Cover Image: You Have a Friend in 10A

You Have a Friend in 10A

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Member Reviews

Short stories from the master herself? Yes, please! Engaging, unexpected, emotional, and energetic — these short stories are the perfect bedside book.

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As is usual with a short story collection, I liked some more than others. All of them really focus on introspective main characters trying to get through life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A Knopf Publishing/ Borzoi Books for the ARC to read and review.

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Shipstead is a fantastic author but this collection is hit and miss. There are a lot of great stories in here but others just were not as compelling. It is rare to find a story collection that is 100% phenomenal. I would say that about 75% of these stories are excellen and the rest mediocre, which is a pretty good percentage as far as literary short story collections go. So, I am giving this four stars because the ones that are good are really food.

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I enjoyed some of these stories, but I did not enjoy the first one, which made it harder for me to continue on with the book.

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While Maggie is a favorite, I think I prefer her in long form. That being said, I still find myself remembering some of these stories and considering their implications.Maybe her novels are setting the bar too high.

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You Have a Friend in 10A is a well-written and funny collection of short stories taking place in myriad locations with characters who deal with loss, relationships, and navigating new spaces. A majority of the relationships in the novel felt inappropriate, whether it was due to a large age gap or a power dynamic, yet each relationship was central to the story. The highlights were certainly Angel Lust, La Moretta and the titular story, with Company and In the Olympic Village being skimmable. I am used to long Maggie Shipstead books with tremendous character development, so this was certainly something new from her. Unlike many short stories, I didn’t find myself yearning for more. She accomplished what she set out to accomplish in each story and they all felt finished.

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I truly enjoyed The Great Circle. This book of collected short stories - not so much. I could not relate to any of the stories and there seemed to be such an overall feeling of bitterness and negativity. We all know life is not fair, life is not pretty, but in almost every instance there is some redeeming feature about any individual. Perhaps Shipstead might have looked closer to find the positive, instead of dwelling on the negative.

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Nice little short stories by the author of one of my recent favorite books, Great Circle. She's just one of those writers that's always good.

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First off, You Have a Friend in 10A by Maggie Shipstead has one of my favorite covers of 2022. Fabulous design!

I am also a big fan of short story collections, so this slightly weird and wonderful compilation was my vibe.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

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DNFed this book at about 30%. I loved the cover but this collection was not for me, perhaps it it not something I am interested in now. I also tried to utilize the audiobook for it and I just couldn’t do it.

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I loved this weird fun little short story collection. The cover just fits this book so well. Thanks to Doubledayfor the arc for my honest review.

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I absolutely loved this book of short stories. I will be buying it for everyone I know. Shipstead has such a unique cast of characters in her stories that each one is completely different

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I wanted to like this and found that the stories were interesting, but I wanted more from the collection. I felt that the stories, although great, needed something a bit /more/ to give it that extra push.

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One of my favorite short story collections ever. I can't even pick a favorite story — they were all so alive and so beautifully written, with so many detestable characters you can't help but obsess over. I read each story on my phone over the course of a week and I felt like it was WITH me in every sense of the word. Will have to check out Maggie Shipstead's other books now!

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Tried reading You Have a Friend in 10A multiple times and I could never get into it. Ultimately decided to DNF.

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As soon as I saw that Maggie Shipstead was writing a short story collection I got PUMPED. I adored her book Great Circle and I'm a sucker for short stories.

Each story is deliciously specific honestly like each of her existing books. Favorites include the title story, You Have a Friend in 10A and La Moretta. I felt fully immersed in each of her short stories and enjoyed her descriptions and gift for language.

Shipstead, I'm ready for the full-length novel on several of these stories!

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I am not sold on short stories, necessarily, but I am a big fan of Maggie Shipstead’s after reading Great Circle. It’s an editors’ pick in Best Literature & Fiction on Amazon, a New York Times bestseller, and has won numerous awards.

You Have A Friend in 10A is comprised of ten short stories. Each story will make you feel something different. Some of the characters you love and some aren’t too likable. Shipstead is a remarkable writer who can write from any point of view and make you feel the story is real. To me, that is the key to good writing and a good piece of literature. It needs to feel real to me or at least believable.

The good thing about a book with a collection of stories is that you can pick it up whenever you want. You can finish one story and wait a while and pick the book up again for another story, or read it all in one setting and experience something new with each story.

From a love triangle on a Montana dude ranch to a mystery around a dying elderly man in Paris to an insecure writer getting ready to publish his first book, each story will take you on a journey.

This book is definitely worth a read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book and write a review.

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A really nice collection of short stories by Maggie Shipstead. All of them are written in beautiful prose, that sweeps the reader away.

I tend not to read short stories because I want something longer to dive into. I usually feel like there is more to the story that isn’t being told. Most of these stories fall into that category, where I wanted more. But over all I did enjoy them. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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You may know Maggie Shipstead from her latest book, Great Circle, or her previous novels, Seating Arrangements, or Astonish Me. Now she shares her short stories in You Have a Friend in 10A. I've read all her books and enjoyed their literary style and great characterizations, so I was interested to see what types of short stories she wrote. Her stories span genres including science-fiction, thriller, and character-heavy tales, so you get a wide variety of writing.

While I enjoyed some stories, others felt raw and unfinished. Some stories may appear familiar to readers who have read her other books. Occasionally, I was bored with the material and wondered how long the story would go on. If you're a big fan or enjoyed her other books, it's worth a look.

"The Cowboy Tango" involves a young woman who works on a ranch where the ranch owner has fallen into unrequited love with her. I feel sure that I read that one before. It reminded me of her latest book.

"Angel Lust" and the title story both reflect on Hollywood and the ways that some people get corrupted and redeemed. "Angel Lust" was different in that a longtime, somewhat famous actor cleans his father's rural home and finds some surprising items. The other story sounded like one of the main characters in Great Circle.

"La Moretta" focuses on a couple on their honeymoon with unusual results. That was a surprise. I wish I could say more, but I would be giving away the entire plot.

Some other stories I cannot even recall, so I wasn't that impressed.

However, this collection shows the evolution of Maggie Shipstead as a writer. As a writer myself, I found that the most telling. She even states in the acknowledgements how some may still be in the development stages although not in so many words. It was brave for her to publish these because they are in much rawer forms. While some could be expanded into long-form books, others could be swept under the rug.

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The short stories in "You Have a Friend" are like dark chocolate truffles, intense, and to be savored slowly.

I was a huge fan of Shipstead's 2021 novel, Great Circle, and I snatched up her newest book instantly. It was clear from the start that this is a completely different animal. Great Circle is a sprawling saga, with characters developing over the course of its 600 pages. The characters in the new short story collection are illuminated in brief flashes, and then they are gone. Maggie Shipstead is a talented and versatile writer, and I look forward to more from her.

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