Review: Short Stories in a Range of Genres All Linked By An Inventive Premise
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2014
“Daisy Chain” is an inventive collection of short stories with an impressive range of subjects—from best friendship to failing marriages to even the supernatural. They are all smoothly written, polished tales that do what a short story should do: give you a short slice of a narrative that makes you stop and think or feel a particular emotion.The first story, “Crossing the Line,” is one of the best—detailing a long and internally contentious relationship between the popular guy in high school, the nerdy social outcast, and who they both become as adults. It didn’t end how I expected, and the narrator’s sharp realization in the last sentence is emotionally effective.The book then switches to a supernatural tale about being consumed by a relationship (“Energy Vampire”) before moving back into realism with stories like “Real Life,” about a timid girl named Margy’s coming-of-age in New York City and “Happily Ever After,” a story about a woman who doesn’t find herself and happiness until decades into adulthood. The book concludes with a story about real magic (“Magic”) with a sinister twist.If there is a theme to be found running through the stories, it’s discontent and whether or not that motivates a character to change his or her life—and the consequences of that change. (Which also fits perfectly into the “daisy chain” analogy of the title—just as each story is linked to the one before it by the last sentence, each character’s end result is linked to the choices they make). While a few of the unhappy marriage themes got repetitive, I enjoyed this book as a whole and found most of the stories to be engrossing—the characters and situations are memorable, and the way they flow together is perfectly crafted. I would recommend “Daisy Chain” to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and short stories, and who are looking for a unique reading experience.