2.75 stars

A book of short stories… I’ve said it before – I’m not usually a fan of short stories, and I wasn’t here, either. There was one that I liked; there were a few more that were ok – I wouldn’t say I liked them, but at least they held my attention; the others, I just wasn’t interested in and didn’t even manage to follow.

I hate writing a bad review about a book by a Canadian author, but I’ve actually also met this author a couple of times (and my book is a signed copy). I did like that some of the stories were set, not only in Canada, but in my city (Calgary – where the author lives, or did the last I knew), and in another city I’ve visited a couple of times (Victoria), so it’s always nice to recognize the places mentioned/described. ( )

Excellent, superb. Like Alice Munro, Mavis Gallant ( )

Great short stories. ( )

Excellent, superb. Like Alice Munro, Mavis Gallant ( )

Being a huge pop culture junkie, the first thing that pops into my mind to describe this book is that it is dark and twisty, like Meredith and Cristina on Grey’s Anatomy. I am a dark and twisty girl, which is why I can appreciate dark and twisty stories. If you are a bright and shiny girl, I’m not 100% sure this book is for you. But keep reading, I may be able to convince you to go to the dark side.

Vanishing and Other Stories is a gripping and gloomy collection of 14 short stories, carefully woven together to form a pattern of stories that flow perfectly together, like that Love quilt Winona Rider got as an engagement/wedding gift in How To Make An American Quilt. Unhappy endings and/or beginnings can sometimes make the most beautiful things, and this is evident in all of Willis’ stories, as someone or something is missing. The stories are told by the people left behind, and I dig the variety and depth of her characters. I enjoyed and connected with all of the stories in this book, but Caught, Frank, Vanishing, and Romance Languages really stand out for me. ( )