#69 Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Short story author Kelly Link has been making waves in fantasy over the past few years, winning almost every big award in the field, 
including, the Locus award, the Nebula Award, the Hugo, and The World Fantasy Award. It’s not difficult to see why. Her stories, as found in her most recent anthology, Pretty Monsters, are well crafted and unique. I found that I enjoyed most of the stories found here (I rarely pick up a short story collection and enjoy all of them). Her writing has a dreamy, meandering quality to it, as if she happened to stumble over these wonderful characters and stories by accident. This makes for some beautiful writing, although it’s not for everyone. Those looking for fast-paced, action oriented tales, should probably look elsewhere. Those looking for strange tales where fantasy and reality are intertwined should take a look.
Behind the cut you’ll find a list and short review of all nine stories.
“The Wrong Grave.” When Miles Sperry’s girlfriend dies, he spills out his grief into several poems and then places them in her casket during the funeral, an action he soon regrets. When a poetry contest comes up, he knows that he needs those poems, and will do anything to get them, including digging up her grave. Only, when he opens up her coffin, the person inside his not his girlfriend and she’s not happy. “The Wrong Grave” is a weird, macabre story that reminded me of the movie “The Corpse Bride.” I enjoyed the humor found here, and liked the unexpected ending. A nice way to start out the collection. Four and a half stars.
“The Wizards of Perfil.” I first encountered this story in the Firebirds Rising anthology (which an amazing book, and everyone should read it). At the time, I wasn’t really much of a fan of it. This time around, I enjoyed the story a little more, but still struggled to get into it. “The Wizards of Perfil” is about a young boy named Onion. During a time of war, Onion’s aunt thinks bout selling him to the wizard’s of Perfil, but they end up taking interest in his cousin Halsa instead. The two part ways, but remained connected somehow, each child witnessing their own adventure, and their cousin’s. I enjoyed the ending to this story a lot, and the little rants about the wizards. Still, it felt at times like there was just too much in here (it’s more a novella than short story), and my attention waved in and out of the story. Three out of five stars.
“Magic for Beginners.” My favorite story in the collection. “Magic for Beginners” is about a television show called “The Library.” Jeremy Mars, along with his friends, are all devoted fans of the show, and don’t know how to react when the creators kill off the likable Fox. Jeremy’s life becomes more complicated when an estranged relative dies, leaving behind a wedding chapel, and a phone booth for him in her will. At first “Magic for Beginners” doesn’t seem like a fantasy. Instead, it’s about an adolescent dealing with his confused feeling for two female friends, and his bizarre father, a famous writer known for putting giant spiders in his books. Once Jeremy’s world and the world of the television show become intertwined, things get very interesting. I don’t know what it is that I liked so much about this story. Maybe it’s because Jeremy and his friends, with their love for “The Library,” reminds me of how me and my friends and high school used to talk about “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on Wednesday mornings. Maybe it’s because I liked the dysfunctional family aspect. Or maybe I, like Jeremy and his friends, was pulled in by the character of Fox. Five out of five stars.
“The Faery Handbag.” This story is also collected in The Faery Reel which I read back in April. It tells the story of a teenage girl and her relationship with her grandmother, who happens to carry around a country in her handbag. “The Faery Handbag” is a pleasant little story filled with some nice humor, and a really unique concept. I found I enjoyed it just as much this time, as I did the first time I read it. Four and a half stars.
“The Specialist Hat.” This story is about two young girls leaving in an old house while their father writes about the history of its past occupant. It’s also a ghost story, with a rather creepy ending. Although the ideas behind the story were strong, it didn’t keep my attention as well as the other stories did. Three stars.
“Monster.” “Monster” is about a troop of boys that goes camping in the woods, and runs into a monster. Although a classic concept, Link adds her own unique touch to it in the characterization of the monster (I won’t spoil much- but to start off with, he carries a cell phone). I felt bad for the protagonist, James, who is bullied by the other campers, and hope that he managed to survive the ending. Four stars.
“The Surfer.” The lone sci-fi contribution to this collection, “The Surfer” is about a boy named Dorn who is kidnapped by his father and taken to Costa Rica so he can meet Hans Bliss, the first man to have contact with aliens. Plans are put on hold when a dangerous strand of the flu breaks out, and they, and other travelers, are stuck in quarantine. The Surfer is another story where the magical elements are secondary. The pandemic storyline rang true (especially given the recent rise of swine flu) and the descriptions of the fallen United States were very interesting. I enjoyed the character of Dorn, and really liked the ending. This was quite a nice story. Four and a half stars.
“The Constable of Abal.” Ozma and her mother have the ability to collect ghosts. After Ozma’s mother kills the constable of Abal, they leave the town quickly. Ozma hopes the two of them will be able to go home, but instead her mother brings her to a dull town where she insists on becoming a “respectable” person. "The Constable of Abal" is a little strange, and at times confusing, but still and interesting read. I liked the central character of Ozma, and would be interested to see what types of adventures she goes on after this story. Four stars.
“Pretty Monsters.” The final story in this collection is actually two stories, brought together in the end with a supernatural twist. It’s the story of Clementine Cleary, who at twelve, falls in love with Cabell Meadows after he saves her life. During the story, she grows up but never loses her feeling for Cabell. The second story is about a group of girls who decide to put new girl, Czigany, through an “ordeal” as sort of a hazing ritual. One of the characters, Lee, is also reading the story about Clementine Cleary. I liked the way that the two stories were tied together in the end, although I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Clementine was a little frustrating, and Lee and her friends were kind of cruel. In the end though, I liked it. Three and a half stars.
Although marketed for young adults, I think Pretty Monster holds appeal for adult readers as well. In some ways, I think readers of adult lit would enjoy it even more. If you’re looking for a work of fantasy that’s a little different, I recommend checking this collection out
Rating: four stars
Length: 389 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
TBR Pile: 144 books
Similar Books: Holly Black’s Modern Faerie tales ( my review for Valiant), The Faery Reel ( my review), the Firebirds anthologies (my review for Firebirds Soaring).
Other stories I've read by this author: I first encountered “The Wizards of Perfil” in Firebirds Rising, and “The Faery Handbag” in The Faery Reel ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds
including, the Locus award, the Nebula Award, the Hugo, and The World Fantasy Award. It’s not difficult to see why. Her stories, as found in her most recent anthology, Pretty Monsters, are well crafted and unique. I found that I enjoyed most of the stories found here (I rarely pick up a short story collection and enjoy all of them). Her writing has a dreamy, meandering quality to it, as if she happened to stumble over these wonderful characters and stories by accident. This makes for some beautiful writing, although it’s not for everyone. Those looking for fast-paced, action oriented tales, should probably look elsewhere. Those looking for strange tales where fantasy and reality are intertwined should take a look.
Behind the cut you’ll find a list and short review of all nine stories.
“The Wrong Grave.” When Miles Sperry’s girlfriend dies, he spills out his grief into several poems and then places them in her casket during the funeral, an action he soon regrets. When a poetry contest comes up, he knows that he needs those poems, and will do anything to get them, including digging up her grave. Only, when he opens up her coffin, the person inside his not his girlfriend and she’s not happy. “The Wrong Grave” is a weird, macabre story that reminded me of the movie “The Corpse Bride.” I enjoyed the humor found here, and liked the unexpected ending. A nice way to start out the collection. Four and a half stars.
“The Wizards of Perfil.” I first encountered this story in the Firebirds Rising anthology (which an amazing book, and everyone should read it). At the time, I wasn’t really much of a fan of it. This time around, I enjoyed the story a little more, but still struggled to get into it. “The Wizards of Perfil” is about a young boy named Onion. During a time of war, Onion’s aunt thinks bout selling him to the wizard’s of Perfil, but they end up taking interest in his cousin Halsa instead. The two part ways, but remained connected somehow, each child witnessing their own adventure, and their cousin’s. I enjoyed the ending to this story a lot, and the little rants about the wizards. Still, it felt at times like there was just too much in here (it’s more a novella than short story), and my attention waved in and out of the story. Three out of five stars.
“Magic for Beginners.” My favorite story in the collection. “Magic for Beginners” is about a television show called “The Library.” Jeremy Mars, along with his friends, are all devoted fans of the show, and don’t know how to react when the creators kill off the likable Fox. Jeremy’s life becomes more complicated when an estranged relative dies, leaving behind a wedding chapel, and a phone booth for him in her will. At first “Magic for Beginners” doesn’t seem like a fantasy. Instead, it’s about an adolescent dealing with his confused feeling for two female friends, and his bizarre father, a famous writer known for putting giant spiders in his books. Once Jeremy’s world and the world of the television show become intertwined, things get very interesting. I don’t know what it is that I liked so much about this story. Maybe it’s because Jeremy and his friends, with their love for “The Library,” reminds me of how me and my friends and high school used to talk about “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on Wednesday mornings. Maybe it’s because I liked the dysfunctional family aspect. Or maybe I, like Jeremy and his friends, was pulled in by the character of Fox. Five out of five stars.
“The Faery Handbag.” This story is also collected in The Faery Reel which I read back in April. It tells the story of a teenage girl and her relationship with her grandmother, who happens to carry around a country in her handbag. “The Faery Handbag” is a pleasant little story filled with some nice humor, and a really unique concept. I found I enjoyed it just as much this time, as I did the first time I read it. Four and a half stars.
“The Specialist Hat.” This story is about two young girls leaving in an old house while their father writes about the history of its past occupant. It’s also a ghost story, with a rather creepy ending. Although the ideas behind the story were strong, it didn’t keep my attention as well as the other stories did. Three stars.
“Monster.” “Monster” is about a troop of boys that goes camping in the woods, and runs into a monster. Although a classic concept, Link adds her own unique touch to it in the characterization of the monster (I won’t spoil much- but to start off with, he carries a cell phone). I felt bad for the protagonist, James, who is bullied by the other campers, and hope that he managed to survive the ending. Four stars.
“The Surfer.” The lone sci-fi contribution to this collection, “The Surfer” is about a boy named Dorn who is kidnapped by his father and taken to Costa Rica so he can meet Hans Bliss, the first man to have contact with aliens. Plans are put on hold when a dangerous strand of the flu breaks out, and they, and other travelers, are stuck in quarantine. The Surfer is another story where the magical elements are secondary. The pandemic storyline rang true (especially given the recent rise of swine flu) and the descriptions of the fallen United States were very interesting. I enjoyed the character of Dorn, and really liked the ending. This was quite a nice story. Four and a half stars.
“The Constable of Abal.” Ozma and her mother have the ability to collect ghosts. After Ozma’s mother kills the constable of Abal, they leave the town quickly. Ozma hopes the two of them will be able to go home, but instead her mother brings her to a dull town where she insists on becoming a “respectable” person. "The Constable of Abal" is a little strange, and at times confusing, but still and interesting read. I liked the central character of Ozma, and would be interested to see what types of adventures she goes on after this story. Four stars.
“Pretty Monsters.” The final story in this collection is actually two stories, brought together in the end with a supernatural twist. It’s the story of Clementine Cleary, who at twelve, falls in love with Cabell Meadows after he saves her life. During the story, she grows up but never loses her feeling for Cabell. The second story is about a group of girls who decide to put new girl, Czigany, through an “ordeal” as sort of a hazing ritual. One of the characters, Lee, is also reading the story about Clementine Cleary. I liked the way that the two stories were tied together in the end, although I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Clementine was a little frustrating, and Lee and her friends were kind of cruel. In the end though, I liked it. Three and a half stars.
Although marketed for young adults, I think Pretty Monster holds appeal for adult readers as well. In some ways, I think readers of adult lit would enjoy it even more. If you’re looking for a work of fantasy that’s a little different, I recommend checking this collection out
Rating: four stars
Length: 389 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
TBR Pile: 144 books
Similar Books: Holly Black’s Modern Faerie tales ( my review for Valiant), The Faery Reel ( my review), the Firebirds anthologies (my review for Firebirds Soaring).
Other stories I've read by this author: I first encountered “The Wizards of Perfil” in Firebirds Rising, and “The Faery Handbag” in The Faery Reel ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds