***Disclaimer: I requested this book through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own***
Synapsis (taken from Goodreads): Infused with gentle optimism, eleven uncompromising stories explore, each in its own way, the nature of sacrifice.
Mum and Nan struggle to contrive a sense of normal family life in the emotionally charged environment of a women’s shelter. A visual artist faces the return of her wayward daughter, who brings home her new boyfriend, the lumbering behemoth, Zol. A bereaved woman lies restless and alone in bed, her thoughts troubled by the plaintive cries of the dog locked in next-door’s laundry.
At once dark, poignant and witty, Isobel Blackthorn’s first collection of short stories depicts intimately and honestly the travails and heroic responses of women and men confronting the pith of their lives.
Genre: Short Story Collection
My thoughts: Up till now, the only short stories that I had read prior to reading All Because of You were all classics. Writings like The Yellow Wallpaper and The Lady and the Dog and Other Stories. I did enjoy the short stories that I had read and was interested in reading more.
What I like most about the stories was how the stories started. There was no gradual world building or setting; the plot and action started right away. Each one of the stories was captivating. Another thing that I liked was the subtleness of graphic detail. Some of the stories deal with domestic violence, and as a person who gets queasy even reading about graphic violence; I appreciated how the topic was carefully handled in a way that the subject didn't lose its importance without having gory details. Some readers might disagree with me but I'm sensitive to reading certain things and would rather not be exposed to it too much lol.
If I could make a slight change about this book, it would be the order of the stories. The first few stories are set in a Women's shelter while the last few stories are more random and have different settings ( but it's just as captivating). I didn't read the synapsids super thoroughly before starting the book and was surprised halfway through because I had thought that the underlining theme of the stories was about domestic violence, when really it's about seeking shelter and making the most out of a situation. If I could, I would mix up the order stories so that the similar ones aren't all together. Does that make sense lol?
Overall I enjoyed this book and would award it four stars out of five. Have you read All Because of You? If so which story was your favorite? If not, what type of short stories do you enjoy?
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