A poignant collection of five short stories. Each story is a slice of life of sorts, mostly dealing with some kind of grief. The stories are reflective and emotional, some hopeful for a brighter future, and some deeper in their grief.

I did find that setting was hard to place. I didn't really think about the fact that some of these take place in America until I reread the synopsis. That does change a bit of a couple of the stories for me, but more in a way that affects my own reflections, assumptions, and societal perspective, which I guess allows for even more critical thought around these.

There were a few moments that didn't quite click - could be the writing, could be me - that required me to go back and reread some bits cause I'd feel like I missed something. Other times, I'd notice certain elements repeating that made these stories feel inexplicably connected through some thread of emotion and history.

As a whole, a solid, quick read, but it's definitely one of those collections that you feel like you need to think on for a bit after and maybe you didn't fully grasp it all.

Rep: Japanese MCs, albinism, schizophrenia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia

TW: suicide, death, gun violence, war; mentions rape, murder, pregnancy, violence

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 2/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 4/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Querencia Press in exchange for an honest review.