Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim
My rating: 5/5 cats
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
boilerplate mission statement intro:
for the past two years, i’ve set december’s project aside to do my own version of a short story advent calendar. it’s not a true advent calendar since i choose all the stories myself, but what it lacks in the ‘element of surprise’ department it more than makes up for in hassle, as i try to cram even MORE reading into a life already overcrammed with impossible personal goals (live up to your potential! find meaningful work! learn to knit!) merry merry wheee!
since i am already well behind in my *regular* reviewing, when it comes to these stories, whatever i poop out as far as reflections or impressions are going to be superficial and perfunctory at best. please do not weep for the great big hole my absented, much-vaunted critical insights are gonna leave in these daily review-spaces (and your hearts); i’ll try to drop shiny insights elsewhere in other reviews, and here, i will at least drop links to where you can read the stories yourselves for free, which – let’s be honest – is gonna serve you better anyway.
HAPPY READING, BOOKNERDS!
links to all stories read in previous years’ calendars can be found at the end of these reviews, in case you are a person who likes to read stories for free:
2016: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…
2017: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…
scroll down for links to this year’s stories which i will update as we go, and if you have any suggestions, send ’em my way! the only rules are: it must be available free online (links greatly appreciated), and it must be here on gr as its own thing so i can review it. thank you in advance!
DECEMBER 6:
“You sure you’re ready to do this?” Vale took me to the front car where all the parts were.
I nodded. Our train’s next stop was the maker’s workbench; this was the right time for us to make our child.
He started picking through the gears, laying out everything we’d need to build a child. “My half-sister has these great pincers, like lobster claws—”
“I thought maybe he could look more like us.” Carnies came with a wide variety of parts, which was fun for shows, but the more outlandish ones all reminded me of my mother.
good gravy. this short story punched me in my one remaining ovary. over and ovary. and i’m not gonna lie – it took its sweet time. at first, i was a little blah blah blah towards it (cue excuse parade: it’s been a long day, i’m on three hours of sleep and zero food, reading this after a full shift at my new book factory and a radio show appearance that always stresses me out because i don’t like sounding dumb &etc) so at first, i was just doing what needed to be done for project – reading the words, trying to visualize the characters, the world, the details. but at some point, none of that shit mattered and i just fell into it. all that matters is that this is the most human story i have read in a long time. and once it clicked it just started rabbit-punching me in my heart and all my other soft bits and DAMN!
i know i’m usually all “if i only had a heart” when it comes to my reading, but this time, it might have been located.
close enough.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co…
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