The Sea Gives Up the Dead by Molly Olguin is a mixed bag of a short story collection. While the quality of the writing is consistently strong - thoughtful prose, compelling explorations of complex topics, and genuinely unique concepts - not every story lands with the same impact. A couple of the stories stood out as truly excellent, drawing me in with their atmosphere and emotional resonance. Others felt flat or dragged in places, making them less engaging despite their strong themes.

Overall, it’s clear that Olguin is a talented writer with a gift for nuance and originality. Even when a story wasn’t especially entertaining, it was still intellectually interesting. Readers who enjoy literary fiction with a touch of the unusual may find plenty to admire here, even if the collection as a whole isn’t uniformly gripping.