I have been long overdue in writing about these short stories that I have been receiving. I’ve just been so busy catching up on all of the other books I’ve had to read, while keeping on top of my research in the lab, that I just pushed these aside. Nevertheless, I’ve continued to read more stories in this Season of Stories collection, so here is my review:
An author whose books have seen better days decides to join a new reality show. This show pits celebrities against each other in a dumpster diving competition. Each week, the competitors are taken to a new location, and they are given a certain amount of money to search for a valuable object for a very low price. Whoever buys the most valuable object for the cheapest amount wins the show. The author is only here to drum up some interest in her work. But the more time she spends on the show, the more she sees that she is just a pawn in this production…. and she is no longer willing to play that role.
Helen Ellis is the author of American Housewives, which is a collection of short stories both humorous and poignant in their prose and premise. This story definitely fits into this description. It is ironic in its humor and portrayal of reality television, but it is poignant in its depiction of the struggles of each contestant through the eyes of the main character. I loved the way that the story flowed, and I loved the interactions between the different characters. I was surprised by how much affection I felt for the main character in such a short amount of time – that in itself is a testament to the author’s ability to write! Overall, I really liked this story, and I’m definitely going to consider reading more of her work!
Happy reading ~