NORMAL RULES DON'T APPLY is a delightfully strange collection of short stories taking place in an a parallel world where, as the title suggests, normal rules don't apply - the world is swept by mysterious culls, animals talk, and all other manner of strange things are underfoot. The stories are loosely connected by characters of the same name (who may or may not be the same characters).

I think the best way to read this collection is by embracing the surrealism and absurdity and going where the author takes you - the patterns of the world(s) are only gradually revealed through the stories, and efforts to impose a structure on the world are often thwarted. Favorites in this collection included VOID, an introduction to a new series of apocalyptic events that sweep the world, and SPELLBOUND, a fairy tale in a parallel universe that leads to a strange conclusion.

Thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.