Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a beautifully crafted collection of short stories, offering a wide range of experiences while exploring powerful, often intersecting themes. The use of multiple narrators, one for each story, adds a dynamic quality to the audiobook listening experience, giving each piece a distinct voice.

I found the stories exploring the disconnect between characters' home and school lives particularly resonant. The collection delves into difficult territory, frequently depicting grinding poverty, caregivers at their breaking point, and the devastating impact of neglect, abuse, or exploitation by those meant to be protectors. These themes make for a demanding and often upsetting listen.

The first few stories set a very dark tone, which initially made me wonder if I could continue with the collection. While subsequent stories often maintained this emotional weight, many wove in moments of light that sustained my listening momentum. Several stories conclude without clear resolution, hovering between probable disaster and the faintest possibility of bittersweet redemption.

Structurally, while the variety keeps the collection engaging, the intense emotional weight is somewhat concentrated towards the beginning. Introducing some of the relatively lighter (though still complex) stories earlier might have created a slightly more balanced listening journey.

The audiobook production itself was strong, with the varied narrators enhancing the experience. I did encounter a minor technical issue within the NetGalley app where playback progress exceeded 100%. Additionally, a striking, dark detail concerning the disposal of bodies near prisons built by rivers seemed to appear in two separate stories. While I can't be certain this wasn't due to an audiobook skip on my end, its potential repetition underscores the pervasive darkness woven throughout the collection.

This is not a collection to be entered into lightly. While I didn't uniformly "enjoy" every story due to the heavy subject matter, I found most pieces thought-provoking and impactful, learning something valuable from every narrative.