This was recommended to me a couple of years ago, and I can't help but wonder if Me From a Couple of Years Ago would have liked it more. There were some stories I liked a lot, and some that didn't hold my interest at all. All very well written, with beautiful language, but left me a little blah anyway.

The title story was really good, though. ( )

Ultimately unsatisfying, Phillips' inventive collection of short stories sucks the reader into mysterious, dark worlds where natural laws are bent, twisted, and at times, outright ignored. Unfortunately, too often, her stories are high on mood and light on substance, abandoning the reader to imagine what could be and wish for what wasn't. There are stand-out stories in this collection, however, that are worth the book alone. In particular, I found the title story evocative as well as 'A New Ecology'. Otherwise, I found the rest of the stories to be incredibly moody; but I reached the end of each puzzled and feeling empty. ( )

Holly Phillips has a most intriguing mind. She writes with confidence and depth. She takes risks, reflects dreams and reality. The results hurt at times, yet even then they are a joy to read. "The Other Grace" on its own is worth the cover price. A story about a girl who has forgotten who she is, it is reminiscent of Daryl Gregory's award winning "Second Person, Present Tense." Deeply affecting. "The New Ecology" combines humour and dread, and captures the strange attraction of the life that evolves in a world no longer hospitable to its usual forms. "A Woman's Bones" is a convincing and moving story of an archaeological dig, told from the point of view of the almost, but not quite, assimilated translator. Each story sets up its own distinct world, effectively and honestly. A writer to be watched, for sure. ( )