⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A quick-read riot with real afterburn
What a glorious, genre-bending surprise. Thick, Thin, What the Dragon Let In is more than 80 stories and prose-poems that flip from laugh-out-loud odd to quietly devastating—and somehow feel of a piece. I kept meaning to read “just one more” and ended up plowing through a dozen at a time, screenshotting lines to revisit. The short forms make it perfect “between things,” but the ideas linger long after.

Favorites? A two-line gut punch about grief that stopped me cold; a pocket-adventure that reminded me what wonder feels like; and a moody house piece that reads like memory with a heartbeat. Not every shard will be your thing—and that’s part of the fun. The mix is wild, voicey, and impossible to predict. If you like Etgar Keret, flash, or poetry-adjacent lit with bite, this is your new obsession.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions my own.

I went into this impressed by the title and the promise of something bold and experimental. It definitely is ambitious, a mix of poetry, stories, thoughts, and emotional fragments that clearly come from a creative, curious place. I could see what the author was reaching for: life’s chaos, humor, shadows, and all the strange corners in between.

But personally, I kept feeling like I was being shown puzzle pieces without the picture on the box. There were moments where the writing almost clicked for me, and then it drifted again. The structure and shifts in tone felt more dizzying than immersive, and I never found that emotional thread to hold onto.

That said, “Drum Circle” stood out. There was rhythm, grounding, and a pulse to that one that pulled me in a way the rest didn’t. It made me think that maybe this is a collection I’d appreciate more at another point in my life. Like poetry often is, it might speak louder when I’m in a different headspace.

Right now, though, I admired the intent more than I connected with the experience.

Review is being posted on my bookstagram and goodreads.

In this short anthology of stories, musings, and poetry, the author explores any and all topics. The lack of consistency is exactly what makes this stand out. There is no political, environmental, economic undertone which I normally see in these types of books.
There was structure and plot to all of the stories, but the ones I particularly enjoyed were the random musings that were often 1-2 lines. Many of the musings and poems were highlighted as being favourites.
This is recommended, really, to anyone. The stories are short, concise, and get the point across quickly.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Plum for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. I really enjoyed reading it.