Pitted is a short, unsettling piece of magical realism that explores the emotional weight of growing up too soon and the quiet fractures within a mother–daughter relationship. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5.

I tend to enjoy stories that use magical realism to heighten emotional truth, especially when they focus on family dynamics, and this one uses its surreal elements in a way that feels symbolic rather than decorative. The idea of Alice swallowing a peach pit and “growing up” in response to emotional strain is a strong central metaphor, and it fits neatly into the story’s themes of responsibility, resentment, and the blurred line between care and burden in a parentified child.

What stood out most to me was how effectively it captures Alice’s inner world in such a short space. She feels like a fully realized character despite the brevity, shaped by carrying too much responsibility at home and quietly keeping score of every moment she feels overlooked or criticized. That emotional clarity gives the story a surprising amount of weight for something so brief.

The relationship between Alice and her mother is handled with restraint and ambiguity, which works in the story’s favor. Neither is flattened into a simple role, and instead their dynamic feels tense, complicated, and recognizably human. The surreal element doesn’t distract from that—it sharpens it, turning emotional distance into something physical and uncanny.

Even with its 20-page length, the story manages to leave a strong impression. If anything, it feels intentionally sparse, like a snapshot of a larger emotional reality rather than a fully expanded narrative. The pacing is quick, but that immediacy also suits the intensity of Alice’s experience and the suddenness of the transformation she undergoes.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy very short literary fiction, magical realism used as emotional metaphor, and stories about complicated mother–daughter relationships that lean into the surreal.

A beautiful short story about mothers and daughters as they navigate their own lives and relationship. At only 20 pages, I was surprised by how charming this was. Give it a read, and call your mom.

Pitted is a short story encompassing the feelings of being a daughter to a mother. I surprisingly loved this?? It's so poignant and perfectly captured the family dynamic and it made me remember what it was like to be a teenage daughter of a mother. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow. I don't really read short stories, but I really like this. It has a way of describing mundane, ordinary life and problems and later revealing emotion and underlying themes through Alice's magical transformation. It also reminds me of a passage I would read in AP Lit when they would take an excerpt and ask you questions about the devices used--I could definitely see this being used for something like that.

This was a great short story - able to convey a message with great imagery in few pages is not an easy task, but this one was fabulous.

If you like weird short stories, you'll eat this one up (pun intended).

Thanks to E.M. Cleary & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and my review is left voluntarily.

This was short. So short. But it was so good. I loved it. Alice’s relationship with her mother was so intresting and conflicted and sad. Her relationship with neil was also good and intresting and a bit heartwarming. I wish it was a bit longer but its was still good anyways even as a 20 page book. I also fount it pretty unique and creative. Love it.

This made me feel weirdly emotional. I can't pinpoint what did it, but damn...

I'm not even sure how to review this, because I'm confused, but also I totally get it, if that makes sense? This short story is only 20 pages, but I kind of wish it was longer! Alice is such an interesting and relatable character, I'd love to read more of her thoughts. The dynamic between her and her mother just hit so close to home.

This is the first ever short story that I've read and genuinely adored! It's a story for women who sometimes feel out of place in a man's world, for mothers and daughters with complicated relationships, for people who sometimes feel misunderstood, or for people who sometimes feel like they're too much.