All That’s Fair Week: “All That’s Fair” Book Review by Brennan LaFaro
S.H. Cooper is the epitome of that author I want to get to so bad and I just never seem to get to. Seriously, I’ve moved The Festering Ones to the front of my Kindle so many times only to not quite get to it. I’ve got The Corpse Garden withering away there too. Thankfully, All That’s Fair is the book that simultaneously lets me know what a mistake I’ve made up to this point and prompts me to un-fornicate that immediately. Side note: I actually did start reading The Festering Ones between wrapping up this brilliant collection of stories and writing this review.
The theme of this book is twenty-two stories revolving around women. Every single one of them acts as a short nightmare, fantastically addictive in their execution. The tales are like a certain brand of potato chips where you can’t have just one, because holy hell, what else could Cooper possibly dream up to keep you and sleep from meeting up late at night.
Many of the stories, such as “The Limping Woman”, “Twelve Hands”, “La Mere Blafarde”, and “The Shy Lady” embrace the style of an urban legend, a storytelling device that Cooper pulls off expertly and aides her in defying comparison.
Other stories craft unforgettable monsters that don’t pull from folklore and classic horror, but are seemingly born in the twisted mind of the author. “Whatever Happened to Lavinia Cartwright?” offers up some of the most shudder-inducing imagery of the whole collection while exploring a more gothic style of storytelling. “And Miyoko Waited” is a brutal and timely message for all the not-so-nice guys out there, “Middle Child Syndrome” explores a truly interesting concept and introduces a creature I simply can’t shake from my psyche.
All That’s Fair is that rare collection with no ‘skip’ stories. Every single one has something unique to offer. I’d highly recommend every single one mentioned thus far and I haven’t even gotten to the point where I share my favorites yet! “The O’Sullivan Song” is an excellent addition that flips a semi-familiar creature from folklore on its head and adds to its mythology, tugging on the heartstrings a bit as it goes. “The Crone’s Wood” was easily identifiable as a top three story with a fair bit of book still to go. The less said about the story, the better for the reader’s experience, but this is a can’t-miss tale. Finally, I loved to the center of my very being, the story “So Much Filler”. This is another heartstring tugger and a little nugget of beauty tucked within had me a bit misty by the end.
While trying my best to point out all the reasons a reader should check out this collection, I had to bypass so many stories that I think you’re going to love, just so the review isn’t longer than the book. I believe it’s worth repeating that Cooper doesn’t waste a page here and I enjoyed every moment. If you’ve read her fiction before, you probably know that. If you haven’t gotten to it yet, see paragraph one and procrastinate no longer.
Review by Brennan LaFaro
Twitter: @whathappensnex5
I received a copy from the author for review consideration.