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The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
The first two chapters of The Swimmers, ‘The Underground Pool’ and ‘The Crack’ are highly reminiscent of the author’s acclaimed The Buddha in the Attic. Like that novel The Swimmers at first seems to implement a playful choral ‘we’ as our perspective. The ‘we’ in question are the people who regularly swim at a local…
3 STARS, Adult, ageing, Alzheimer, America, asian american, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, books about writers, Contemporary, DEATH, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), female authors, gay side characters, greek chorus, GRIEF, HUMOR, interconnected stories, japanese american author, lgbtq+ side, MEMORY, mothers & daughters, My reviews, place as character, playful style, published in 2022, read in 2022, reading, satire, self-inserts, sports, subject over characters/story, The Swimmers -
The Rock Eaters: Stories by Brenda Peynado
The Rock Eaters: Stories will probably appeal to fans of macabre tales, such as the ones authored by Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enríquez, and possibly even Yōko Ogawa. This collection of speculative short stories is a highly metaphorical one. Brenda Peynado uses magical realism, aliens, dystopian and fantastic scenarios, to discuss immigration, xenophobia, and class disparity.…
2 STARS, Adult, ALIENS, America, American, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Brenda Peynado, collection of short stories, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), Dominican American author, dystopia, FANTASY, female authors, greek chorus, grotesque, latin america, latin american, latinx author, lgbtq+ side, MAGICAL REALISM, migration/immigration, My reviews, published in 2021, queer side characters, read in 2021, reading, SCI-FI, short stories, social issues, SPECULATIVE FICTION, surreal, The Rock Eaters, The Rock Eaters: Stories -
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
“Grief was not a line, carrying you infinitely further from loss. You never knew when you would be sling-shot backward into its grip.” The first time I picked up The Mothers was back in 2017. After reading a few chapters I set aside thinking that it was not for me. And then came the advent…
2010s, 3 STARS, 3rd pov, abortion/miscarriage/bodily autonomy, affairs, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, beautiful prose, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Brit Bennett, California, cheating, Christianity, Contemporary, f/f side, family, favourite authors, female authors, female friendships, friendships, greek chorus, GRIEF, GUILT, lesbian side characters, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, love triangle, motherhood, mothers & daughters, My reviews, problematic, published in 2016, read in 2021, reading, Religion, SMALL TOWN, suicide, The Mothers