Since it's a short story collection, inevitably I'll enjoy some stories more than others. I appreciated how nothing seemed off limits and there was an eclectic mix of elements. I think it's safe to say that if you appreciate the quirky humor and sharp emotional friction of Beautyland, you'll enjoy this collection as well.

I was intrigued by this audio but unfortunately the actual book did not work for me. I found myself drifting off and distracted because this one didn't have a narrative that held my attention.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Exit Zero was an excellent collection. I can see parts of Bertino's writing from Beautyland here. I loved her writing and the stories were quirky and well-written. Perfection!

These stories exist in some hinterland of surreality. The surreality is not the point, but it is ever present in way that blurs the real. Surreality as an analysis of reality. This extension of reality gives the stories a kind of deadpan humor that allows you to look at the world askance. From within this slightly altered perspecitve, the inanity of certain relationships and dramas is heightened causing ripples in how we see each other and the modern world. All of this to say, a great collection of stories whose oblique premises will stay locked in my noggin.

I received this audio book for free and I write this review voluntarily.

Also read the ebook. The stories are weird, magical and unforgettable. Audio book makes it more magical.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this chance!

I loved Beautyland so much when it came out and I still think of it fondly — the tenderness and loneliness, the innate sense of yearning in being an oddity. All of these things are what I came into Exit Zero expecting, because above all, Marie-Helene Bertino's strangeness is undeniably endearing. But while Exit Zero mirrors Bertino's typical sci-fi / speculative fiction framing, it fails, for the most part, to exude the same wisdom in simplicity gleamed from Beautyland.

Most of the stories in this collection left me lost on its purpose (but that could also just be my own misunderstanding). I will say that it's almost like Bertino heard the advice of "come in late and get out early" when writing chapters and took it to the extreme with these short stories. Some of them had intriguing premises, which is to be expected from Bertino, but the execution of them shouldn't have been so restricted to flatness for the sake of brevity.

2.5 rounded up. Thank you to the publishers for the copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media LLC. for this advanced audiobook copy of Exit Zero. I recommend this book and appreciate the chance to share my thoughts.

This was a wonderful and fun collection of short stories had quite a variety of topics, themes, and tones but all felt like they belonged together. I really appreciated the grounded feel of stories with 'out there' topics (The Night Gardner, Exit Zero, & Viola in Midwinter). These were perfectly contrasted with 'mundane' stories with an elevated sense of magic about them (Marry the sea & Flowers and their meanings). I also appreciated the narration by Adenrele Ojo, brining the aformentioned magic to each tale.

Quick read with some wild fun!

Beautyland wasn't the best book I read last year but it was the one I was always talking about, the one I would suggest to people, the one I looked for reviews of and discussions about to see what other people thought of it. Exit Zero is a short story collection by the same author, Marie-Helene Bertino. It contains stories as weird and wonderful as Beautyland. I had the same reading experience with Exit Zero as I did with Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reaches series - never quite sure where I was or where I was going but I sure enjoyed the ride. These stories are fantastical and creepy and deeply human. Adenrele Ojo did an excellent job narrating these odd narratives, neither leaning too far into the campy elements nor going too far the other direction of detachment. Instead, the stories are read with a warmth which brings the humanity to the front, regardless of how bizarre the context. I hope there are more collaborations between the author and narrator in the future. For now, if Bertino writes it, I will read it! Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

I really enjoyed this collection of a dozen stories that often feel a bit breezy in format, but quite thoughtful in execution. Well, the author uses language that does feel sometimes arch, it does not seem out of place with the peculiar qualities of the stories themselves. There’s quite a bit of wonder and interesting world building that goes into some of these stories that feel like a kind of literary speculative fiction. Bertino is clearly a talented author that I can see some people finding her pros to be imprecise. I found it to be refreshing and often got caught up in the rush of the ideas in the language, swirling around in a story, even if by the end, I didn’t really understand the journey that I had taken. For me, that just adds another opportunity to read a book and get more deeply into it. Exit Zero was a great experience.

I have mixed feelings about this collection. I finished this collection a few weeks ago and some of the stories have stuck with me while many have already been almost totally forgotten. If you've enjoyed Bertino's other works this one will likely be a hit for you but I'm not sure I'd recommend this broadly.

Bertino can do no wrong! I have loved everything I’ve read from her and this book is no exception. I will be habdselling this one.

Exit Zero contains twelve delightful stories that will surprise and charm you! Again, Bertino dazzles us and I will read anything that she writes. My favorite was the unicorn tale, I am still thinking about it. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates a fever dream vibe in their stories. Great narration, perfect for the content!

I'm such a fan of Marie-Helene Bertino. "Beautyland" and "Parakeet," were both supremely odd and moving. Bertino has such a way of finding profound moments of truth in every day situations. I feel like she gives words to thoughts and feeling that I haven't been able to before.

Exit-Zero lives very much in the world of "vibes over plot," which I think is cool. The only thing I missed was some of the heart and connection that is built through her long form writing. It's a selfish critique to offer to a short story collection, but I did find myself left wanting more from a few of these stories. I've grown so fond of living with the idiosyncratic characters Bertino writes that when that relationship is cut short, it feels like a bit of heart is missing, as well.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book and appreciate that Bertino's unique perspective is still present in these stories

I really struggled relating to the stories in this book. I tried listening on multiple occasions, but I really could not relate or enjoy this text. I loved the description and the concept, but it just wasn’t for me.

In a series of short stories, Marie-Helene Bertino takes us on a tour of strange happenings. This was my first Bertino, but I’ve heard a lot about her and her particular style. For the first few stories I felt unsure of what I was supposed to be getting out of them. However, after Exit Zero (ironically), something clicked and I was able to let the oddities simply be in some cases delightfully bizarre, and in others unsettling. I particularly enjoyed the feeling that each story felt like our world, but with a bit of a glitch in the matrix. I’m someone who typically avoids heavy themes, but Bertino is an expert in applying them in a way that didn’t feel like it was weighing the narrative down, but instead lending depth and humanity.

My favorites, in order:
The Night Gardener
In the Basement of St. John the Divine
Flowers and their Meanings
Viola in Midwinter

I listened to this on audio and enjoyed the narrator and the variation she was able to apply to the characters’ voices!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Like almost every short story collection, some of these were 5 star stories and others were, well, not, so the average here comes out to a 4 for me. (Jasmine, I love you. Cher, sadly, not so much.)

Part of what really worked for me in these magically realistic tales was the mundane specificity of the Mid-Atlantic. I don't think I've ever seen Shop 'n Save referenced this much in fiction. I'm not sure, though, how much that anchored anyone who exists outside the NY/NJ/PA triangle. And were the people from St. Louis just confused? Apparently, they have their own Shop 'n Save that underwent parallel evolution? And there's one in New England with an apostrophe on either side? Did those folks think Bertino messed up in her Catskills story (which feels like the only locale where the two may overlap)?

Like a lot of my books, I listened to this one, and while I adore Adenrele Ojo, her casting here, coupled with the many mentions of Shop 'n Save, made me think the characters were having a more intersectionally fraught working class struggle than I think Bertino imagined for them. I want Ojo to get all of the work she can find, but I had to refocus myself when I learned Bertino was from one of the whiter parts of Philly.

ARC supplied by Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audio ARC!

The stories in Exit Zero are unique, quirky, and eclectic. I found them to be very entertaining and highly readable, with common themes that stir the imagination. Very well done.

Exit Zero is an incredible set of short stories from the incomparable Marie-Helene Bertino. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration from Adenrele Ojo really adds to the entire experience. Pick this collection up if you want answers to questions such as: How do you deal with taking care of the unicorn your dad leaves you after he dies? What if balloons started coming to you while you night gardened and brought you messages? How do you get yourself out of a time loop that is actually Cheers episodes after stealing from your mom?

Thank you very much to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved @marie.helenebertino 's BEAUTYLAND, so when I saw she had a short story collection out, I was thrilled!
𝑬𝑿𝑰𝑻 𝒁𝑬𝑹𝑶 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆-𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒐 by @dreamscape_media (Out Today!) is on par with what I was expecting and this made me so happy. These are rather absurd stories that have a melancholic tone, but still feel delightful. I was fascinated by the less-tidy unicorn, the haunted peach, the loop of a Cheers episode (maybe my favorite), balloon messages, a tiger in a dressing room, and so much more. The audio was narrated sublimely by Adenrele Ojo and a great format to choose. Once again, I am invited to see pieces of humanity through an outside lense that leaves me grateful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I loved Bertino’s debut, BEAUTYLAND, last year, so it only felt right that I request her latest! This collection of stories is all the things I’d hoped it would be from this author: fun, surreal, and unique. Her writing is truly beautiful, her voice very much her own. There are a few standouts in the collection (namely the title story and the final one), but many of them are a bit forgettable, despite their strangeness. Stylistically, they are also very similar, without much variation between them. It can also be difficult to pinpoint what is happening at times. But when Bertino hits, she hits; many of these stories are poignant and satisfying, and made my own creative wheels turn. Three and a half stars.

Summaries below:

- “Marry the Sea”: A bunch of beautiful imagery. Gorgeous writing. No linear plot, and I’m not sure what any of it means.
- “Edna in Rain”: A woman meets with all of her exes as they begin falling from the sky.
- “Exit Zero”: A woman’s estranged father dies, and she is summoned to his house in New Jersey to deal with his “delicate items.” Love a good South Jersey story!
- “Can Only Houses Be Haunted?”: After coming home from a trip, a couple finds a dead girl in their house.
- “Lottie Woodside and the Diamond Dust Share”: After getting in a car accident, Lottie discovers a painting.
- “The Ecstasy of Sam Malone”: A girl has a dream that she is in an episode of Cheers from which she can’t wake up.
- “The Night Gardener”: A gardener begins receiving balloons with messages on them from a mysterious source.
- “Kathleen in Light Colors”: A woman and her lover cannot physically touch one another because there is a presence between them.
- “Every Forest, Every Film”: A film critic goes to see a show.
- “In the Basement of Saint John the Divine”: A previously blind boy and his father attend a medieval camp.
- “Flowers and Their Meanings”: A tiger is loose in a town as a woman’s mother fails.
- “Viola in Mid-Winter”: A vampire falls in love and chronicles her life.