Initially, this was really good. It was different and truly enjoyable. Until 15% of the way through. As a sexual assault survivor, I’m appalled at this. I tried to get past the pure anger I felt while reading but truly I cannot.

A Punch in the Face, A Kiss


I miss Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, even though their books are right there on the shelf, and I wasn't expecting any new work anyway. But still, where will my next hit come from?


Well, you might want to try this collection, which showcases some of the author's best work. Lisa Taddeo "burst onto the scene" with "Three Women", which is a creative nonfiction work following the lives and desires of three women over the course of a decade. Her fiction novel, "Animal", is an ambitious female rage-fantasy that is way over the top in a "Hey look at me and what I can do!" sort of fashion. "Three Women" wasn't what I was looking for, and "Animal" struck me as way too indulgent and scattershot.


But now we have this collection, (set mostly in L.A. or places that might as well be L.A.), and I think it hits that L.A. dark, deadpan, funny, angry, hopeful, delusional, materialistic, melancholy nail right on the head. Less penetrating than Didion and less party-hearty than Babitz, these stories peek into all of the dark corners of the city and its characters, and every narrative involves a lot of collateral damage. There can be a half dozen brutal throwaway lines in a single paragraph. Taddeo understands, and sometimes sympathizes, but almost never forgives.


So, if you want a razor sharp treat and are willing to be roughed up a little, this is a must read collection.


(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I read this book fairly quickly. Some parts were a little explicit for my taste but it was hard to put down. I would certainly recommend this book to others and will be on the lookout for future releases.

I loved Three Women and Animal by this author, but all of these stories are so superficial and uninteresting. It seems like she wrote them just to be provocative and it's been an agonizing and cringe-y read. Disappointing and I won't be finishing this.

These short stories were a hit or miss. Some of them were fantastic with the story laid out beautifully while others were lacking in pulling the reader in. Overall, good for readers who have a short attention span.

I absolutely love this eclectic collection of stories. Perseverance of the human condition is explored on all levels. I was engrossed in each one. I highly recommend this read!

Lisa Taddeo's work is always stunning in its beauty and content. Her work is dark, though, and this collection of stories has sad women at the center of all of them. Most suffer from depression, body image and food issues, insecurity and envy, and the pursuit of the perfect man.

Every story was engrossing. The focus of every story was the sadness of older women needing love, younger women seeking power and money, the pursuit of beauty. and youth. The older women pursue younger men; the younger women pursue older men, and there are only sad situations.