Cousin Calls Published by Independently Published on August 2021 Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories (single author)
Pages: 373
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
A college student reluctantly attends a family chili cookout that turns into a never ending nightmare. A man desperate for job skills uses a brain implant to help him learn, but it malfunctions and leaves him sexually attracted to shadows. A private investigator is hired to discover who keeps befouling the walls of convenience store bathrooms. Two deer engaged in combat find that they are unable to unlock from one another’s antlers after the fight is over. A single mother spends 2020 battling an evil landlord, a fascist neighbor, national political chaos, and a global pandemic.
These are the strange stories told by regulars at the local bar on Christmas Eve, stories which each began with a phone call from someone who announced “you don’t know me, but we’re cousins.”
A collection of short stories linked together by the overarching “Cousin Call” that haunts each of the storytellers. I really love this idea, but most of the stories just didn’t click for me. I’ll write a couple notes on each of the short stories below. I didn’t find any of the characters likeable or redeemable. Honestly, that is usually a deal breaker for me.
World’s Greatest Chili –
The Shadow Thief – Somehow I forgot going into this story that the MC was going to end up sexually attracted to shadows and I was seriously confused by the sudden shift. I was really enjoying the first half of the story but then all that work to build up the company’s shady practices was tossed to the side for a shadow jacking obsession.
The Mysterious Case of Who Was Wiping Shit All Over the Bathroom Walls – Oddly enough, this title for the story says it all. This was my favorite story out of the collection but, unfortunately, it was the shortest. It was an outrageous, somewhat filthy, tale that stood out in this collection. On it’s own it would have had 3 stars.
The Lucky Bucks – I’m not one for animal POVs, so right out of the gate I was annoyed. It was fine, I suppose.
The True Story of Douchebag Dave – I can’t decide if this story was the one I dislike the most, or if it was the Chili story. Probably this one because it is the one I have the strongest opinion on. The story of Douchebag Dave is a contemporary tale set in the early days of the pandemic told through the diary of a single mother. Readers are forced to fast-forward through “highlights” of the early COVID and the final days of the Trump Presidency. Jane is in the running for least likeable character this year and honestly I think she will win. This story was essentially one giant rant against current events, ADHD medication, and I guess the establishment as a whole. I’m not going to spend any more of my time hashing it out.
Ultimately, it is clear that Haradon is a talented writer but this was largely a miss for me. In fact, every time I see this book on my read list I feel irritated. So if nothing else, it certainly wasn’t forgettable.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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