Status Updates From Lava Falls

I love all the morally grey characters- one minute you peg them for the villain and the next you really sympathize with them.

every story has a nuanced core to it that I glimpse the contours of - but I rarely gasp or clutch and the pages. I really want to gasp and clutch at the pages.

this author is very good at establishing stakes very quickly

And with "The We of Me" done, I'm done this brilliant collection. I'm just gonna sit back and bask for a while. Wow.

"Lava Falls." That. Was. Incredible. Novella-length, and the titular story of the collection, I just... Wow. And my spec-fic heart just fell completely in love with the ending. Gah. Only one story left.

"The End of Jesus" was pitch-perfect. Man, I love Bledsoe's way with character. The briefest strokes revealing so freaking much. Gah. So good.

"My Beautiful Awakening," was so wonderfully conflicted. I loved the tangled, snarled mess, and the sense of "what am I even doing?" repeating in the main character. And oh, the ending.

"Wolf," felt almost fable-like, or like a modern day fairly tale or something. It was kind of warm and left me smiling.

"The Found Child" was touching, and the ambiguity of "right" was very well played.

"The Antarctic" hit so many perfect notes it practically sang. Love the relationship between the sisters, their positions that have left them ready for...something...and the last few lines? Just stunning.

"Skylark" was quite hopeful, and the parade of characters felt a little raw and all-too-real.

"Wildcat" was oddly charming, even if the main character walked the edge between piteous and distasteful.

"Poker" was an interesting character study and a fascinating location.

Second story, "Drawing Life" (I think), was darkly interesting.

Started this last night, and "Girl with a Boat" was just stunning.