Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow: Four Novellas by Daniel Nayeri

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Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow: Four Novellas by Daniel Nayeri

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 108 ratings · 42 reviews

Written entirely on an iPhone, this quartet of YA novellas by Another Pan and Another Faust author Daniel Nayeri showcases four different genres.

This bold collection of novellas by Another series author Daniel Nayeri features four riveting tales. These modern riffs on classic genres will introduce young adult readers to a broad range of writing styles that explore universa...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Candlewick Press (first published October 11th 2011)

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Oct 11, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 2 of 5 stars

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow1 is a collection of four novellas, each written in a different genre, although ALL of them have a fantastical element, placing this collection firmly into Speculative Fiction territory.

Toy Farm opens the collection and is a Western. Set in a farm, where Toys grow from the earth and are tended by the farmer’s daughter and by the Scarecrow who acts as the Sheriff. The toys’ gentle life is shaken by the attack of a group homunculus who may look like humans...more Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow1 is a collection of four novellas, each written in a different genre, although ALL of them have a fantastical element, placing this collection firmly into Speculative Fiction territory.

Toy Farm opens the collection and is a Western. Set in a farm, where Toys grow from the earth and are tended by the farmer’s daughter and by the Scarecrow who acts as the Sheriff. The toys’ gentle life is shaken by the attack of a group homunculus who may look like humans but have no soul – unlike the toys. The battle for their lives is fought by their Sheriff, a boy who needs to become a man. This story is a bit convoluted (it takes some time to realise what the hell is going on) but raises interesting questions about what is means to be human.

Our Lady of Villains is a Sci-fi story. The story is set in the near future in a dystopian world where a Corporation runs the world, nanotechnology runs amok and everybody lives in a virtual Second Life. Although there are some cool things about this story (for example, villains are the new heroes and vice-versa), it felt too artificially constructed for my tastes and by the time the identity of the Lady of Villains (a new Goddess, to be worshiped) was revealed I was already uninterested.

Wish Police comes next, and is probably my favourite story of the bunch (I would not be averse to reading more stories about this Wish Police, in fact). It is a detective story with an interesting premise: this branch of the police prevents certain types of wishes from coming true. The detectives – including a talking fish and a former Djinn – go around trying to catch a Wish turned human before he causes any real trouble.

The final story is a romance called Doom With a View and is narrated by Death himself, a cool narrator to a sweeping love story between star-crossed lovers. This story is light and funny but left me…cold.

And ultimately, this is the feeling I have towards this collection: reserved indifference. I feel like I should have enjoyed it more because the stories are not bad at all. They are well written and some of them have really interesting premises (although those interesting concepts needed more space to develop). But they are perhaps too…safe? Each story follows their “genre” to the letter with little to no room for true originality. I understand that this collection is meant to be an introduction to these types of stories to Young Adults and I guess I could say it is indeed a competent introduction. I just feel readers deserve more than mere competence or paint-by-numbers introductions. I feel that Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow lacked true heart.

A final note: as the official blurb and many reviewers will make sure to tell you, this book was written on an iphone. I am perplexed as to why this seems to be so important as to be included in the official blurb: WHY does it matter to a reader at all WHERE or HOW the book was written? What difference does it make if it was written on an iphone, a typewriter or…whatever? (less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Nayeri, D. (2012). Straw house, wood house, brick house, blow. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 406 pp. ISBN: 978-0-7636-5526-6. (Hardcover); $19.99.

I have an iPhone. I check messages on it. Text messages have become an increasingly favored tool. As much as I like my phone, however, I MUCH prefer doing longer messages on my computer with its full sized keyboard. Nayeri may well win the prize for being the very first author to write a published book on a smart phone. The fact that the book was w...more Nayeri, D. (2012). Straw house, wood house, brick house, blow. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 406 pp. ISBN: 978-0-7636-5526-6. (Hardcover); $19.99.

I have an iPhone. I check messages on it. Text messages have become an increasingly favored tool. As much as I like my phone, however, I MUCH prefer doing longer messages on my computer with its full sized keyboard. Nayeri may well win the prize for being the very first author to write a published book on a smart phone. The fact that the book was written on a phone may give teachers a way to engage a reader, but if the details of its composition were the only reason to review the book, you would not be reading my review. The book is smart, unique, and a lot of fun to read. That said, this book will not be for everyone. Those who want more immediate connections to folklore will be disappointed. A book written on a phone is obviously a think outside the box kind of book. Nayeri has four very different novellas in this collection, all revolving around themes of the limits of friendship, love and death, how we see our own behavior, and more. In Straw House (Toy Farm) we have a western unlike any western we have ever read before. Toys roam the range in this novella and an Oz-like straw man, Sunny, is pushed to think of ways to protect the farm from the stranger with the jagged fingernails the color of fossils. He also hopes to gain the love of Dot, the farmer’s daughter. In Wood House (Our Lady of Villains) we brave the horrors of Recreation Day in a science fiction thriller featuring a “nano-miracle event.” The epigraph before this story is from the Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig and it speaks of building a very safe house, a fitting quote for a big brother story espousing the benevolent protection of technology. However, even safe houses have problems, even those with the miracle of Nano technology: “No one knows which came first: the man or the virus.” (p. 131). Brick House (Wish Police) cautions us to be careful what we wish for. In this novella Randy Bieman wishes upon a star for the multiple homicide of his family. Next thing we know, we are with detective Mack interrogating Randy Bieman: “Mack slammed the metal table again, hard enough to leave a print. The kid was about to bawl. ‘Don’t play with me. Randy Bieman catches the first star, wants a triple murder. You show up at the door ten minutes later. That dad opens the door, and I say you would have put your fist through his heart. Am I right?’ ‘But I’m not Randy,’ pleaded the boy. ‘I know.’ said Mack, ‘You’re Randy’s wish.’” (pp. 223-224). Blow (Doom with a View) features Death narrating a story about feuding artisan families and claiming it is a love story: “Fair enough. Maybe a love story should have the lovers within a hundred-mile radius of each other at the beginning. But in my experience, it’s not so much the beginning as the ending that matters for most people. And endings are kinda my specialty. I mean, you can start anywhere if you think about it, but you’re gonna end up like everybody else someday, listening to Dora clacking on her typewriter till you name comes up next on her clipboard.” (p. 353). And the ending to this love story is such a delightful, morbid, very human surprise! Purchase this one for that lover of literary fiction who likes avant-garde reading experiences unlike anything he or she has ever read before.
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Jan 18, 2012 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, gave-up-maybe-later

A set of 4 novellas, each a different genre, all written on an iPhone. Sounds intriguing, right? But I quit after the first two. Perhaps that was a mistake, but since I’m reviewing these with an eye toward talking the book up to teenagers, I thought it was appropriate. Full disclosure – the written reviews of this book were favorable, so I must be missing something.

The first story is a western set on a farm occupied and managed by toys. The main character is a straw man & a villain comes t...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, boy-appeal, fantasy, fiction, science-fiction, ya, novella

Four novellas of different genres make up this collection. The first is a western taking place on a ranch made up of toys that are grown from the ground. The second is science fiction, taking place in a world that's on the verge of going completely virtual. The third is a fantasy tale about the wish police stopping the dangerous wishes people make, and the last story is a romance narrated by Death.

Loved. Totally, totally loved. Nayeri is incredibly skilled at creating a whole world and well-roun...more Four novellas of different genres make up this collection. The first is a western taking place on a ranch made up of toys that are grown from the ground. The second is science fiction, taking place in a world that's on the verge of going completely virtual. The third is a fantasy tale about the wish police stopping the dangerous wishes people make, and the last story is a romance narrated by Death.

Loved. Totally, totally loved. Nayeri is incredibly skilled at creating a whole world and well-rounded characters in just a hundred pages. No easy trick.

The title, obviously, comes from The Three Little Pigs, but the connection in each story is not always obvious. There are no actual wolves or pigs in any of these stories. It's more about what the houses represent. Straw House deals with vulnerability. Wood House the idea that one might not be quite as safe as you think. Brick House actually makes mention of a brick House, which was the most literal interpretation, and Blow was the one I had the hardest time seeing the connection.

The first story I wasn't really feeling. It was odd and disjointed and I wasn't sure I fully understood what was going on that whole time. It also ended quite suddenly. However, I absolutely loved the other three stories. I don't think I can even say which one was my favorite.

Wood House and Brick House in particular had amazing world creation. They both left me wanting to read more stories that take place in that world. I wanted the novellas to turn into full-length novels so I could know more. I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters. Or it didn't even have to be the same characters. There were such fascinating worlds that any story that took place there I'd love read.

Wood House is a science fiction story. In this world, people do most of their living online through virtual representations of themselves, where they can be heroes. Why live in the regular world when you can be a hero online? Those who don't want to live online are therefore referred to as Villains. The Villains are trying to fight against ReCreation Day, the day when Nano-Fidelity hotspots will extend across the world and create a merging of real life with virtual life. It leaves no one with the option to opt out. Janey, a Villain, is sent to deliver a book (a real one, with paper) for her guardian and stumbles into the horrifying truth of nofi technology. It was super creepy. The story was also quite funny. It was excellent storytelling and I want more stories in this world.

I felt the same about Brick House. In this world, wishes are real and powerful. Three agents of the Imaginary Crime Unit are called in to stop a wish of a young boy who has wished his family dead on the first star in the sky. His wish becomes entangled with another boys wish, and Saul (a djinn), Ari (a talking fish) and Mack (not clear what she is, claims she's an over-sized leprechaun) must stop them both before it's too late. It was great, with a couple of excellent surprise twist at the end. Again, I want more! More stories in this world!

I got to hear Daniel Nayeri speak at the Boston Book Festival, and he was an engaging and fascinating speaker, much like his book. I haven't read anything else by him, but after this, I definitely want to.(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I really enjoyed both books in the author's "Another" series and was intrigued by this collection of novellas.

A collection of four novellas written by the author, each featuring a different sub-genre, yet all of them fit under either fantasy or science-fiction on the surface. These stories are for the older teen and quite suited to adult reading as well, though they do feature teen main characters. Of the four stories I really enjoyed three of them with two being quite outsta...more Reason for Reading: I really enjoyed both books in the author's "Another" series and was intrigued by this collection of novellas.

A collection of four novellas written by the author, each featuring a different sub-genre, yet all of them fit under either fantasy or science-fiction on the surface. These stories are for the older teen and quite suited to adult reading as well, though they do feature teen main characters. Of the four stories I really enjoyed three of them with two being quite outstanding. The fourth fell flat and didn't entertain me. These stories show what a great creative, inventive, dark mind Nayeri has and what he may have in store for readers in the future is simply delicious to think about. Highly recommended!

1. Toy Farm - A western, this is a weird, quirky tale set on a toy farm, where the inhabitants are toys and the farm grows new toys to populate itself. The main character is Sonny, an 18yo straw man who patrols and protects the farm and its inhabitants. A stranger comes to the farm, perhaps to cause danger but before his real purpose is known a truly evil man arrives who wishes to find out the secret of the toys' ability to live and have feelings. He and his slave plant people start to take over the farm while Sonny, the farmer's daughter and the stranger do what they can to fight against him. A very strange story indeed and while I didn't really understand its meaning, I enjoyed it nonetheless. It had a creepy vibe to it that I just can't describe. Strange but interesting. 4/5

2. Our Lady of Villains - Fantastic little dystopian novella set in 2062 where nano-technology has taken over the world. People live on the web and in virtual reality. A corporation basically rules the world and plans to turn the earth into one virtual reality on the upcoming ReCreation Day. A girl, who belongs to the group of dissenters, the Villains, races against time to perhaps save the world. Compelling story, much longer than the first one but had me racing through the pages and read in one sitting. Loved it! 5/5

3. Wish Police - Brilliant urban fantasy! My favourite story so far! Saul, a Djinn, and his partner Ari, a goldfish who happens to be prince of the sea, work for the ICU (Imaginary Crimes Unit). Their job is to go after wishes that have been sent to commit crimes and apprehend them before the crime is committed because you see all wishes comes true unless they wouldn't, shouldn't or couldn't. Randy just had a bad night and before he falls asleep he wishes his family was dead. That's when Saul and Ari are given what should be a simple case. Along for the ride is a recently demoted detective who may be Saul & Ari's new partner Mack, who claims to be a giant leprechaun. As mysterious herself as the case turns out to be this story is an exciting read and a lot of fun. An amazing amount of character development is put into the three main characters and I could see, and would very much like to see, the further adventures of this trio in novel format. 5/5

4. Doom with a View - This is a fantasy, an original fairy tale, if you will. Told from the point of view of Death; he tells us the tale of a kingdom run by a selfish young prince, two artisans who have been warring since they were first compared to each other, and their children, star-crossed lovers. This is really a farce on all these common elements of a Romeo & Juliet fairy tale since our lovers don't even meet until the story is almost over. I'm usually quite fond of stories involving Death as a character but this one fell flat with me and I'm afraid I found it rather silly and boring. 2/5 (less)

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Nov 12, 2011 Barbie Mcconnell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Belated Posting of an advance copy review from the blog "utterly-barb"

Daniel Nayeri has got the funny. Shall I sound a little bit inflated when I tell you, gentle reader, that I have an advanced copy of what I am not fearful of presumptively calling Nayeri's priceless collection of novellas. I have one of the four stories to be precise,"Doom With A View", which is a concocted tale of genius, ignited, but only just, by the timelessness of Sleeping Beauty, and it would seem, Romeo and Juliet. Beyo...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Emilie added it

Straw house,Wood House,Brick house, Blow sounds like an excellent book according to the book jacket. Unfortunately, it is not. The book is comprised of 4 short stories, each one is a totally different story. The first story, Straw House, is the story of a boy made of straw who lives on a farm that grows toys. The story gets more and more confusing as it goes on. New characters are added and then the story ends. The second story, Wood House, is even more confusing than Straw House. It takes place...more Straw house,Wood House,Brick house, Blow sounds like an excellent book according to the book jacket. Unfortunately, it is not. The book is comprised of 4 short stories, each one is a totally different story. The first story, Straw House, is the story of a boy made of straw who lives on a farm that grows toys. The story gets more and more confusing as it goes on. New characters are added and then the story ends. The second story, Wood House, is even more confusing than Straw House. It takes place in the "near future" where everything is digital and a group of activists called villans are trying to warn the public about something that the government is doing. I can't figure out what. The ending is so confusing that I don't know how to describe it. You'll just have to see for yourself. The third story, Brick House, is the only story worth reading in this book. I'm not saying that it's spectacular or anything, but it's decently readable. Brick House is also set in new york in the "near future". It's about some police officers who are a part of a special devision of the force that is devoted to stopping people's wishes from causing damage. The reason why they do this is because sometimes, wishes do come true and then the wish can be dangerous. The two main characters, Mack and Saul, each have their own secrets. I was a bit confused by the ending. The forth and thankfully last book is Blow. Blow is a lot like Romeo and Juliet in the sense of death and love. Actually, I think that this story was the most confusing of them all. I really am having trouble figuring out how to put the plot into words when I can't even figure out the plot myself! Dear reader, you're going to have to interpret the plot yourself because I have absolutely no idea. Despite how bad this book is, I have to admire the author for writing the entire thing on an Iphone. Cudos to him for that. In all, this book is more of something you attempt to read and then give up in frustration on, on an airplane or somewhere else that is extremely boring.(less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is to quote Forrest Gump " a box of chocolate, you never know what you're going to get." Each of the four short stories is a different flavor. Scifi, western, romantic comedy, mystery, all to give a sampling to the reader of Mr. Nayeri's talent.

I loved this book and was so satisfied I read it twice. Trust me I almost never read a book twice. And yes I liked it just as much the second time. Now I know that every story in this book wont appeal to everyone and I have my favorites of the...more

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May 18, 2012 Erikka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, short-stories, dystopia, fairy-tales

Hard to classify this book. 2 dystopian stories, a few I would call fairy tales, a bit of fantasy, and a hefty dose of macabre. 3 of the 4 stories were excellent- the first left something to be desired.

Oddly enough, the story with the weakest premise was the "straw house" one-the weakest material. It was hard to follow and the characters weren't likeable at all.

The 2nd story scared me, as the girl's textspeak language is what I fear my students will think is acceptable language in a few decade...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-retellings

At BookExpo America, they were handing out copies of Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - well, not full copies. Each copy they gave only had one of the four novellas in it.

I was lucky enough to get the last story starring Death - well, not really; it's narrated by Death. Who, as far as characters go, I absolutely adored. I have a suspicion you will, too. He's not your traditional cloak-and-scythe Death. He has a pet bunny. (That's not a spoiler. You learn that on the first page.)

I liked...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow is an excellent opportunity for readers of young adult literature to be exposed to a variety of genres they may not yet have experience with. Exploring four standard genres (western, sci-fi, mystery, romance) Nayeri has crafted a series of interesting and complex characters and situations that, in many cases, young readers will connect and relate to.

As is the case with any anthology, there are stories that I enjoyed a great deal and others that left me...more Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow is an excellent opportunity for readers of young adult literature to be exposed to a variety of genres they may not yet have experience with. Exploring four standard genres (western, sci-fi, mystery, romance) Nayeri has crafted a series of interesting and complex characters and situations that, in many cases, young readers will connect and relate to.

As is the case with any anthology, there are stories that I enjoyed a great deal and others that left me feeling a bit more middle of the road. However, there is value in each story and certainly all have elements to pull out that makes it teachable.

Toy Farm (“Straw House”) is the story of Sunny the scarecrow come to life. He lives on a farm filled with toys, grown crop-like, by a seemingly magical farmer. Alas, a series of strangers start arriving at the farm — one mysterious sorta human who comes looking for work and another soulless creature who comes looking for answers. It is in these arrivals that Sunny (the appointed “Sheriff” of the farm) is tested and develops from a boy to a man. He’s rigid but ethical and looks out for the toys and the farmer’s daughter (who he’s in love with) the best he can. Now, I’ll say that this story was convoluted. It took time to really get what was going on, too long in fact. Also, the story felt as though it had two distinct sections — the first half was a whole lot of character introduction and light on the overall plot then the second ended up hurrying through the good stuff. I would have preferred a bit more fluidity in that as the transition felt extremely abrupt. Kind of like an “A-HA!” moment where I finally got what the deal was. To end on a positive note, I liked the idea of the toys come to life and I also appreciated that there are themes to explore more deeply in this book such as what defines being human and the progression from adolescence into adulthood.

Our Lady of Villains (“Wood House”) was the most confusing of the four stories, at least for me. Definitely the sci-fi focus of the bunch it was also a bit satirical. Focusing on a world that is dominated by a larger corporation and their intention to launch “ReCreation Day” where everyone in the world would be reborn in a more tech-filled and savvy life. Only there was (as many stories like this go) something more nefarious behind it. It was mocking of big corporate culture and poked some fun at technology tools we use today. In this way I enjoyed the story but much like Straw House, I found it was a bit more convoluted at the start which made it difficult to really wrap my head around what was going on until a third of the way through the story. I couldn’t quite connect with any of the characters but I think that had more to do with the large focus on technology, it led to everything feeling surface level. Having said that, I also think it is the one story in the book that younger readers will best connect with. It’s fast-paced and helps teach about digital literacy.

Wish Police (“Brick House”) was the best of the bunch by far. A well characterized story that both showed and told. It’s plot was unique and entertaining. The story centered on a group of investigators called the wish police. These cops are charged with looking into a young boy’s spiteful wish for his family to disappear (under nefarious circumstances I might add). Much like any crime drama there are clues, culprits, chases and a variety of interrogations. But there is also a pretty sweet back story about Saul’s origin that is both appropriately focused on and fits in well with the overall plot. It had moments of humor, thanks to a witty fish, but it was primarily a bit of a darker story about good versus evil. It also gave good perspective on conscience building.

Doom With a View (“Blow”) is my second favorite, a love story between the children of craft-making arch rivals with a bit of a supernatural twist. A bit cliched but entertaining none the less. It was the shortest and sweetest story focusing on two craft masters from Italy and France (marbles and silk flowers respectively) who loathe each other. The story, a bit like Romeo and Juliet, is narrated by the grim reaper and is ultimately about their children and how their lives lead to each other and ultimately love. I have to say I found the reaper’s narration enjoyably humorous — he’s got a pet bunny, he tries to use hip lingo and he’s just all around fun despite his morbid profession. He totally made the story.

One of the difficulties of reading an anthology is the amount of time and space an author has to create and explore characters and situations. Knowing this I find the book to be well written and crafted. I found the stories unique and original which helped to outweigh some of the weaker areas in particular stories. I certainly wasn’t compelled to stop reading. In the end, using elements of fantasy, magical realism, the paranormal and a variety of other genres Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow is a book worthy of your shelves. As previously mentioned it provides the reader an excellent opportunity to learn more about genres they may not yet have encountered in an easy and accessible way.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of four short stories, each written in a different genre. The first (Straw House/Toy Farm) is a Western, the second (Wood House/Our Lady of Villains) is science fiction, the third (Brick House/Wish Police) is a detective drama, and the last story (Blow/Doom with a View) is a romantic comedy. The stories all seem to explore themes of identity and belonging, betrayal and friendship, love and mortality.

For a reason that I have yet to determine, the theme of The Three Littl...more

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Jul 18, 2011 the golden witch. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc-galley, ebook, fairy-tales-retold, first-reads-early-reviewers, teenage-shennanigans, reviewed

I think my favorite out of these four re-tellings is a tie between “Straw House” and “Wood House”. They feel the most original out of the entire four, which is why this gets three out of five stars. The idea of a “wish police” is interesting, but at the same time, it didn’t quite feel detailed enough, when the author could have gone farther. With “Straw House” and “Wood House”, Nayeri really pushes the envelope to the point where I got chills while reading, but seemed to kind of go downhill afte...more I think my favorite out of these four re-tellings is a tie between “Straw House” and “Wood House”. They feel the most original out of the entire four, which is why this gets three out of five stars. The idea of a “wish police” is interesting, but at the same time, it didn’t quite feel detailed enough, when the author could have gone farther. With “Straw House” and “Wood House”, Nayeri really pushes the envelope to the point where I got chills while reading, but seemed to kind of go downhill after “Wood House”. And with that, I lost interest. Regardless all four are very entertaining and fun reads.

I’ve always been mildly obsessed with the idea of living toys, so Nayeri automatically won me over with that aspect, as well as the idea of man/machine being so integrated that one can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. I’ve always loved re-tellings of old tales – the older the tale and the newer the re-telling, the better. I think that had this just been restricted to the first two novellas out of the four (or maybe shortened the fourth, “Blow” with Death and then included it), it might have won me over a bit more than it did. My interest and attentioned were captured throughout all of the re-tellings, though the scale of interest declined, as I said, after the second novella, “Wood House”.

I’m not sure why the wish police didn’t make me flail with joy, but it didn’t. It felt a little forced in places, and the flow felt a bit clunky, as if I could feel where he might have gotten stuck in a few places. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great summer read, but it could have been so much more, and that’s always disappointing. However, this is a perfect match for the YA genre, though. It kind of hits all of the notes that currently fuel the genre and some of its most popular works, so I know that I’m probably going to be in the minority with some of these opinions. This is a well-written set of novellas and definitely deserves a read by anyone of any age. I guess I just kind of had high expectations. Nayeri can write, and write well, but he could have gone farther. I guess that I should make that part clear(er).

If you want something that’s a fun, scary but also hilarious read, try out “Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow”. This set of stories will have you totally reading late into the night with a flashlight under the covers.

(posted to shelfari, goodreads, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did not like "Straw House"/"Toy Farm", but enjoyed the humor and the odd mystery of "Wood House"/"Our Lady of Villains", thought "Blow"/"Doom with a View" was appropriately funny even if the main romance seemed a little off, and loved "Brick House"/"Wish Police". The latter novella was so wonderfully detailed and had such an interesting twist and cliffhanger ending that I want there to be a regular series taking place in this world.

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Feb 29, 2012 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, ya

Man-oh-man. This one just kept getting better. The confusing, magical, allegorical Straw House was outdone by the stark, semi-post-apocalyptic Wood House, was outdown by the noir fantasy crime drama Brick House, was blow away by the hilarious star-crossed lover comedy Death-first-person narrative Blow.
Each of the four novellas is completely different from the others in writing style, tone, characterization and approach, and all are thoroughly enjoyable.

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Jan 18, 2012 Laura Salas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-concept, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 24, 2013 Jessalyn King rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Blow: super clever. Loved death's voice. And the silliness of it all. Fantastic.
Straw House: a really interesting idea, growing toys, and humunculi from under a noose. And that it requires love for the creations to be truly alive.
Wood House: really difficult to read, but an interesting, nightmarish-type future.
Brick House: excellent! Cop story with wish-crimes. And a talking fish and a sad Djinn who was freed without his wife and kids...

All in all, I really enjoyed this. I wouldn't have put in i...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Mar rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think this author is very clever. I liked three of the four stories. I didn't appreciate the first one, straw house very much. Perhaps the metaphor and symbolism escaped me, but i thought it was quite dumb. The other three, however, were quite fun to read and quite witty, albeit somewhat weird.

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Nov 25, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This collection of stories was a difficult one to rate. They weren't terribly written or anything but they also weren't terribly interesting either. I'd give it a 2.5 if I could but since I did enjoy the way the author played with different genres, I'll leave it as a 3.

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Jan 17, 2012 Becky marked it as to-read

Shelves: age-high-school

People need to stop writing novels on phones and making me feel unaccomplished.

"Written entirely on an iPhone, this quartet of YA novellas by Another Pan and Another Faust author Daniel Nayeri showcases four different genres."

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May 12, 2013 Denise Hartzler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade-ya

Confusing in some parts. Enjoyable in most. I got to know the author through our SCBWI groups and he's got a brilliant mind. Even more impressive is that he wrote these on his phone while riding his routine subways in NY.

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Feb 01, 2012 Madison Salem added it

Shelves: want-to-own

Out of the four stories in this book, I think I enjoyed the last ("Blow") the most. I would buy the book for all four, but the last one was definately the one I liked best.

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Sep 23, 2011 Alyssa (The Shady Glade) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was weird. What can I say? This one took me a long time to get through. I didn't really like the first story much at all. The second gave me a lot to think about, and those who love dystopian stuff will probably enjoy it. The third one was an interesting concept, but lagged a lot in the middle.

But the last story... wow. I don't think I've laughed that hard in forever. So many good quotes. I had to share them with family members I was busting up so hard. It totally brought it from a 3...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Sami Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Daniel gave a copy of this to me at the BEA in New York City last May. It's such a good read, and a really great concept. Snatch up! this offer!

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Feb 16, 2013 Cynthea rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-stopped-reading-disliked

I read about 120 pages of this book. It was TERRIBLE and got even worse in the second story. Fractured. Potentially good characters but flawed and boring. Argh. It had so much potential too.

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Feb 01, 2013 Tracie rated it 4 of 5 stars

A bit uneven at times, but overall I enjoyed these stories. Quirky and interesting. I like Nayeri's imagination.

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Jul 11, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked Brick House and Blow the best of the four short stories.

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Oct 07, 2011 Sonj marked it as to-read

This looks awesome! Such a unique idea! Can't wait to read it! :D

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May 10, 2013 Josie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: put-aside, what-did-i-just-read

Too creepy and confusing for my taste.

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Mar 15, 2012 Christy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really struggled with the author's approach to his story. Too far-fetched for my liking. The last story, told by Death, was my favorite though.

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Genres

Young Adult

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Short Stories

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Fantasy

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Young Adult > Teen

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Romance

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Science Fiction > Dystopia

2 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

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Science Fiction

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Adult

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About Daniel Nayeri

Daniel Nayeri is a writer and editor in New York City. He wrote and produced “The Cult of Sincerity,” the first feature film to be world premiered by YouTube. He has had all kinds of jobs around books, including book repairman, literary agent, used bookstore clerk, children’s librarian, Official Story-Time Reader Leader, editor, copy-editor, and even carpenter (making bookshelves). He’s also a pro...more

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Another Jekyll, Another Hyde (Another, #3)

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Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow: Four Novellas by Daniel Nayeri

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