Sarah O'Connor

Writer – Playwright – Cannot Save You From The Robot Apocalypse

I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review. Caitlin Galway’s A Song for Wildcats follows characters from postwar Australia, late 1960s France, the Troubles in Ireland, 1930s New York, and 1980s Nevada who are processing grief, trauma, love, and their place in the world after facing adversity. She’s a talent of a …

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I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review.  “Yes, baby…That’s exactly what a purple bear should do,” (“Purple Bears,” Ghadery 47). I adore flash fiction. I think it’s an underappreciated form of writing and incredibly challenging to develop character, plot, and setting in a story that typically consists of only 1-3 …

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“Many times there are no reasons that will ever make sense,” (Conlin, “Occlusion,” 145). Watermark is an absolutely astounding short story collection. Conlin writes characters that are so intriguing, who you both root for an try to understand, whose stories you desperately want to know. I love how some of the characters pop up or are mentioned …

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“Some of us are forced to eat spring mix in the half-dark of our low-ceilinged studio apartments and still expand inexplicably. Some of us expand at the mere contemplation of what you shovel so carelessly, so dancingly into your smug little mouth,” (Awad 74-75). I’ve been a fan of Mona Awad’s since first reading Bunny but it’s only …

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I’m very grateful to the Literary Review of Canada for reaching out to me to review Secret Sex ed. by Russell Smith. Read my full review on their website, or in print!

I received this book from The Next Best Book Club in exchange for an honest review. “The truth is, the truth is, the truth is, I am fertile with pain,” (Robinson 53, “The Rabbits”). The Ill-Fitting Skin is a fantastic short story collection! Most of the stories follow women in various stages of their lives: mothers, partners, young …

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“Sometimes we let our truths rot in darkness to preserve the lies we tell in the light,” (“A Cure for Fear of Screaming,” Varghese 147). Varghese’s debut short story collection Chrysalis has gotten a lot of hype surrounded around it and it is deserved each and every one of them (including the numerous awards it has won). …

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I’m a simple girl, you tell me there’s an anthology of YA stories adapted from Shakespeare’s plays and I’ll read it. That Way Madness Lies doesn’t disappoint, it’s an excellent collection of stories that Shakespeare lovers will love and many of the stories work as a great introduction to Shakespeare’s works that reluctant teens may be …

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I’m very grateful to the Literary Review of Canada for reaching out to me to review Nick Bantock’s The Corset & the Jellyfish. Read my full review on their Substack, Bookworm!

I received this book from The Next Best Book Club in exchange for an honest review. Historian and author Leah Angstman’s newest book, Shoot the Horses First follows a variety of character from different historical times, showing their struggles and the time they live with care and realism. From a young boy being inspected on the Orphan Train, a …

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