I don’t normally read short stories but I enjoyed this! Some were stronger then others but I thought the characters were all really interesting and the vibe was very eerie. I would recommend this and will be adding to our library!

I loved GennaRose Nethercott's THISTLEFOOT, but FIFTY BEASTS is truly something special: a masterclass in style and intention, this collection is everything I want from new, fractured fairy tales and myths. Nethercott is confident and assured, so much so that some of the strongest pieces were also some of the bravest, the ones that really played with form and style. This is a terrific work of fantasy and lore, but I could also see it being taught as part of a curriculum on imitating and evoking creative new forms.

This collection of short stories is bound together by its haunting language, its experimental formats, and its sometimes folksy, sometimes abstract exploration of love, loss, lust, and yearning. The titular story, "Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart," exemplifies everything I liked about this volume, with its clever turns of phrase, the horror found in the mundane, and the characters who gradually come together from disparate parts. Sometimes, it felt like the tales didn't have enough room to grow, like the premise was entirely laid out and then the author said, "well, I think you get the idea, let's move on." This happened in "Sundown at the Eternal Staircase" but was perhaps most notable in "Possessions," which sets up a wayfinding zombie rooster only to then end abruptly a couple of pages later.

Some of my favorites were "A Diviner's Abecedarian" and "The Plums at the End of the World." I was underwhelmed by "A Haunted Calendar" and "Drowning Lessons." I would have loved to see a more developed version of "The War of Fog" and "Homebody," since, at the moment, it kind of feels like they mostly existed to give something these absolutely killer titles.

These was definitely a different read than I was used to, but I enjoyed the change of pace by reading the short stories. I definitely liked some more than others, but they all had that sort of spooky mysterious vibe. I've had Nethercott on my TBR list for a while (looking at you Thistlefoot), so I'm hoping this was a good introduction to her writing.

Some of these stories absolutely punched me in the soul. They were all bizarre, some in a fun way, some in a cursed way. I loved how casually weird they were. Like of course women turn into houses, why do you ask? The writing itself was fantastic, I found myself rereading sentences just for fun and also sometimes to cause myself extra pain lol.
I will say that a few of the stories were not for me, though I can definitely see their worth. But yeah a couple of times I had to force my way through to get to the next 5 star story. But the stories that hit me were so potent I have to both rate book as almost perfect and buy the physical copy [duh].
Can't wait to read more from this author, I need to know what other rando-hauntingly-funny-creepy stories she has in her head!!

A riveting collection of folktale-inspired short stories that will appeal to fans of Angela Carter or Julia Armfield.

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is a collection of dark short stories. You can tell Nethercott is probably inspired by the likes of Bukowski and Vonnegut. There is a uniqueness these stories are striving for that miss the mark; and in their violet prose become almost completely inaccessible. I have never had a harder time paying attention to a story that spans so few pages.

I had heard great things about this author and this book specifically. So it is meant for some people.

I would recommend this book to those that find enjoyment in reading their uncle or father's drunken emails where they pontificate the truths they have surmised from the safety of their 90's computer room setup.

This book made me wish that every fantasy author I enjoy would take all their small or unfinished ideas and turn them into short story collections. Every single one was interesting and unique and made me appreciate the writers mind and creativity in a way that full on novels don't let you. It feels like I had a night in with some friends and the conversation was hours of people saying "What if there was a world where..." or "If i wrote a book it would be about.." and everyone takes a turn and you're all laughing at the ridiculousness coming out of each other's mouths.

If you are a reader who needs their short stories to have a clear plot, this isn't for you. This is for the lovers of pretty prose and the art of using words. The writing is beautiful and every piece reads like a dream.

This was such a delightful collection of strange and darkly sweet stories. I could see the same imaginative source behind them but each had such a different execution, I can't wait to see what the author can do with a full length novel. I think my favourite story was about the grade school coven. So creepy and darling all at once.

If you like monstrous things and poetry and cool phrases you wish you had come up with yourself, this book would be perfect for you. It sure was perfect for me.

My favorite story is the one the collection is named after; I thought the story told through bestiary entries was so clever! The only story I had a problem with was A Haunted Calendar; I didn’t understand the point it was trying to get across. But this short story is redeemed by all the others that made me go “what the f$&@ am I reading!”

Will be recommending to my friends who have a poetic flair!

Nethercott's collection of fanciful tales are probably NOT for readers who prefer conventional short stories. Her dark fairy stories are both dreamy and nightmarish, filled with lovely imagery and creepy vibes. My favorite story was the last - "The Plums at the End of the World". It featured the goat-headed gal from the cover, and though ultimately quite sad, it was mesmerizing.

The title tale is told in an unusual format reminiscent of "The Book of Imaginary Beings" by Jorge Luis Borges, and featuring awesome illustrations by Bobby DiTrani.

Though I preferred the author's novel to her short fiction, this was an enchanting read, and I enjoyed it.

Gennarose Nethercott creates fairy tales that are spellbinding and immersive. The magic feels palpably close, like I could turn a corner and discover myself in any of the stories or scenes in Fifty Beasts. From sinister roadside attractions to shape shifting foxes to beast-seeking florists, this entire collection is pure enchantment.

I had loved Nethercott's novel Thistlefoot so much that I worried that my expectations were getting too high for Fifty Beasts. Happily, though, my expectations were exceeded. Nethercott is now officially one of my favorite authors and I will read anything she publishes!

If you enjoy horror fantasy at all, then Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is well worth your time.

Will you love every story? Unlikely. But isn't that how it always is with a collection of shorts?

All I know is, I'm writing this weeks after finishing the book, and some of the stories—most especially "The Thread Boy" and "The War of Fog"—won't stop tapping at my frontal lobe, begging me to revisit them, to spend more time with them, to take them apart and see if I can piece them back together again.

This is not a book to read in one sitting. Strictly speaking, there is no ending to rush towards, so there is nothing to stop you from stretching these fourteen tales across just as many reading sessions.

A clever, though uneven, collection of magical-realist tales about lost love and the primacy of illusion over reality. Nethercott's "Thistlefoot" is one of my favorite novels, so it may be unfair to hold a book to that standard. Nevertheless I felt that the premises -- all of them fantastic in both senses of the word -- sometimes ran away with the stories. They sometimes seemed like illustrations of a metaphor rather than depictions of specific people that you could care about. "The Plums at the End of the World" and "Dear Henrietta" were my favorites because they broke this pattern, creating vivid physical settings and high emotional stakes.

4.25/5

I'm not usually one to read short story anthologies but now I'm wondering why I don't because I loved this! Weird yet familiar, haunting yet beautiful, this book is filled with the types of tales that aren't soon forgotten. Of course, some resonated more than others but I enjoyed each one and the threads of magical realism and what it means to be a monster (what it means to be human) woven throughout these tales. The writing is lyrical and inventive while remaining accessible. Hopefully we get more masterpieces from GennaRose Nethercott soon!

I loved the premise and was excited to read the book. I found parts of it to be a bit confusing, especially towards the end. The pacing was a bit slow at times and felt like the book could have used a bit more editing. Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing.

This collection of 14 stories examines different types of love, but they are not romantic and you shouldn’t expect happy endings. Nethercott writes magical realist stories, often in a stream of consciousness style, where fantastic elements merge with everyday life. Many of the stories are sad and spooky, but there are moments of beauty and sweetness. A few didn’t work for me, but I was happy to have read the collection. This is not an easy read, but I enjoyed the creativity and surprises.

I highly recommend this book for fans of magical realism, experimental fiction, and metaphorical short stories. If you prefer straightforward linear narratives, this is not the book for you.

I received an ARC through NetGalley, and I volunteered to provide an honest review.

The stories in Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart are utterly relatable and fantastical simultaneously. The author is a master storyteller, her fables paying tribute to those that came before while breathing new life into them with a completely delightful mix of styles, genres and narratives.

fellow lovers of weird queer short stories, I have another addition to the canon for you; FIFTY BEASTS TO BREAK YOUR HEART is strange and surreal and stunning, and absolutely full of weird little guys. it was my favorite read of December 2023, and it is out in the world now for all to peruse!

I loved a lot of things about this collection, but my favorite thing was the diversity of style and structure within these tales; some read like magical realist literary fiction, some read like weird, dreamy fairytales, and some were told in wonderfully creative formats: the title story nestled itself within a set of encyclopedia entries about strange creatures, and another one was told in small vignettes. each story felt wonderfully well-suited to the way it was told, and the range of styles and formats really shows off the author’s talent.

as with many short stories collections, I found that some stories resonated more for me than others, and there were a few which didn’t quite hit for me (though there weren’t any that I totally disliked, which is always a mark of a good collection). my favorites were “The Eternal Staircase,” “Drowning Lessons,” and the titular “Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart,” which is also charmingly illustrated.

in summary: the fifty beasts did, in fact, break my heart! if you’re up for it, come let them break yours, too; it was very much worth it. thank you so much to Netgalley and Vintage for the ARC!