This review was difficult for me to write, because I really like and admire several of the people involved in the anthology–Monica Valentinelli, Bill Bodden, Chuck Wendig, and Jason Sizemore–but I didn’t love every story. Ultimately, I decided that I had to be honest and trust in the professionalism of everyone involved. I remember back when I wrote my first review for IFP and balked at saying anything negative, dancing around the things I didn’t like, and one of the fantastic editors at IFP told me to buck up and just be honest. Readers appreciate honest reviews, and anyone worth their salt wasn’t going to blacklist me because I dared give my opinion. Most importantly, however, I don’t want readers to skim or discount my reviews because they are so unswervingly positive that they become entirely unreliable, which would reflect badly not just on me, but on IFP, as well.
That said, this is just MY opinion. You might read this anthology (which was, overall, quite good) and love every single story. Or love the stories I didn’t like and hate the stories I loved. Taste is, luckily, subjective.
Sarah Hans 