Thank you to NetGalley and Astoria for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Chrysalis refers to a transitional state and these stories embody the title in a refreshing and new way each time. Anuja Varghese brings a thought-provoking essence to the stories and explores the themes of transformation, self-discovery, and relationships. The stories explore the relationships between people, communities, and cultures with a dark, moody tone while still shedding hope to the reader. I loved the folklore aspect of the stories and felt that really worked in its favor. While there was some formatting issues, I still enjoyed my read. One aspect I would have liked to seen was that these short stories were a bit longer. Often times it felt like the story was just hitting its stride and then it would end. But overall, the writing felt concise and imparted an emotional impact on me.

A competent, if somewhat uneven collection of stories. Lovely writing but some stories were more fully realized than others, as if some stories were from a period before the writer found her voice. Still, I enjoyed many of the stories. 3.5 stars.

3.5 stars

United States Publication: March 14, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Astoria for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

This was a really interesting collection of short stories featuring South Asian people in Canada. Varghese explores a variety of relationships through her writing and a variety of ways to express love, interest, and hate. I don't read a lot of short stories but I am always impressed by them when they are well done (and these are). I think it takes a lot of talent to craft a short story that provides well-developed characters and stories that feel complete. Each of Varghese's stories didn't leave me wanting more or with the feeling that it was unresolved. They felt complete. I also really liked her magical realism approach to life, her characters, and her stories.

I read what I could of this book and from what I could read, it seemed like it was going well. I enjoyed some of the short stories but ultimately, I ended up not finishing this book because of some formatting issues that I had using the NetGalley app. I usually will read off of my Kindle, but at the time I was not able to use that. I’m off my pages ended up looking very strange on the Anett Galli app and when I did finally get my Kindle back, they weren’t looking correct up there either. I do think that what I was able to read. It was very interesting, and that this author has aof my pages ended up looking very strange on the Anett Galli app and when I did finally get my Kindle back, they weren’t looking correct out there either. I do think that what I was able to read. It was very interesting and that this author has a lot of potential. If you are into short stories with deeper meaning, then this would be for you.

I have so much to say here but no words. All of these stories fit together perfectly in one anthology, and the writing is amazing. The dark tone of some of these stories surprised me, and made this book so memorable. The plot twists are perfect, the characters are great, and I’m so glad I read this. I can’t wait to read more in the future! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher!

This was a decent if uneven collection. I liked the dark, menacing tone running through many of the stories. My favorite was "Dreams of Drowning Girls." I am conflicted about "A Cure for Fear of Screaming," which is one of the more memorable stories and I liked the blunt language, but the action escalates too quickly and suddenly to be believable. I also think some of the stories are too short - "Milk," for example, is great, but it feels more like a beginning of something rather than a story of its own, and I was surprised and disappointed by the abrupt ending. Also, "Night Zoo" has some cool imagery but feels like the barest sketch of an idea. Ultimately, I'm not sure if Varghese does much to distinguish herself from other writers working with similar subject matter and genre.

"Chrysalis" by Anuja Varghese is a thought-provoking and beautifully written novel that explores the themes of growth, transformation, and self-discovery. The author's writing style is elegant and lyrical, capturing the essence of the story with grace and sensitivity. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making for an enjoyable and memorable read. If you're looking for a novel that will challenge your perspectives and leave you with much to ponder, "Chrysalis" is a must-read. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and beautifully written read.

I really enjoyed this collection Of short stories, Varghese explores queerness, racism, and relationships and how these themes interconnect. I especially love her spookier stories!

thank you for the arc!

first of all: i love this cover. it's v pret. second and third of all, i love the queer representation & folklore in these stories. varghese did a great job of putting unique spins on classic concepts/stories. but tbh a good lot of them fell flat for me. i'm not sure what it was but i found myself wanting MORE over and over. there were a few that stood out - 'dreams of drowning girls', 'a cure for fear of screaming' and 'chrysalis' were my favs - but the rest didn't really do it for me quite the same. either way, the writing was gorgeous overall and i'd def recommend this one for fans of the short stories from carmen maria machado or julia armfield.

prob 3.5 stars for me!

2.5 generously rounded up. There were a few stories I really loved in this collection. "Chitra" was an amazing retelling of Cinderella that I just devoured. "Midnight at the Oasis" was also really lovely. However, I have to admit that most of this collection won't stick in my memory and much of it felt rushed, even forced (even the bits I really liked). I felt like the author really wanted to touch on these important and often very personal topics - queerness, trans identity, racism - but stopped just short of really opening them up and giving them enough space to breathe so that they could be truly affecting.

In other words, the collection felt very surface-level, the stories moving so fast that the reader never got a chance to connect to them. In a way, this felt like a collection for younger readers because it lacked the complexity and nuance I would have hoped to find. I appreciate what "Chrysalis" was attempting to achieve, but it just fell short for me.

I think some parts of the stories were lost to me as a white American, I wasn't sure what cultural or religious significance some parts of the story had, and felt I would have needed more background on things to really get it. The writing was really well done, and I wanted to understand more of the stories, but I felt some things were lacking. And again, I think it is because they were lost on me because of my background.

BOOK REVIEW

Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

Genre-blending short stories are officially my new favorite things to read. After reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, there was no question on me also picking up Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese.

Varghese's stories are spiritual, spooky, honest, and queer. My only qualm is that i wish some of them were longer! Here were a few that really stuck out to me:
• "Stories in the Language of the Fist" was an especially memorable one for me as it relates one woman's experience in racism, othering, and assimilation in a corporate setting.
• "Chitra" was another favorite of mine. It follows a Cinderella retelling placed in an ordinary mall where there is the food court, the Dumpster, and The Shoe Chalet. Oh yeah, and a meteor.
• "In the Bone Fields" was a spooky read involving the paranormal, queerness, and a reunion.

Give this one a read if you love:
* queerness
* a quick read
* fresh stories

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this evocative collection of short stories. The prose is excellent and this collection reminds me a lot of one of my favorite books, The God of Small Things, but more uplifting. Some of these stories involve fantastical elements while others are mundane. The author really shines on the longer stories, but I liked all of them. Here are some short descriptions of each story in the collection:
Bhupati:
This one involves goddesses and what happens when lightning strikes twice. There is imagery of modern Indian life in the domestic sphere infused with ancient magic. The themes involve domestic struggles and jealousy.
The Vetala’s Song:
A tragic story about monsters (human and otherwise) and what happens when you make laws on how people are allowed to love.
Dreams of Drowning Girls:
Dreamlike and haunting story about identity, names, heritage, and sensuality.
In the Bone Fields:
A mother makes a deal with the hungry fields in order to save the lives of her newborn twin daughters. As teenagers, the daughters investigate a forbidden room in the house and discover the family’s dark secret.
Remembrance:
A small town gossips about the town’s “murder hotel,” but one person knows the real story.
Milk:
A girl is relentlessly tormented by a school bully. One day, when she ventures into the forest rumored to be plagued with wolves, she discovers her bully’s secret.
Cherry blossom fever:
The husband and wife are both secretly cheating on each other in taboo same-sex relationships. The wife has known about her husband’s infidelity the entire time and decides to come clean with him. Is a happy ending possible for them?
One, Two, Buckle my shoe:
A chilling take on an old nursery rhyme.
Stories in the Language of the Fist:
A woman gives an important presentation and navigates her workplace. Distancing herself from her heritage, she is filled with anxiety as she tries to fit in with the others, and yet despite all her efforts to be like them, they still tokenize and see her as lesser.
Night Zoo:
A small town appears tranquil on the outside, but has a violent secret.
Arvind:
A woman’s life is derailed when she gets pregnant unexpectedly, and she must make a hard decision.
Chitra:
A dark Cinderella retelling
Midnight at the Oasis:
After being rejected by her family for coming out as trans, a young woman searches for love and creates a new family.
Chrysalis:
The titular story about how death transforms us.

Thank you, House of Anansi Press Inc., for allowing me to read Chrysalis early.

Some of the short stories I adored, especially the lush and poetic writing, some others I liked a little less. Overall a great read.

The stories are a little uneven, but, in general, I loved this collection. Centering transformation works so well for both the horror/surreal content and the queer narratives.

I don't typically pick up short story collections, but I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. Chrysalis is beautifully written, full of stories based on folklore, myth, and transformation that center queer women of color. Varghese's work is similar to Carmen Maria Machado's: their subject matter is both necessary and unapologetic and written with a fierce edge. These women's rage, their love, their lives are on full display in all of their messy and human glory. My favorites from this book are "Stories in the Language of the Fist," which confronts microaggressions and smothering yourself order to meld into white society, "In the Bone Fields," which is a haunted house story with a unique premise, and "A Cure for Fear of Screaming" which is a wrenching story that examines the too frequent intersection of pain and female pleasure. This was an amazing debut and I can't wait to pick up whatever this author puts out next.