Challenge #10 ~ “A book featuring an historical figure.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
My opinion in three sentences:
I know, I know, what the Dickens is going on with that cover, but trust me, this is definitely one to apply the non-judgemental idiom. A short story collection, sensibly arranged, that messes with history for some crazy reimaginings – I mean, hit me up straight away! As with any collection, there are clearly some that outshine others (and not necessarily those you’d expect from the brief descriptions Sedgwick provides in the introduction), but on the whole the anthology is well-written, well-thought out and a rather enjoyable read!
(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:
The whole premise? The idea behind the book? Or maybe just the justice done to achieving that idea, such that in more than one case I was hoping the story gets developed into a full-length novel, because, wow, do I want more…
A warning for the book:
When you take a phenomenal and mind-bending idea, compressed into a few measly pages, and then pair it next to a mediocre character exploration or story that tries to compose a whole new world in just a few paragraphs, there’s always going to be a sense of falling from high to low. But don’t judge each entry from it’s description or author, and certainly don’t judge the book by it’s cover, just approach each tale with a fresh mind and high hopes, because there are some real gems inside…
Recommended for fans of:
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- More Than This by Patrick Ness
- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open 