Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic/Mysterious Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the short story collection by Joyce Carol Oates. 4 stars for creepy stories that will leave you wanting more!
This book contains 4 short novellas all revolving around creepy, mysterious happenings to the female subjects of each story. The first was my favorite - a young adopted woman gets a call that her biological grandmother left her an inheritance in Cardiff, Maine. She travels there, stays with her two very eccentric great-aunts, and tries to investigate the past she knew nothing about. There is the story of Mia, a teenager who is uncomfortable with her body and the attention it receives. She only finds comfort in an abandoned lot overrun with feral cats. Another story has a quiet college student taken advantage of by a professor and in other ways by an elderly poet. The last story involves a young woman about to move in her fiancé's house where a horrible tragedy took place leaving his son as the only survivor.
Each of these stories have twists that you won't expect, even though the ending may not be totally as fleshed out as you may wish. That's always why short stories aren't my favorite genre but - Joyce Carol Oates! Her writing is so beautiful and you won't be able to resist this collection. You will find yourself caring about each of these female protagonists and their stories.
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