hauntingofhillhouse
27 | they/them/it if you're cool | combat boots & hand knit socks | mostly fiction with poetic prose & heavy themes
1581 points
3.72 average · 35 reviews
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Every One Still Here is a collection of short stories written by Liadan Ní Chuinn, a debut author writing under a pseudonym from Northern Ireland. There's six shorts included in the book and I wish there'd been twice that, because these stories are visceral and human in a way that sticks with you. They tie together in an intense collection themed heavily on grief, trauma, and humanity; Ní Chuinn writes with a combination of effectively sketched images and a precise dissection of human minds that lingers. There's an unapologetic, confrontational quality to these shorts that makes them stick.
There's plenty left to ruminate on at the end of every story, which could feel disappointing if you're looking for a clearly resolved plot, but is something I deeply appreciate. Ní Chuinn writes with a very human rhythm that mimics speech, which hits close but also feels a little disjointed, here and there. On occasion there's a line that doesn't fully translates from the author's mind to mine.
I'll be keeping an eye on this author, and this one's going on my reread list.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Shirley Jackson
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