This Is Not Your City

What a breathtaking short story collection Caitlin Horrocks has created. The 11 stories in This is Not Your City all have female protagonists, and each is facing some type of struggle, whether it's dealing with an unhappy relationship (romantic or familial), confronting your fears, hating your job (and those you deal with), or even having your cruise ship hijacked by pirates. But these stories aren't all heavy, depressing ones--Horrocks brings the right balance of emotion, humor, and seriousness (when appropriate) to each.I really enjoyed every story in this collection, although one was marred by missing pages in the Kindle version. But several stood out above the others--Zolaria, a woman's reflections on a childhood friend and confronting the fears that have plagued her since then; Zero Conditional, which followed a young woman who finds herself teaching but literally loathes her job and her students; World Champion Cow of the Insane, a tale of young marriage and questioning whether to trust your heart or someone else's assertions about your mate; Embodied, which follows a woman who believes she is on her 127th life, and is confronting a soul that did her wrong in a previous life--but in an unusual way; and In the Gulf of Aden, Past the Cape of Guardafui, about a couple escaping the sadness of their daily lives on a cruise, only to have the ship hijacked by pirates.What I love about good short stories is that you come to care deeply about the characters and are sad when the stories end. I felt that way with almost every story in this collection, and honestly believe Horrocks could take nearly every one and turn it into a book of its own. If you enjoy short stories, definitely pick up This is Not Your City, and you'll marvel at both the author's writing ability and her skill at creating so many different characters and situations, nearly all of which feel authentic in their own way.

Caitlin Horrocks travels far in these dark, insightful stories. I encountered characters and situations that I hadn’t seen before, all rooted in well-rendered reality. I was so taken by the shifting rhythms of her prose and her finely nuanced descriptions that I needed to read all the stories fast, to see what she could do next. Each story in this collection demonstrates mastery, but in particular I was drawn to “Zolaria,” “Going to Estonia,” “Steal Small,” “This Is Not Your City,” and “In the Gulf of Aden, Past the Cape of Guardafui.”

I read her second collection of short stories and so got this one. Definitely her own, unique voice. But the stories may make you uncomfortable. They did for me, at least. She takes on some difficult topics in our society.

Haunting and poetic. A must read. Each story gripped me and I read this within 48 hours of getting it, cover to cover. I usually do t read short stories and yet these will stick with me. They are incredibly gripping.

'This Is Not Your City' is an amazing collection of short stories that are all wondrously unique and written in Horrocks's effortless, dreamy voice. Most importantly, all the stories are drenched with emotion, life, and humor. You might cry, you'll certainly laugh, and you'll definitely find yourself ruminating over these stories long after you've finished reading them.

These were searingly sad stories about people trying desperately to succeed, but never making it. The writer made them and their problems terribly real.

Really enjoyed this collection of short stories. The story of the girl on the booze cruise will stay with me for a long time.

This debut collection is evidence of a startling precocity. By turns funny and wise, This Is Not Your City demonstrates a wide range of concerns and talents, an absence of formal constraint and a true passion for storytelling.

I love this collection of short stories. The author creates complex, sympathetic characters. She then shows us how they live. Sometimes they face bizarre situations, but the everyday life is deliciously written. I look forward to more from this author.