thelovelylibrarylady's profile picture

thelovelylibrarylady 's review for:

Shit Cassandra Saw: Stories by Gwen E. Kirby
3.0
funny reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This review is difficult to write because there were some aspects I really liked about this title and some aspects I really didn't. First of all, the story "Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories" (which is in this collection) is fantastic. It is probably one of the best short stories I have ever read and it ultimately saved Shit Cassandra Saw from a lower rating. Unfortunately, the brilliance of that story did not translate to the rest of the stories and poems in this book. I got what the author was trying to do - write about female empowerment in a way that transcends the constraints women have and continue to face. But, I felt that it lacked intersectionality. There was little to no commentary about race, religion, or social class which are three identity markers that overlap with womanhood. It doesn't feel right to write a feminist anthology and not talk about these other identities.