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There are currently 26 member reviews
for This Is Salvaged
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Elizabeth V. (Bellbrook, OH)
Excellent Writing But The Stories Were Not For Me
Vauhini Vara is a talented writer. The writing is descriptive and vividly drawn but I found the stories to be very dark and cynical. I didn't find them humorous or enjoyable. Books are my safe space and this one didn't feel safe at all; I'm sure that appeals to many people but not to me.
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B B. (Vernon Hills, IL)
Thought provoking short stories
I enjoyed this collection of short stories. I read them just one at a time. The stories stand on their own, yet they share major themes. I'm happy I had the opportunity to read this collection. 3.5 stars
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Reb
Sad and Dark Lives Captured with Good Writing Skills
Author Vauhini Vara is a talented writer and her collection of short stories, THIS IS SALVAGED is sure to stir up a response in the reader. Vara seems to gravitate towards the dark side of life: there are houses that smell foul from dried vomit in one story and young girls desperate for employment applying for telephone sex jobs in another. These characters and their behavior may not interest all readers, but I am sure that all readers could agree that the author has captured the essence of sad situations and people desperate for a better life but not always able to escape. Everyone’s life is not a happy ending, and these stories are realistic in that sense. Not all stories were for me, but I appreciate the talent of the author.
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Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)
This Is Salvaged
"This Is Salvaged" is a haunting, thought-provoking collection of short stories about people struggling through difficult times and recovering pieces of themselves to string together into a new whole. Some of the stories are clever and really comical in places, but I found the collection as a whole a bit uneven. While I loved the story, "Hormone Hypothesis" for its warm and fascinating look at how women comfort and support each other, I found the very next story, "Puppet Master Made the Puppets" ever so choppy and unreadable, For the most part, however, I found this collection an enjoyable read.
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Babe H. (Augusta, IL)
Define Salvage
This is a thought-provoking series of stories and most difficult to review. The jacket mentioned so many questionable characters that I was interested to see how they could be combined. They aren't. The first story seemed to be the first chapter of a novel that the author might later finish. After that most of the others were so depressing that I thought perhaps I did not properly define salvage; thinking it meant something that could be saved for a useful purpose. Then I thought perhaps my misunderstanding was a religious tenet--something to do with hope--if not of life eternal, at least being a better person. In most cases these stories presented neither. My overall take was that I had to realize that people I know are in these type of situations and I should be more aware.
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