This is the kind of collection that doesn’t hit you all at once — it lingers, settles in, and gradually begins to bloom in the oddest, most unexpected corners of your mind. What at first feels bizarre or disjointed slowly transforms into something deeply resonant, as if the absurdities aren’t there to confuse, but to reveal something truer than straightforward logic ever could.

You start to wonder: have you just adapted to the weirdness, letting go of conventional reasoning? Or is it that life’s most tangled struggles are, in fact, the easiest to grasp once they’re shared aloud — raw, unfiltered, and utterly human?

Bertino might not claim to have all the answers, but she meets you right where it hurts (or confuses), and does so in ways that are wonderfully offbeat, strangely comforting, and utterly original.

I didn't really understand the concept of this group of stories. They were well-written, but I felt like there was a theme running through them all that I was just missing. I can't single out one story that I felt any connection to, and when they all ended, I just kind of went, "huh?"

Thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook copy.

Full of quirky, offbeat ideas: talking animals, random unicorns, and some genuinely funny lines, but most of the stories didn’t quite land for me. They felt rushed and a little unfinished. I wanted to love them (and a couple did stand out!), but overall, they left me wanting more time with the characters and the worlds they hinted at.

I listened to the audiobook, which might have made things worse. The narrator was super monotone and didn’t bring much life to the stories. I’m curious to know if I had enjoyed this having read it in print.

Exit Zero is a bold and imaginative collection that bursts with creativity. The stories are wild, drawing me into strange, fascinating situations that challenged me to think deeply about what I was reading. Some of the pieces left me wondering if I was missing something, but even when I didn't fully connect with a character or plot line, I was still intrigued. It is exciting to read something so unique.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my honest review.

A collection that slowly grows on you; where absurdities become less absurd and more revelatory. Is it that you become situated, abandoning logic or is it a realisation that the hardships in life seem inexplicable but once you share them, are the easiest to understand? Bertino may not have a solid answer but she can relate - and she does it the most refreshingly peculiar ways.

I can’t say I really understood the point or plot of every story, but I did laugh and also feel uncomfortable which I’m pretty sure is the main purpose.

We have unicorns, art theft, Groundhog Day set in a sitcom….

This is the author of Beautyland, and if you are familiar with that, this is very similar just more fragmented and surreal. If you haven’t read her debut, please go do that.

Somehow, Bertino manages to inject nostalgia in all of her stories. Even though I am probably slightly too young to get the full impact, I still felt transported.

This is anxious, charming, weird, nonsensical.

The sudden start and stop of the stories with no handholding or explanations did put me off, however short stories are not my favourite most of the time in any case.

Audiobook arc gifted by Dreamscape Audio.

<u>Exit Zero</u>
Marie-Helene Bertino

ALC courtesy of Dreamscape Media and NetGalley.

Fans of Beautyland and 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas would be happy to hear that Marie-Helene Bertino has, indeed, come to the party in Exit Zero, her latest book of twelve short stories coming out April 22, 2025. With ghosts, unicorns and raining boyfriends, Bertino’s quirky, wry humor will not disappoint, although I must admit that some of the stories were a teeny bit too far out for me. Exit Zero should appeal to readers of Bora Chung and Samanta Schweblin short stories.

The audiobook narration I found a bit cloying. Would have brought back the narrator of Beautyland.

3.5 stars
2.5 stars for the narration

I wanted to like this one so bad... I loved Beautyland but this collection is just not for me.

Beautyland was an unexpected hit for me. Her childlike, whimsical speculative fiction/sci-fi tale had me hooked and I was so excited to see that she was coming out with a short story collection. I thought her previous work was such a great debut and I was excited to see her grow in her sophomore novel. I honestly didn't see much growth here. It felt more like a regression.

I didn't think any of the stories were very strong. There's so much packed into such a short story that it comes off as too fantastical and confusing at times--not to mention that they all end so abruptly that it leaves you scratching your head. None of premises were bad it just felt rushed and I think they needed some more time and editing in order to bring out their true potential.

As a side note I did listen to the audiobook and I would not recommend that format. The narrator adds very little life into the stories and is very monotone--like reading from the phone book monotone. It detracted from the experience so I might try this collection again with the physical book and see if I feel any differently.

Its hard to rate a series of short stories, since some were much stronger than others. Overall I liked this collection.

This short story collection just wasn’t for me. I barely liked any of the stories. I found every single one abruptly ending or underdeveloped. The narrator sounded like an AI in some parts, she they were good when speaking as different characters, but as a third person narrator it just wasn’t pleasant to listen to. I’m so sorry to bash this collection like that; it’s just not for me. You might like it if you usually enjoy, I don’t know, stories you can listen to on your lunch break.
My individual ratings are:
Marry the sea – 1/5 bunch of diary entries, completely disjointed, does not work as an audio, maybe will be better to read this one instead of listening to it
Edna in rain – 2/3 interesting idea, poor execution
Exit Zero – 2/5 uh, okay, it was whimsical and strange but not written well
Can only houses be haunted – 3/5 at least that one was funny
Lottie Woodside and the diamond dust Cher – 1/5 I hope Cher doesn’t read that one
The ecstasy of Sam Malone – 1/5 what, didn’t even finish that one
The night gardener – 3.5/5 this was probably the only story that I liked
Kathleen in light colors – 1/5 boring
Every forest, every film – 3.5/5 an amazing show, the main character was unlikable
In the basement of saint john the Divine – 1/5 uh no
Flowers and their meanings – 2.5/5 I wished the tiger ate at least one person or pet
Viola in midwinter – DNF
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with the ALC.

The narrator did an excellent job with this book, however the short stories did not connect well enough for me to follow/understand what the author was trying to convey. It seemed choppy and it was difficult to follow along as an audiobook. I feel like this book would read better in text format.

12 short stories or 12 fever dreams? You decide. This collection of short stories had some hits and some misses for me but my overall favorite was the unicorn. Half of the time (or more) I didn't get the nuance with these stories and maybe that is the point? I tend to shy away from collections like this because I never feel all that satisfied, and as it turns out, this book was no exception. I think there were some fun ideas/concepts here but most of them didn't work for me.

I loved the narrator, Adenrele Ojo and think they did a great job!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

How curious—I thought Bertino’s charmingly unconventional tales would land perfectly as short stories. Beautyland was one of my favorites from 2024—her quirky, childlike voice and the sci-fi and speculative fiction genres merge wonderfully. In Exit Zero, the author carries those elements over: the playful writing creates a light-hearted mood as she subtly engages with ideas like loss, separation, and belonging for humans. You can count on peacocks and tigers making the cast list with the story Exit Zero, featuring unicorns, as my top pick (without a doubt) from this collection. Ultimately, the stories felt hurried and required more cooking time. This could be because it takes readers slightly longer to adjust to the author’s unique style and pantomime; by the time I catch the rhythm of the fantastical stories, it seems the next tune starts. The nostalgic quality of Bertino’s writing makes me look forward to what she’ll publish next.

My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an ARC. I shared this review on GoodReads on April 9, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7430887994).

This story collection reads like a series of dreams. Lyrical and fantastic, each is weird in its own way. All imbued with magical realism and uncanny elements. Usually, with these volumes there is a certain unevenness. Some stories are better than others. In this case, they are all equally well written, with beautiful and sometimes disturbing images. Adenrele Ojo delivers a wonderful performance in the audiobook. That said, this is not the type of book I enjoy. It is great, just not for me.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Dreamscape Media.