending, though.
"Cat Person"-Ummm yeah, I got what this story was going for, but it dragged SO DAMN BADLY. I honestly couldn't give a shit towards the end and while I did like the ending, it wasn't enough to salvage the rest of the story.
"The Good Guy"-HOLY FLYING FUCKER FUCK, why does a "nice guy" story have to be 50 FUCKING PAGES LONG?! I shit you not, by about halfway through the story I straight up FORGOT how this story started because it dragged EVEN WORSE than "Cat Person". Easily the worst story in the collection, simply read any "nice guy" story on the internet and you'll grasp what this story's about.
"The Boy in the Pool"-I liked where the story ultimately went and I liked the ending, but I didn't enjoy reading it. It was just okay.
"Scarred"-Despite how short this story is, I really liked it and LOVED the ending. I liked how it was written, formatted, and told. A surprisingly good story despite it's length.
"The Matchbox Sign"-Wasn't really invested in this story. I liked what it was ultimately about, but I wasn't interested in either character nor their relationship. It was fine, but that's about it.
"Death Wish"-Aaaaaaand we've boomeranged back to REALLY FUCKING DISTURBING and UNCOMFORTABLY REAL. While the writing style was kind of a pain to read, it definitely elevated the story and made it feel more personal, almost like something you'd read on a social media site or someone retelling this fucked-up thing they went through. Really fucking good, definitely one of the best from this collection.
"Biter"-This was a strong ending to the collection as well as a strong story on its own. An interesting yet disturbing look at obsession and how one act can be seen wildly differently depending on the genders of those involved. A pleasantly surprised ending to this collection.
So, there you have it. Would I recommend this collection to someone? Honestly, yes. Despite only liking half of the stories in the collection, I firmly believe this is a solid short story collection. I think the writing makes it easily accessible and the messages contained in each story are easy to parse out and when the story is done well, the message can burn a whole in your brain. While this isn't one that I would recommend first, I still think it's worth your time, if you're interested. Also, it's pretty short so it shouldn't take too long to finish. Anyway, those are my thoughts. The rest is up to you.
Before I start the tedious task of reacting/briefly reviewing each story, let me tell you what the author nails in every story: perfectly encapsulating what makes each story disturbing/dark/frustrating. Whatever emotion(s) are meant to be felt while reading, Roupenian nails it every time. That being said, just nailing the emotions meant to be portrayed in each story doesn't make the story great, so enough bullshit, here are my thoughts on each story. *long sigh* Let's get this done.
"Bad Boy"-disturbingly plausible. Seriously, I could definitely imagine this exact scenario playing out and it made me super uncomfortable. I would have like more paragraph breaks and less run on sentences, but still a good story. Starts off the collection right, too.
"Look at Your Game, Girl"-Holy fucking SHIT, this disturbed me so much I felt my skin crawl. I could imagine myself being the main character and feeling everything she felt. Again, disturbingly real and exceptionally unnerving.
"Sardines"-That did NOT go where I thought it was going, but I actually really liked it. The ending was really cool and I liked the idea of wanting to punish those who've wronged you, only to be uncertain about your decision once you see the consequences. Very well done.
"The Night Runner"-All this story did was make me hate teenagers, specifically school kids. That's it. Honestly, not a good story and the ending was kind of predictable.
"The Mirror, the Bucket, and the Old Thigh Bone"-A very well-written fairy tale-esque story, but it kind off lost it's charm towards the end. Not bad, but not great either. I did like the ending, though.
"Cat Person"-Ummm yeah, I got what this story was going for, but it dragged SO DAMN BADLY. I honestly couldn't give a shit towards the end and while I did like the ending, it wasn't enough to salvage the rest of the story.
"The Good Guy"-HOLY FLYING FUCKER FUCK, why does a "nice guy" story have to be 50 FUCKING PAGES LONG?! I shit you not, by about halfway through the story I straight up FORGOT how this story started because it dragged EVEN WORSE than "Cat Person". Easily the worst story in the collection, simply read any "nice guy" story on the internet and you'll grasp what this story's about.
"The Boy in the Pool"-I liked where the story ultimately went and I liked the ending, but I didn't enjoy reading it. It was just okay.
"Scarred"-Despite how short this story is, I really liked it and LOVED the ending. I liked how it was written, formatted, and told. A surprisingly good story despite it's length.
"The Matchbox Sign"-Wasn't really invested in this story. I liked what it was ultimately about, but I wasn't interested in either character nor their relationship. It was fine, but that's about it.
"Death Wish"-Aaaaaaand we've boomeranged back to REALLY FUCKING DISTURBING and UNCOMFORTABLY REAL. While the writing style was kind of a pain to read, it definitely elevated the story and made it feel more personal, almost like something you'd read on a social media site or someone retelling this fucked-up thing they went through. Really fucking good, definitely one of the best from this collection.
"Biter"-This was a strong ending to the collection as well as a strong story on its own. An interesting yet disturbing look at obsession and how one act can be seen wildly differently depending on the genders of those involved. A pleasantly surprised ending to this collection.
So, there you have it. Would I recommend this collection to someone? Honestly, yes. Despite only liking half of the stories in the collection, I firmly believe this is a solid short story collection. I think the writing makes it easily accessible and the messages contained in each story are easy to parse out and when the story is done well, the message can burn a whole in your brain. While this isn't one that I would recommend first, I still think it's worth your time, if you're interested. Also, it's pretty short so it shouldn't take too long to finish. Anyway, those are my thoughts. The rest is up to you.