A review by woodslesbian
Sarahland by Sam Cohen

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was a strange, quirky read, with each short story focusing on a different Sarah and her journey. While there were some stories I enjoyed ("Exorcism, or Eating My Twin," "The First Sarah," and "All the Teenaged Sarahs"), none of them struck me or was especially memorable, and I had to flip back through to even remember that all of those stories were included in the first place. Even "Becoming Trees," which was probably my favorite in the collection, wasn't especially memorable and I haven't been thinking of it since finishing the collection or anything like that. I think these stories have a lot of heart, and there was plenty of interesting character work, vivid imagery, and weird shenanigans in here, though! Cohen's writing is snappy, weird, and empathetic without providing judgement or easy conclusions, which I do enjoy. It's just that the stories didn't especially resonate with me. I personally really want short stories to haunt me after I finish them and which I can't help but think back to, and these just didn't achieve that. Still, I think Sarahland will be absolutely moving and affirming to others, and I do recommend it!