You Think It, I'll Say It 😨 Book Review


  

Written by Thelonia


Many of the stories in Curtis Sittenfield's new short story collection, You Think It, I'll Say It, revolve around women, their relationships, and how both fall apart. Each story examines a specific character, all of which carry their own neuroses and anxieties, some unfounded, some completely rational (or at least so it seems to someone with their own anxieties). If you like watching how people lose it and how grudges, insecurities, and doubts can grow lives of their own in the right hands, then this is the book for you.

I think a lot of the stories are very strong, and while they are similar in voice and theme, they are different enough in plot and characters that they are easily distinguished. I would however say that the first and last stories were the weakest to me, especially since they were the ones that felt like they were trying the hardest to be relevant (both involve Trump and the election and how they've impacted the character's relationships to romantic figures in their lives). Also, the first one made me google this:

Granted, I chose to do this to myself, but this story was the impetus, damnit.

Some of the standouts to me where "Volunteers Are Shining Stars" and "Bad Latch," perhaps because those were the ones that I could relate to the most as a person with Social Anxiety who could recognize the signs of anxiousness, envy, and paranoia that can set in under the right conditions (here, stress and isolation). The other stories were interesting, but perhaps harder to relate to personally as I'm not necessarily the right 'fit,' and haven't experienced a lot of the life events/specific anxieties that the characters had at that point in their lives. Which meant that while they worked as I was reading, they didn't stick with me as much as those I could relate to on a deeper level.

You Think It, I'll Say It is an interesting look at several characters, their moral dilemmas and worries, and makes for a good read if you like character-driven stories as well as intimate looks at inter-personal relationships and how they fracture slowly due to unfaithfulness, paranoia, or plain boredom.


You Think It, I'll Say It is currently available everywhere books are sold.

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