I would like to sit down and have a conversation with Hilary Leichter because WOW. Anyone who can write a story like that must have a very interesting brain. I'm glad I read it, and I think parts of it will stick with me for a long time mostly just for how off the wall they were. Probably won't read it again, but it was a worthwhile read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hilary Leichter, and Ecco for the ARC. Terrace Story debuts on August 29, 2023!

This is one of those books that reminds me of an art gallery.

I'm not sure if it's really good and nouveau and I just don't get it; or if it's actually just okay and everyone else wants to feel important by raving about it's brilliance to the plebs.

It felt so unusual and disjointed and I couldn't follow what the hell was going on or really what the point of the book was. Climate change? Self discovery? Acceptance?

I don't know. This wasn't for me. Maybe a creative writing professor would be blown away but this book was too much something and not enough substance. 2.5 rounded up.

The concept of this book was really cool, but I got a little lost in its execution. The first story set up the characters, then each following story went back or forward in time looking at the difference experiences of these characters. Such a fun concept but my issue is that I’m really bad with names and I have a horrible memory so it was hard to keep track of people’s connections to one another in these subsequent stories. Maybe that was a personal issue, though, and other people will be better at keeping things straight.

I love books with magical realism and sci-fi and I think it was talked about in a really cool way in this book, but I wish things had been expanded further. I want to know the real details of what is happening rather than just vague descriptions of feelings or imagery.

Overall, a very cool book and I’ll definitely be recommending to my friends.

3.5 stars

I loved the ideas behind this book--the concepts that push the parameters of reality and make the reader think about our expectations of narrative. I was less interested in the plot action and character development, though, which at points felt like they were manipulated to "tell" a story rather than show it through character action and point of view. Some connections between the four parts were clearer than others, and I felt like I was spending time trying to figure the logic out instead of enjoying the story itself. Overall, an interesting read with what felt like a bit of heavy-handedness of the author.

I don’t know why I keep trying with Hilary leichter books. They’re just simply not for me. Beautiful writing but boring as can be.

What a strange, delightful little gem of a novel! It feels like a departure from Temporary, though fans of Leichter's debut will find much to love here, but the tone is more melancholy. There was something strangely heartbreaking to this novel. Not to mention the innovative structure that resists convention, and any sense of tied knots. I am still processing, but what a joy. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

A very modern, witty read that has the feel of a few short stories but comes together so nicely toward the end! The author has insight into those secret, solitary thoughts and spaces that individuals in relationships experience. You can feel the loneliness, the grief, the longing. But it’s not a sad read so much as it is a profound look into the nature of family and our slippery grasp on the time we have together.

Annie, Edward, and their young daughter, Rose, live in a cramped apartment. One night, without warning, they found a beautiful terrace hidden in their closet. It wasn’t there before, and it seems to only appear when their friend Stephanie visits. But every extra bit of space has a hidden cost. The terrace sets off a seismic chain of events, forever changing the shape of their tiny home and the shape of the world. The story is an astounding meditation on loss, a reverie about extinction, and a map of where to go next.
I was super intrigued by this description. It was impossible for me to move away from these intertwining stories, from how the stories of fear, attraction, and love are skillfully woven into one another. Every step and action has its price, which someday will have to be paid by everyone who took the opportunity. Also, it is important to know that this story is a short story and I am a fan of short stories. There is a family at the beginning of the story, but soon the whole story takes on a new direction and begins to exist independently.  Characters develop throughout the story depending on the situation they are in. This is a beautiful short book, but with deep meaning and it can give you a couple of important thoughts to think about. Sometimes I could lose the thread of the story and then I had to re-read this piece of text, this caused some inconvenience but did not affect my opinion about the book. This is a good short book, but with deep meaning and it can give you a couple of meaningful thoughts to think about. For me, this story was really unique and I enjoyed it. Thank you, NetGalley for this book.

First and foremost, thank you to writer and Net Galley that allow me to read the ARC and have the early access of this book.

Unfortunately, this book doesn't suit my reading reference. Fantasy is not my cup of tea. Even I try to finish this book I barely enjoy it. So, I decide to turn down this book and move to any book I enjoy more 🙏🏻

Since the beginning, I don't understand this book's plot but I quite understand that writer try to bring philosophical message about death through this book. I understand the motive but I can't capture the whole picture of it, as the plot itself quite difficult for me to connect to one to another.

I read others review, many of the ARC reader give much better review than me, many of them understand and enjoy this book. Hopefully, when this book release, it will reach a broad as its readers who enjoy it ✨

I was lucky enough to have been able to read an ARC from NetGalley for this collection of stories. Short stories are not always my thing but when the author weaves them together so brilliantly like this was… ugh so good. I’ll be reading this again because I’ll admit a few of them were a bit confusing for me, but the writing was beautiful and I thought it was a fantastic book! I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book to keep on my shelf and share with others. These stories really stuck with me.

I was immediately attracted to this book by its description. A woman who can expand rooms and spaces seemingly endlessly. That premise had promise and sometimes, it pays off here. But I also found this novel very hard to follow. Characters were introduced and then dropped, then suddenly someone else would become the center of attention and the woman at the heart of the story--the one who can expand her world--seems to somehow drop off the map. I'm sure it all makes sense to the author and her editors but I was lost. Like I said, there were moments when I thought a chapter here and there were terrific but other times, I was totally mystified by the action. Books like this makes me realize what a genius Murakami is. He's one of my favorite authors and his books are confusing, make no sense and are mystifying but they also hold together in a way The Terrace did not. Happy reading if you try.

One of my favorite things I've read so far this year. I went in with no expectations, but despite the brevity of the book, I got invested very quickly! I'm typically not a huge short story fan because I think it's harder to feel immersed and balance world building with character development and plot, but the interconnected nature of all the stories definitely helped me follow along. The characters in particular felt pretty complex, with different motivations and backstories -- there were no clear "villains" from my point of view. I also read this from 2 to 3 am while waiting for my dog at the vet so I feel like some of the more nuanced themes might've gone over my head, but I was coherent enough to pick up the allusions to them :'-)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'd like to express how much I love the cover of this book. It's stunning!
And, I'm happy to say, this is a case where you can judge a book by it's cover because the storytelling is equally as stunning.

Here's the things: I wasn't expect this book to go in the direction it did. Based on the synopsis, I had geared myself up for a fun fantasy/magical realism story. That's not what this is. This is an emotionally poignant expression of our place in the world and how we occupy the space we're given and what that means to our existence. It's about grief and loss and life and identity. It's so many things, and I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

A series of interwoven and ever-expanding stories set in seemingly the same universe... or at least that's what I thought. This book was a delight full of proper nouns, loneliness, the ever-looming threat of adultery, and the desire to make things more than they are. It shows how often, you can't add something to your life without it being subtracted (looking at you Stephanie) and how too much space can feel a whole lot like emptiness.

LIked this bit a lot about characters recounting a college party they had just left; "panning for nostalgia in the onslaught of the present."

Enjoyable and peculiar read!

Wow, I will be thinking about this book for a long time! I already feel compelled to reread. I was stunned by a number of passages that were so heartbreakingly beautiful in how they captured a feeling. I found the exploration of time and the space interesting but was ultimately enthralled by the authors incredible ability to capture what these characters were feeling. I sometimes struggled to understand what exactly was happening and what was real but this was a rare case where I welcomed the confusion and it seemed intentional and essential to the story. I really loved this book and am looking forward to it's official release.

There were some parts of this I loved and some parts I didn’t think were necessary. I was confused by the second section which seemed to only very slightly relate to the rest. I liked the sections from Stephanie’s point of view the most. Overall, I enjoyed it but thought it would’ve benefited from being longer. 3.5 stars

A unique original collection of short stories..A book of fantasy a group of interesting characters.So well written kept me involved turning the pages.#netgalley #ecco

The premise of this story sounded good so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, all this book did was confuse me. I kept thinking that maybe it would start to make sense, but it just didn't. I'm at a loss as far as any type of review is concerned, I really just don't know what to say.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ecco and the author for access to this ARC.

A beautiful and heartbreaking story of love, loss and generations of pain that keep following this trio of family along. The links between each person in the family in their apartment so fragile and delicate is pushed ever further as they are exposed to this unknown real that is the terrace. Unbeknownst to them that their friend Stephanie holding the key all along, when an unexpected event happens and turns the family's world upside down. A truly remarkable story that follows a path of sadness, heartbreak and reunions.

Oh my goodness, but I absolutely loved this! I'm not generally a fan of the short story, although I love it when authors interconnect them as Leichter has done here.

The characters were phenomenal and extremely well crafted, especially considering the short story format in which they are all presented. The build across stories was excellent and really allowed the depth and breadth that is not usually present in the shorter format.

And the writing - oh my goodness, the writing! The language is evocative and descriptive and magical and works perfectly for both the format and the content of these stories.

This is an author I will definitely be watching...