Hi, all! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Justin Taylor's debut collection, Flings.People young and old face all kinds of choices. Decisions that will affect their lives not only immediately but just as much further down the line. Friends newly graduated and deciding what to do next; a couple about to get married and facing down secrets from their past; a divorced father spending an evening with his grown children... these are just a few examples of the stories in Justin Taylor's new collection.
I think there's a certain amount of discomfort I felt in reading these stories. Most of the characters are drifting, much in the way I imagine a lot of older twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings are. It's being faced with the very truth of today's post-college reality that's unsettling to someone like me and so with that in mind I can't say that I enjoyed these stories.
In terms of being realistic, well written, and effective, however, Justin Taylor most certainly has accomplished that. All of the people are well drawn and real. There's a depth to them that is intriguing. It makes you wonder - is the sign twirler on the corner skimming off the top? Is the person next to you on the airplane making a run for it from his longtime love? And what about that happy family in the corner booth of the restaurant - is there some dark tragedy that mars their past?
Rating: 3/5
To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. For more on Justin and his work you can visit his website here and follow him on Twitter.
1 comment:
It's true that we never know what is really going on in the lives of the people we pass every day. This book is a good reminder of that.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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