Some terrific short fiction -- but that novella, holy moly. That's the real winner here and worth the price of admission and then some. A wonderful collection, all around.

The title piece is going to be haunting me for years. I’d already read the story called “Boys go to Jupiter,” about a teenage girl and her very complicated issues with race, which has been on my mind ever since. The title “Office of Historical Corrections” threw me for a loop because when I saw it, communism is what came to mind for me, but it was actually about 20th and 21st century America. About race relations in Wisconsin when the first black people started moving there. About white supremacy and the one-drop rule and how black people have to always be on guard still in 2020. It was also frighteningly realistic except for the part where the current administration would fund such a department, whether or not their actions were questionable.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ironically, Danielle Evans' devastating short stories highlight the main reason why I've vogued out of being a reader of short stories over the years; she writes such compelling characters and she sucks you right into tiny, perfectly formed little worlds and then the story ends even though you want to know so much more about it all and you have to forget about that world and those characters and have your heart broken by the next ones. I've been waiting for ten years for new work from her and this is just as scrumptious and excellent as her last book.

This is an excellent book. The prose is wonderful, as is the dark humor. The characters feel vivid and memorable. The book handles race, white supremacy, and gender deftly. This book feels very, very contemporary, especially in the way it uses the internet and social media. The novella is as strong as the short stories, which doesn't always happen in collections, but this book is very even and consistent throughout. I definitely recommend it to any reader.

Incredible. I don't usually gravitate towards short stories, but I would read any that Danielle Evans writes. Fantastic storytelling, sharp characters, and every story left me with something to chew on.

Danielle Evans is a genius and this book is her masterpiece. I know this will be HUGE with certain audiences but I can't wait to shove it in the hands of everyone who wouldn't find it on their own. So, so great.

Best book of the year by far. A collection of stories followed by one of the greatest novels in years, an examination of all aspects of America and so topical now, although I hate when people say that. Danielle Evans is always topical. She is the queen of the written word, the American Alice Munro/Chekhov, the great writer we should all try and live up to, and such an amazing, fascinating, and wonderful person with endless talent.

I rarely ever read short stories, as I prefer personal essays or a long-form novel, but this book has changed my mind forever. The depth of the characters that Danielle Evans can create in just a dozen pages is astonishing every time. I was left to think about the stories and the characters for days after I had finished them. I was particularly struck with “Anything Could Disappear,” “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain,” and “Boys Go to Jupiter.” This is an important collection about race and what it means in the modern United States. I am grateful to have read these works of art.

A subtle but powerful collection of short stories that present poignant moments focusing on race, culture, and history.

Even as doesn’t disappoint. Her collection of shorts, once again sheds such light on women of color and their vast experiences in this world. Wonderful read! Highly recommend!

Collection of exceptionally well written short stories culminating with my favorite, the title story of the collection. Boys Go to Jupiter was my next favorite. All are imaginative yet true to our lives

As she did in Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, Danielle Evans follows a brilliant title with stories that are surprising and precisely drawn. How many collections boast a replica of the Titanic, a Confederate bikini, and a volcano among their plot devices or settings? Some of the stories capture moments of transition: returning from the Peace Corps, being discharged from prison, moving across the country. Others trace quieter changes in their characters as they confront family secrets and shifting relationships. One story, “Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want,” fell flat for me, perhaps because its more experimental form was such a departure from the rest. But the title novella is stunning, and worth the price of the collection. I will recommend this to fans of Tayari Jones, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, and Kaitlyn Greenidge.