Scan barcode
A review by elenagroves
The Girl Who Cried Diamonds and Other Stories by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia
2.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
The Girl Who Cried Diamonds & Other Stories, written by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia, is a collection of short stories loosely interconnected by what the official description boasts to be its "shatter[ing of] the boundaries of realist and fabulist." Relative strengths of this collection include having 1) an enticing title, 2) aesthetically pleasing cover art, 3) generally decent writing, 4) some interesting and well-developed plot lines, and 5) interspersed acknowledgement of relevant social justice issues.
Of the stories involved, the one I most enjoy is the very first, "A Golden Light," which follows a young girl who seeks meaning in a mysteriously sourced light that illuminates her bedroom after her father's untimely death. The premise and execution of "A Golden Light" epitomize the degree of intrigue and supernatural presence that one might expect from a vaguely (quote-unquote) fabulist/speculative collection. Precisely due to this promising setup is why some might generate confusion when reading the following two, decidedly hyper-realistic (not to mention, topically grotesque), stories about teenagers ruthlessly bullying each other and a young woman being stalked by a man she saves from certain death.
Ultimately, a cohesive topical or moral momentum is missing throughout this collection, and the plots and characters of the individual stories often lack substance and/or an inherent driving force compelling one to read on (especially notable during the final story about a woman-turned-cloud, which comprises a whopping 25 percent of the book in page length).
The Girl Who Cried Diamonds & Other Stories, written by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia, is a collection of short stories loosely interconnected by what the official description boasts to be its "shatter[ing of] the boundaries of realist and fabulist." Relative strengths of this collection include having 1) an enticing title, 2) aesthetically pleasing cover art, 3) generally decent writing, 4) some interesting and well-developed plot lines, and 5) interspersed acknowledgement of relevant social justice issues.
Of the stories involved, the one I most enjoy is the very first, "A Golden Light," which follows a young girl who seeks meaning in a mysteriously sourced light that illuminates her bedroom after her father's untimely death. The premise and execution of "A Golden Light" epitomize the degree of intrigue and supernatural presence that one might expect from a vaguely (quote-unquote) fabulist/speculative collection. Precisely due to this promising setup is why some might generate confusion when reading the following two, decidedly hyper-realistic (not to mention, topically grotesque), stories about teenagers ruthlessly bullying each other and a young woman being stalked by a man she saves from certain death.
Ultimately, a cohesive topical or moral momentum is missing throughout this collection, and the plots and characters of the individual stories often lack substance and/or an inherent driving force compelling one to read on (especially notable during the final story about a woman-turned-cloud, which comprises a whopping 25 percent of the book in page length).