Beguiling and clever and beautiful, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is one of my favorite new poetry books. I loved Nethercott's Thistlefoot, which I reviewed here, and am equally delighted by the creativity, language, and ideas of this collection. There's a love story told through a bestiary, the title work; a woman who, in trying to please her lover, becomes a house; a tale of love and madness centered around a preternatural roadside attraction; and much more, every piece blending in the supernatural and the human in ingenious ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for my arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart" by GennaRose Nethercott was one that I was excited for. The short story anthology promised "dark fairytales and fractured folklore" that's supposed to be subversive and all that. Unfortunately, what this anthology actually is, is a collection of not quite Weird Fiction with some fantastical elements.

I had a lot of issues with this collection, one of which was the narrative style that Nethercott. I think for the everyday casual reader, this might be exciting and different but their narrative style is so nebulous and so incomplete that the stories themselves end up feeling incomplete and airy. There aren't any complete storylines in this collection because every story ends abruptly with little to no explanation. This might work in the hands of a more technically advanced writer but I don't think that Nethercott is that writer. They have a great imagination which shows well in their work but the execution leaves A LOT to be desired. There's almost a waywardness to their narrative style and if they abruptly cut off one or two stories, I think it would have worked better but when every single story seemed to end that way, it just becomes exhausting and comes off as lazy writing.

I also think this was incorrectly marketed. It's not really a collection of "dark fairytales and fractured folklore." It's definitely closer to being a collection of Weird Fiction and even then, it's not exactly masterful. The stories seem confused as to what genre they were trying to be but they're not really dark or scary or folky.

I don't know. I was just so underwhelmed and disappointed by this. If I could give this collection a zero, I would.

For fans of Welcome to Nightvale, Twilight Zone, or the Brother's Grimm, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart captured mine and devoured it whole.

GennaRose Nethercott is like a lantern in the night, illuminating our need for human connection, loss, and love through ephemeral tales of the macabre and the strange. Whether we are a group of murderous teenage girls or a boy made from string, each short story encapsulates a unique aspect of human nature, leaving you raw and wanting.

As I read, I imagined Nethercott changing hats in preparation of writing each story. While her writing style is clear and consistent, each tale is so distinctive, existing solidly catty-corner to our own world, that I finished feeling inspired and impressed at her range. Its variety makes this collection fresh and unique while harking back to folklore we heard as children. Her prose is lilting, well-crafted, and reminds me of stories told by the fire while the dark waits to pounce.

Funny, heartbreaking, dark, and lovely, this collection of short stories is perfect for the fantasy, soft sci-fi, or urban fantasy loving adult. Fifty Beasts asks us to look deep within our own warped hearts and find our truth, whatever that may be. I found myself searching for small moments of magic and absurdity in my own life as I dreamed of a world in which an infinite staircase may entice me to my doom.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this work.

3 stars

When I saw this was a collection of “dark fairytales and fractured folklore” I was instantly intrigued. I am grateful that NetGalley & the publisher fulfilled my request to read this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I truly was excited to devour these short stories up.

To be honest, after reading several stories I realized that this wasn’t for me. The first story, The Eternal Staircase, gave me some hope but unfortunately ended abruptly and felt incomplete. I told myself “maybe the next one will be better,” but as I read each short story it felt agonizing and I couldn’t wait for the book to be over.

The stories are truly unique and I will say the author has an impressive imagination - there is definitely an audience who will delight in this literature and enjoy every short story, but sadly that wasn’t the case for me. Gennarose Nethercott is a great writer with a unique sense of humor, perhaps I might enjoy her other work more.

With that being said: I recommend this book to those who enjoy abstract science fiction moreso than fantasy. Some stories are just weird for the sake of being weird and it seemed like sometimes she was beating a dead horse or going overboard for shock value.

Delightfully weird, this collection of short stories was dark, spooky, and often uncomfortable in the underlying truths it shed light on. The author has taken the human experience and all of the insecurities and contradictions that come with it and crafted grotesque anti-fairy tales out of it. This is a collection that could be read and re-read, with different nuances coming to light with each pass. My favorite stories were A Diviner’s Abecedarian, The Autumn Kill, and Homebody.

Pub Date: 2/6/24
Review Published: 1/17/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

GennaRose sure knows how to write lyrical, beautiful and abstract prose. Since this was a series of stories, there were obviously those which I preferred to others. That being said, overall I enjoyed my time with these stories. I have seen in other reviews people criticizing the stories for their abstractness. Abstractness in itself doesn't really bother me. I am game for things being open to interpretation. However, I can see how that would deter readers especially those who came into this with the expectations of it being the same caliber as GennaRose's previous work "Thistlefoot."

Thistlefoot still remains concretely my preferred read out of the two but I wouldn't slight this collection. Try it for yourself!

Loved thistlefoot, loved 50 beasts even more I feel. Creepy, lovely stories that feel of old- but resonating within our every day tales. I do wish it was longer - and I look forward to more from GennaRose!

Thank you NetGalley, and thank you to the publisher for allowing an advanced reader to review this book!

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review!

Having loved Nethercott’s Thistlefoot last year, I was excited to pick up this collection of short stories. I was expecting some dark, weird stuff and was not disappointed!

My favorite stories of the bunch:
“A Diviner’s Abecedarian” which explores the grossness, fierceness, and drama of girlhood as it explores some amateur oracles while it outlines a new fortune telling technique for every letter of the alphabet. Has a chilling twist that boosted its staying power.

“The Thread Boy” one of the shorter pieces, about a sewn boy who leaves behind a thread of himself every time he makes a connection. Poignant and effective even though it’s brief.

“The War of Fog” for sheer vibes alone - an atmospheric look an a fantastical, fictional war. Plays with mood and themes of memory.

“The Autumn Kill” is probably my favorite: It’s a visceral horror story about the monsters men make of a huntress and her kind. Some real feminine rage energy.

“Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart” complete with illustrations (which I’m sure look even better in the print copy and I’m excited to get my hands on a copy on its release to truly appreciate them), this tale chronicles 50 fictional mythical creatures (all of which are completely fabricated? I don’t think any of them are based on real life mythology). Many of the illustrations are horrifying, but all of the descriptions are ethereal and there is a surprisingly touching/heartbreaking side story about the people studying these monsters told within the descriptions as well.

“The Plums at the End of the World” about a goat girl who has an apple tree that has the power to end the world. Some of the most meaningful quotes in the whole collection.

There were only a couple of stories that I didn’t quite get the point/message of, but overall these stories were solid, weird, bloody, and delightful.

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is a collection of abstract gothic horror stories.

I do not feel like I am quite the intended audience, as I found the stories a bit too abstract and intangible - but I think many will enjoy the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for an advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

As with all anthologies this was a mixed bag for me, the stories ranging from entertaining but not quite my taste anymore to heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. Gennarose clearly has a deep love for folktales and this manifests in her writing as finely woven whimsy and dark surrealism. You can also see her roots as a poet in several of her stories, which I particularly enjoyed. Since Goodreads doesn’t allow partial ratings, I am giving this 5 stars, however I would ideally place it closer to a 4.5.

The stories that really worked for me were those where she leaned into the natural darker side of humanity and poetic prose. I feel like these really encapsulated the modern storyteller that I expect from her. My favorite stories included Homebody, Dear Henrietta, The Autumn Kill, and The Plums at the End of the World.

The stories that I felt less enthusiastic about were the ones that leaned almost too heavily into the whimsical nature of storytelling. While they were still entertaining, they reminded me of media that I was really into at a younger point in my life and felt like they were weird for the sake of being weird, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I don’t feel as though they played as deeply to Gennarose’s strengths. This includes the first story of the anthology, so if it isn’t your style I encourage you to press on. If you are less a fan of non-linear narrative or a fan of things such as Welcome to Nightvale, then these stories may be more up your alley.

Ultimately I believe that Gennarose has carved her place as a modern storyweaver and that fans of folktales will find themselves right at home between the pages of her books.

2.5/5 I did not realize this was a book of stories. I generally do not enjoy reading a collection of stories and this was not any different. There were stories that I absolutely loved (A Lily is a Lily), but I struggled through more than half the stories. I appreciate that Gennarose writes lyrically and her prose is beautiful. This one just wasn’t for me.

Reviews have been posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph as of 1/9/24. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.

What a delightful collection of short stories! Nethercott has managed to take the magical nature of the fairy tales we’ve grown up reading and imbue it with the modern horrors we face. The collection starts out strong with Sundown at the Eternal Staircase that leaves you filled with longing and dread and from there on out you aren’t given a chance to catch your breath. My favorite pieces in the collection were Shndown at the Eternal Staircase, Drowning Lessons, Dear Henrietta, and Homebody.
I look forward to seeing what else Nethercott releases into the world.

Part short story anthology, part bestiary. This book was quite experimental in format and very literary/academic in content.

The writing, itself, is very competent and composed. But reading this book is best approached as an intellectual endeavor. While I did enjoy some of the stories, others were just too esoteric. There was some good social commentary that I managed to parse out, but I'm pretty sure there was much more that went over my head.

Slow. Thought provoking. And strange, in an unsettling sort of way.

“You can’t really be angry with someone without loving them first.”

“Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart” by GennaRose Nethercott is a collection of macabre short stories with poetic touches. I liked most of them and only thought a few were a bit boring. They were unique and interesting to read about. The whole time I was thinking about where the supernatural touch to the story is true or not which made it feel a little bit like a mystery to me. It was worth reading. 4 out of 5 stars.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

GennaRose Nethercott returns with a short story collection, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart and Other Stories. The collection is comprised of stories that lean into the lines between fantasy and horror with a folk story feeling that presides throughout. There are fourteen total tales included.

If you know GennaRose Nethercott from Thistlefoot, like I did, know that this is not the same vibe. What is the same is Nethercott's beautiful prose that spans each story. This collection leans heavily into the strange, the weird, the wonderful. Unfortunately for me, the sheer oddity of some of the stories makes it hard for me to connect with them. While I recognize the beauty, I believe this is a cade of simply not being for me.

If you are a Slewfoot fan or a little more into the absurd and odd, this collection is more likely to be toward your wheelhouse.

I do not think I could choose my favorite from Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart! GennaRose Nethercott's collection of short stories is mind-bending, beautiful, and provoking. I don't know how Nethercott was able to build imaginative worlds in a few pages!

My top were the Eternal Staircase, The Autumn Kill and A Lily is a Lily.

Some of my fav quotes:
Drowning Lessions - Maybe this is the difference between want and yearn: Want can be flipped on and off like a fuse. Want can be indulged in or set aside. Yearn is something else. You can hear it in the shape of the word.

The Autumn Kill = They made me chant the song a spine sings when it breaks. Little lullaby. Then they married me to the Hunter’s Moon, and I wore a wolf-jaw crown. I braided sinew into my hair. Our wedding bed was built of talons and blood and grease.

Homebody - You’ve seen it before— women becoming houses. A girl you roomed with in college is now a lovely Victorian cottage with scalloped trim. Your Aunt Livia transformed halfway into a Gothic revival with a mansard roof before recovering and moving to Barbados instead. Knuckles traded for polished mahogany balustrades, eyes brimming with thick wooden sills, shutters swinging from shoulder blades like rigid wings. Sometimes it happens slowly. Sometimes all at once.

I'm of two minds with this book. Some of the stories I enjoyed, some I found tedious and overly complicated, like something I would have read in college and been bored to tears by. Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories, there were just a few that I didn't vibe with. And that's okay. Not every book is for every reader. If you like weird, modern fairy tales with a strong literary bent, you might give this collection a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well! I do not know who this book is for as a general point, but I thought for the most part, these short stories were fantastic as a collection. I do not understand how someone can come up with this stuff because there was never a time where I could confidently predict any conclusion. Goat girl and a vampire as cohabitating friends after retirement from the circus show? Neverending staircase keeper as a summer job plus romance? A woman literally turning into a house due to her horrible gaslighting boyfriend? Drowning as a health disorder, however many times, including in the rain? What was this?! I do not have the answers but I love how different this book was from the books piling up on my TBR shelf (haven't read them yet but it's safe to assume). I don't know, I'm either scared of this author or want to become (his/her/their insert proper pronoun I've done no research) best friend?

Strangely, the least interesting was the title story, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart. Great book title, but comparatively speaking, the least engrossing. Maybe 25 beasts? 20? There was obviously a lot of thought and (art)work that went into it, but there was definitely a different overall feeling and pace for it to compose the what seemed like the largest and longest story of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

This was so weird, and depraved, and whimsical, and profound - all in the best possible ways. Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Love Stories is a collection of short stories featuring bizarre and thought provoking short stories. If you enjoyed the writing of Thistlefoot, especially the chapters from the perspective of the house, you're going to love these.

Each of the stories are entirely separate, so you could definitely read them all at once, or in small bursts. I think different stories will resonate differently with each reader, but I know a few will stick with me for a long time, specifically: The Thread Boy, The War of Fog, and A Diviner's Abecedarian.

While the Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart section was cool, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was condensed to about half the length, but if you're reading this as a physical book, I bet the illustrations are just so cool. They just didn't translate great onto my Kindle.

I was a GennaRose Nethercott fan after Thistlefoot, but now she'll be a must-read author for me! I'm immensely grateful to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for granting me access to an ARC!

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is GennaRose Nethercott’s follow up to her brilliant novel, Thistlefoot, one of my all time favorite novels. This time, she presents us with a short story collection that proves Thistlefoot was no fluke.

The stories in Fifty Beasts are all gorgeously written, and vary not only in style but in their degree of weirdness. Especially arresting for me were the title story in which the reader literally meets a group of bizarre creatures, all part of a slowly evolving story., and Drowning Lessons, in which we meet a young girl who’s drowned 39: times in her life before we meet her (I can’t say anymore without mentioning spoilers). Unlike other short story collections, there wasn’t a weak story in the book.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.