These stories all revolve around the theme of love. They’re about love in all shapes, but they all have the same melancholy air. Some are rooted in our contemporary world, and some have a little tinge of magical realism. I was really excited to dive into this short story collection mostly because this is a book from a Canadian author, but I found myself extremely underwhelmed.

I only had one story that I actually liked, Last One to Leave, because it was a form of love that I could connect with. I liked both the characters and the narration style and I understood it from beginning to end. There was something resonant about the story, but I had a really hard tie with all of the others. I never fully connected with the characters or the plot, and I just didn’t like where they went.

Overall, I found myself really disappointed with this collection. There was very little substance and nothing noteworthy in the stories. I may or may not read another book by this author.

The prose in this short story collection is deft and vivid, while the dark and strange themes and haunting imagery stick with you. Deborah Willis is a unique and powerful voice in Can Lit.