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Book Review: Crossings

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 3/5

Title: Crossings

Author: Elizabeth Thomas

Publication Date: December 2, 2020

Genre: Short Stories; American Fiction

Cover:

The cover of Crossings reminds me of an old, covered bridge near where I went to high school. There is something quaint and inviting about the cover that complements the American Fiction genre.

Premise

Crossings contains a collection of seven short stories. Thomas covers a wide range of topics and emotions as characters are introduced. She also includes two stories set in a fantasy realm.

Why I chose this book:

After conversing with Thomas on Twitter about the book cover, I offered to review the book, and she accepted.

First Impression:

As I read the stories in Crossings, I couldn’t help but think about how these were snapshots of the characters’ lives. Just moments out of thousands of moments proving that everyone has a story.

What I loved:

I appreciate the author’s comments serving as either an introduction or a closing to each short story. It offers the reader background and even insight into her thought process. I enjoyed reading about the struggle of whether to update certain aspects of “Schroedinger’s Landlord” and how “In a Name” was published in a magazine. These comments help the reader understand Thomas’ approach to each subject matter and almost serve as a mini-interview about each piece.

As previously mentioned, Thomas covers an array of topics that offer insight into the many and varied emotions we deal with throughout our lives. While several stories stand out, I enjoyed the ones with unexpected endings, such as “A Mediocre and Fairly Public Place,” a love story filled with loss and redemption. “In a Name” also left me with an eerie feeling as Thomas offers a perspective of love beyond the grave.

Additional Thoughts:

While I enjoy fantasy, I struggled with the last two stories, which both fall into this genre. They felt somewhat out of place when side-by-side with the other American fiction stories. It felt as if too much had been condensed into a short story format, and not enough time was spent on world-building, which is a critical element of this genre. Thomas referenced wanting to write a novel based on the second story, “More Than a Quest,” and I would encourage her to do so. Giving this story more room to unfold may be just what it needs. I would consider removing the last two stories and replacing them with additional short stories that better fit the intended genre.

Quotable Quotes:

• A trick to it, of course – inflict pain and cause fear without real, brutal damage, but control was difficult. Difficult in the face of the battle lust that threatened to overwhelm.
• Being haunted by his funny old friend would be one thing. Being harassed by Lila’s ghost in a perpetual state of victimized pissiness would be quite another.

Who might enjoy this book:

Crossings is ideal for readers who enjoy various short stories featuring what Thomas refers to as ”historical reality” and fantasy.

Overall Impression:

Three stars. While the first stories in Crossings are solid, the reader is faced with an abrupt shift in the genres at the end of the book, which feels jarring. Thomas clearly understands how to write engaging short stories filled with surprises, and I believe her anthology would be stronger with stories in the same vein as her first five. This book could easily achieve a higher star rating with this edit. I would happily read more of Thomas’ work as I felt interested and engaged with her writing.

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