Great collection entirely comprised of up-and-coming (and firmly established) female writers of fantastical, fabulist, and, well...weird fiction. I loved the presentation and careful curation of this book--clearly exciting things are happening at Tin House. Some of the bigger names (Lydia Davis; Miranda July) were represented by fairly slight (dare I say lazy?) pieces, but there were plenty of other gems and new writers to discover. A few stories tended towards the fey or overly cute--always a risk of this genre--but there was enough unsettling, and indeed, unfeminine, weirdness to go around. I also think the tone of fantastic fiction lends itself well to describe coming-of-age journeys: a freakish time, indeed.
Particular favorites:
Aimee Bender's "Americca"
Judy Budnitz's "Abroad"
Julia Elliott's "The Wilds"
Samantha Hunt's "Beast"
Kelly Link's "Light"
Lydia Millet's "Snow White, Rose Red"
Alissa Nutting's "Hot, Fast, and Sad"
Stacey Richter's "The Doll Awakens"
Karen Russell's "The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach" (my favorite)
Gina Zucker's "Big People"
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