Review - Anoka by Shane Hawn

Anoka by Shane Hawk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good for a first book. "Transfiguration" is by far the best story in the collection. Excellent atmosphere, generally good at not ham-fisting the social issues touched upon in the stories. The Story Notes are an excellent addition, particularly for white readers, such as me.

Some of the stories could use a bit of refining, particularly in the way of "show, don't tell". The worst offender is in "Wounded" that contains the line "They were, after all, in ultra-white 1990s Minnesota". The reference to Infinite Jest in the following passages should be enough to *show* the reader that the story is set in 1996/1997. No need to narrate!

Side note, would love to read a longer piece in the style of "Soilborne"!

Will be following for future releases :)

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