I fell in love with GennaRose Nethercott’s writing after reading her thrilling novel, Thistlefoot. As an avid reader of weird short stories, I grabbed Nethercott’s debut collection, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, as soon as I could. Here are my favorites:
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase – The opening story establishes the tone of this collection perfectly. Two teenage girls explore their relationship while working at a weird roadside attraction.
A Diviner’s Abecedarian – Fans of The Craft will love this story of female power.
The Thread Boy – This was so moving, with gorgeous imagery. A witch makes his son out of thread, and the son leaves a thread connected to every meaningful person he meets.
The War of Fog – Oh man, this was amazing. If you love stories that play with timelines, this is for you. A war out of time, a daughter trying to make sense of her father’s notes.
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart – This is a beautifully illustrated collection of mythical beasts, intertwined with a story of love gone awry.
Dear Henrietta – I love epistolary stories, and this one was fantastic. The narrator is writing to an old friend, recalling a previous visit, and a strange fleece. So unnerving.
Homebody – A woman molds her life around her new boyfriend in horrifying ways.This made me so sad, and made me think about the various ways women can lose parts of themselves to those we love.
A wonderful collection, and more evidence that Nethercott is a singular, exciting writer.
California Reading 