To be honest, I found it hard to really connect with Mouth by Puloma Ghosh or take much interest in it. While I have no doubt that this book will excel and resonate with many readers, I personally felt disengaged. Even though some stories stood out and all were imaginative and impactful in their own way, I found myself bored.

I can see the author's talent in playing with the surreal and dark while exploring themes that expose the body physically and mentally. However, none of the stories left me feeling any strong emotion, whether good or bad, to review.

I do look forward to other works from this author and appreciate NetGalley and Astra House for access to this ARC.

4.5/5

“I always felt like the odd one. I was sad often. Maybe this was because of my father or my mother, or the books I read or the songs I listened to, but for my whole adolescence, my insides squirmed. Threatened to pour restlessness out of my mouth and ears.”

Mouth is a collection of 11 surreal short stories. A debut collection, Puloma Ghosh uses speculative fiction to push her characters farther than traditional fiction would. Mouth explores grief, sexuality, loneliness, intimacy, and the aching desires of our flesh in a sharp and captivating way. Similar to the themes in Thirst, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, and Cursed Bunny - Mouth is a short story collection where I didn’t dislike any of the stories.

I wished some of the stories within this collection could have been more fleshed out, just because I could’ve read whole novels on most of them. Puloma Ghosh’s writing is unique and captivating. When I started a story, I couldn’t put it down. I read this as an ebook arc, so I don’t know the names of most of the stories I read, which is disappointing because I want to tell you which ones were my favorite, but I am definitely getting a physical copy of this book when it comes out. I feel like I could go back to any one of these stories over and over again without getting bored. It was a mix of literary fiction, horror, sci-fi, queerness, and surrealism which made the collection feel like a mixed bag of amazing weirdness that I couldn't get enough of, mesmerizing me from the very beginning.

“Was I lonely back then? Of course I was. Who wasn’t lonely ‘back then’. In the winter I’m pretty because the loneliness makes my face slack, my eyes intense. There are no stories without loneliness.”

this book had so much potential (that synopsis! those comparisons! that cover!), and for the most part i really enjoyed it. i think this felt a bit debut-y, and i'll only like the author's future works more — and as it stands, this collection contained so many of my favorite things. i found it fast-paced and readable, two things i rarely think about short story collections.

Puloma Ghosh's debut, "Mouth," features 11 short stories set in surreal, dystopian worlds. This collection features dark and weird stories that feature themes of alienation, mother-daughter relationships, sapphic love, loneliness, and grief. While I tend to love feminist, sapphic, and strange stories this collection was not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, it is clear that Ghosh has a talent for creating vivid worlds.

The premise of this collection of short stories sounded really good, but wasn’t into most of these stories. A few of them were alright, but none of them are stories that I’ll remember a few weeks from now.

The way she chooses to write and the topics she writes about are very interesting though. I just don’t think her writing is anything for me.

I love short story collections, so I had high hopes for "Mouth" by Puloma Ghosh. These stories were just okay. Nothing special but not mediocre either. I liked about 5 of the stories, the other ones felt interchangeable. The opening story about the 2 teen figure skaters was the most macabre and interesting. The writing style was very choppy at times, which made for a difficult read. I like the stories that were very quirky. Good book but not a standout. There are other short story collections that are more versatile and unique.

The perfect book for anyone who enjoys the topic of female rage.
These though provoking shorts really reminded me of why I love feminist art, this completely encapsulates what it feels like to be a woman and what that means.
Some very extreme and possibly triggering themes.

These stories were very interesting and cohesive, with repeating themes, however the formatting on this ebook was pretty distracting; it was a little bit of a challenge to know when each new story was starting and there were unfortunately quite a few typos.

These factors took away some of my enjoyment of the stories, but I still think this is a beautiful and haunting collection that focuses on loss, grief, and disappearing people and feelings. LEMON BOY was probably my favorite story, just wow. I would not be hesitant to pick this one up as a finished physical book, and I’m excited to see what this author does next! 3.5 stars rounded up.

5/5

These stories centered a lot around womanhood; relationships one has with their bodies, with other bodies, with no bodies; desire and grief, etc. Ghosh has a way of capturing the swing of panicked anxiety to calm acceptance. Lately, I have been feeling like the “unhinged female lit” books have been lacking (in the way that they could push it a little bit further but seem to always be stopping short), but Ghosh’s works did not disappoint.

This is my new favorite collection of short stories of all time. 6/11 of the stories were 4-star or above, with one even reaching 6-Star Status for me. Even the ones that I didn’t rate as highly were still good, just less my cup of tea if that makes sense. These stories can bring the ugliness of grief, peace of acceptance, horrors of humankind, and gentleness of animals all to the table to gorge ourselves sick.

I would be so insanely interested if she ever decided to make a full novel out of one or multiple of these short stories. I can’t wait to read more of her works in the future!

Desiccation: 5
The Fig Tree: 3
Leaving Things: 5
K: 4
In The Winter: 2
Anomaly: 3
Lemon Boy: 3
Supergiants: 6 – please make this a full-length novel!!!
Nip: 5
Natalya: 4
Persimmons: 3

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories, each coming up against the prickly, porous borders of humanity. It’s hard to know what is real, and what isn’t. What’s performance, assimilation, and what is truth. Beneath: a bestial, hungry, lonely wildness that yearns for acceptance, always feeling foreign, alien, otherworldly.

Some stories hit more than others, and I particularly loved the ones that leaned more into the speculative and uncanny. Yet, something about the entirety of the collection felt at enough of a remove to stop me from loving it completely. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I’d be interested in reading more from the author in future. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the complimentary copy!

Weird and eerie. I find myself liking the first few stories as compared to the rest. The good writing was what kept me going till the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this eArc in exchange of an honest review.

Short story collections are a hit or miss for me, but when they are building little dystopias or giving me a sense of unease I tend to love them. This one definitely fell into the hit category. Overall I found Ghosh’s approach to exploring hard topics really compelling. I also really appreciated the world building she accomplished in the short space. There are quite a few stories that I honestly didn’t want to part with and wished were full novels. As with most collections, some of the stories in this one resonated more with me than the others. My favorites from this collection were Desiccation and Leaving Things.

Thank you Astra House for the ARC!

I'm somewhat averse to short stories. They can be an endeavour to pick through shallow ponds and hope to find something worth your time. An author's particular flavour of storytelling permeates each story, whether the genre or the plot changes. That is to say, if I don't like how the author displays their craft in one story, I may not be able to consume the others wholly.

But this collection, Dude. I cannot believe this is a debut. Each story shifts between something lush and surreal to silent and haunting - pulses of cultural dynamics bleed into storylines that are often genre-bending. The ways their words lay across their stories are filled with so much talent. K and the Fig Tree were my standouts in this collection - eerie and chilling but filled with so much to stay. Ghosh speaks of displacement, lineage, and trauma in her stories, blurring the lines between reality and fiction, putting the uncanny into the visions of the everyday.

I highly highly recommend this one. This would be perfect if you're a fan of Mariana Enríquez and Bora Chung.

Mouth is a collection of eleven weird and sometimes wonderful short stories. Many of them involve interactions between humans and animals and otherworldly occurrences. A young woman finds herself enamored by a fellow figure skater, who may or may not be human. Another goes to a party and meets a man with yellow hair who sees emerging holes in the world that already have taken his girlfriend. A physical and metaphorical autopsy of a previous girlfriend and their relationship are detailed. While short story collections are a mixed bag, this was rather strong, and a few stories in particular stood out. In Leaving Things, a woman is living in a town where most of the population, including her boyfriend have fled as wolves have taken over. On her way home, she encounters an interesting creature and brings it home to unexpected results. In Supergiant, we meet a popstar after her last performance. Why can she not touch anyone except her assistant? The world that Ghosh builds in Persimmons is fascinating and I wish it could have been expanded out further. For fans of weird and interesting short stories, I would recommend this collection.

Thank you to Astra House via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

This may be the best book of short stories I have ever read. So many of them felt like I could read a whole book of just that world/story

Every story was so unique with some lit fic, horror, and sci-fi

Would highly recommend for anyone who liked night bitch or my year of rest and relaxation

This is Puloma Ghosh’s debut collection of short stories. There are 11 unique and haunting tales all connected by some type of mouth reference. They touch on loss, loneliness, grief and heartbreak. Each story was an immersive experience! It was like having a fever dream each time and I totally gave myself to it. I really appreciate how Ghosh was able to highlight the human condition in fantastical, creepy, bizarre yet very compelling ways.

My favorite stories without giving too much away were: The Fig Tree which touched on grief, Leaving Things which includes a half wolf/half human baby and Persimmons that tells of the ultimate community sacrifice. If you like stories that challenge you and make you say “what did I just read?” then this collection is for you! I look forward to reading much more from this author!

Full rating: 4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

In her debut collection of short stories, Puloma Ghosh invites readers into a labyrinth of visceral narratives that traverse realms of desire, transformation, and existential inquiry. Each story, a constellation of its own, beckons the reader to delve into its depths, where sapphic yearnings intertwine with surrealist landscapes and existential ponderings.

With "Dessication," Ghosh sets the stage for a journey into the depths of desire and disillusionment. Through the lens of a sapphic romance tinged with vampiric undertones, Ghosh explores themes of existential longing and the ephemeral nature of existence. The narrative brims with evocative prose, frenetic pacing, and atmospheric tension. In "Leaving Things," Ghosh invites readers to witness the process of rewilding—a metaphorical journey of feminine transformation and empowerment. Through the lens of environmental justice and personal growth, Ghosh crafts a narrative that is both introspective and illuminating. With "Anomaly," Ghosh ventures into the realm of temporal distortion and existential inquiry. Through the eyes of an enigmatic narrator, Ghosh navigates themes of identity and belonging with nuance and complexity.

What sets "Mouth" apart is its remarkable cohesiveness. Ghosh demonstrates a keen thematic focus, with recurring motifs and threads that bind the stories together seamlessly. It's a rare feat to find a short story collection that feels so unified in its exploration of diverse themes.

Overall, "Mouth" is a testament to Ghosh's talent and creativity. Her ability to blend sapphic narratives with elements of horror and surrealism is both mesmerizing and thought-provoking. As we emerge from the depths of "Mouth," it's impossible not to be moved by the kaleidoscope of emotions and experiences that Ghosh has crafted. Through stories that transcend genre and convention, Ghosh invites readers to confront the complexities of the human experience with empathy and introspection. “Mouth” is a testament to Ghosh's prowess as a storyteller and a provocateur of thought.

In conclusion, "Mouth" is a triumph—both a testament to Ghosh's prowess as a writer and a captivating exploration of humanity. With its evocative prose and haunting narratives, this collection leaves an indelible mark. Puloma Ghosh is undoubtedly a writer to watch, and "Mouth" is a compelling showcase of her talent and vision.

📖 Recommended For: Advocates for LGBTQ+ Representation, Feminist Readers, Seekers of Surreal and Provocative Narratives, Fans of Carmen Maria Machado's "Her Body and Other Parties."

🔑 Key Themes: Exploration of Desire and Disillusionment, Feminine Transformation and Empowerment, Existential Inquiry and Identity, Reflecting on the Human Experience.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Sexual content (moderate), death of a parent (severe), animal death (moderate), gore (moderate), cancer (minor), drug overdose (minor), drug use (minor), self harm (severe, especially in the story ‘Natalya’).

Mouth is a collection of eleven short stories that explore grief, sexuality and desire, bodily autonomy and the intimacy of humanity all while blurring the lines of reality.

It is very rare to find a short story collection that works as cohesively as Mouth does. It’s clear Puloma has themes she’s very interested in that appear in some way in every story. Death and disappearing are two themes that are heavily featured in this collection. Lemon Boy, Nip and Natalya all showcase the exploration of grieving someone in such a beautifully haunting and visceral way.

Another large theme within this collection is desire. There is a lot of yearning written in such visceral detail, and not all of it is sexual desire. A lot of deep animalistic desires are explored here as well. Giving into the beast inside you in the most horrific ways possible.

The title Mouth is so fitting for this collection. It’s wild it’s weird it’s absurd and I ate it UP! I would love to have a discussion with Puloma so I could see how her mind works. She is definitely a writer to watch.

Mouth is out June 10 2024. Thank you Astra House and Netgalley for this digital arc.

Ahhh this short story collection was so good! The stories in this collection were all very weird and visceral. It was plainly written, but it had a strong voice all throughout. My favorites from the collection are Desiccation, Nip, Natalya, and Persimmons. I found that each story differed greatly from one another, which made it very exciting to see what the author had come up with next.

Puloma Ghosh’s debut anthology featuring 11 short stories focusing on desire, sexuality and loneliness.

An incredible debut with some creepy and well-written stories, it’s hard to believe that this is the first book this author has published! There were plenty of different horror elements included such as body horror, creature features and ghost hauntings so there’s definitely something to cater for everyone!

The standout stories for me where:

Desiccation: 4/5⭐️ a teenage ice skater with necrophiliac tendencies believes that the only other Indian girl at the rink is a vampire - this contained an strange smut scene with some blood drinking 👀

Leaving Things: 4/5⭐️ a town has set a nightly curfew due to wolf attacks and a vet raises a half wolf half human being

K: 5/5⭐️ the ghost of a university student haunts the current student living in her dorm room - the new student discovers the truth behind her disappearance. i found this one to be the creepiest!

Natalya: 5/5⭐️ an autopsy report of an ex-lover - the pathologist examines each of the corpse’s body systems while reporting on their relationship history (TW: self-harm)

Thank you to netgalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!