Customer Reviews

Boys and Girls Like You and Me: Stories

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't usually care much for short stories; I don't understand them most of the time, and so they bore me. This collection is different. It grabbed me from the first paragraph and never let go. In each of these eleven stories about young women and girls (and one young boy), I recognized either myself or people I know. There are many, many ways that a woman can mess up her life, and several of these ways are brought to living, breathing, despairing life in these tales. It's uncanny how vivid these short tales are, despite dealing with the mundane situations of life.

Affairs with married men, trying too hard to be accepted, allowing a betrayal to ruin one's life, compulsive lies- they're all here, bad choices aplenty. In all these stories, you have the feeling that these lives could have reached dead ends, but you keep hoping for these people. Each story *does* end with the possibility that these lives can be turned around. These are stories about women and girls, but it's not chick lit.

After reading The God of Animals, I've been eagerly waiting for Aryn Kyle to come out with a new book. This is her latest offering - a collection of eleven short stories about young people ranging from elementary-school aged children to college-aged young adults.

In each of the stories, Kyle takes a common scene, such as a love affair, dealing with steparents, idolizing a mentor, and gives it a new twist so that when you are reading through the stories, you never know what will happen next. For almost all of the stories, I found myself amazed at how the author expertly moves from scene to scene, building up to an ending that you almost don't see coming. Almost all of her characters are outcasts of some sort - people not quite fitting in with mainstream society - and she does an excellent job of character development. Her writing is very crisp and clear and does not get bogged down by metaphors or overly descriptive passages.

For those people who found The God of Animals to be too intense or depressing (the most common complaints I heard), I think you would enjoy this collection more. None of the stories are particularly "happy," but being short stories, they do not reach the same level of intensity that the author's first novel does.

Kyle clearly has a great deal of talent, and I will again be waiting to see what she comes out with next.

Each and every one of these stories is a touching one and true to its core. It is my first book by this young and talented author, Ms. Aryn Kyle. I loved it so much, that I intend to read her first book which brought her to fame in literay circles. Ms. Kyle writes about women and their experiences. These stories are about love and loss, search for beauty and meaning, young girls' search for their own identity away from misfortunes and dysfuction of their own families. Stories are about emotionally fragile women who try to find meaning in their lives thought thier work or service to others.

If only I can say that I have a favorite story in this collection. But I cannot do that because it would be of disservice to this wonderful author. Each one of the pieces is strong and well developed. They will stay with reader for a long time. Writing style is excellent and at the same time easy to read. Each time I finished one story, I could not wait to start the next one because I wanted to see what the the next story is all about.

Please read this book and recommend to others. It is worth every single word - trust me on that!

This is a great little collection of short stories, all about different women at different places in their lives, mostly on the younger side. Kyle write with passion and grace, exploring the often painful experiences that shape people, particularly women. She has a particular knack for showcasing the shameful in a non-judgmental, I've been there sort of way, which I love. Because the common thread in these stories are the poor choices so many girls and women make. We hurt their girls, we lave ourselves open and vulnerable for hurt, we choose bad men, we choose poor jobs. I think that's why the title is so perfect: we are so alike, women.

Several of the stories are set in school--elementary, high school. "Brides" is set in the middle of a high school musical production, the main character is the new kid in the show. Kyle likes the new kid, the outsider. I think she clearly sees herself this way. "Allegiance" is set in elementary school. Glynnis is the new girl, she has a very unhappy home life, and she wants so badly to be accepted--she is from England trying to cope with a move to the States with a very depressed and emotionally clingy mother. She sees girls being mean.

Other stories are set at work, like "Sex Scenes from a Chain Bookstore' which made me laugh. More bad choices, this time screwing the boss. Some are set in an in between time, like "Take Care". Younger sister Kate is ordered by her parents to help "care" for her college age sister Claudia, who has had an affair with a professor and has tried to hurt herself. Naughtiness (and more bad decisions by both parties!) ensues.

"Captain's Club"'s point of view is a little different as you think the main character is a little boy--but really, it isn't. A heartbreaking story though. I think I like the last story the best: "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" is the proof that Kyle is an artist. a lovely way to end this collection. This is a quick read that would be perfect for any woman age 16-80 to read this summer. I was touched by these portraits.

Aryn Kyle is an old soul. Despite her young age (not even 30), she digs deep into the human condition with stories that sparkle and simmer and snuggle up against you or reach out and shake you from your complacency.

Her characters -- all boys and girls on the crux of real adulthood or discovery -- are not shut-down but sometimes shut-in -- trying to break free and discover who they really are and what life has in store for them.

My hands-down favorite of 11 stories is Captain's Club: an awkward 12-year-old boy is chosen by default to accompany a popular classmate on a Mediterranean cruise with the classmate's estranged father and his new girlfriend Tree. As Tommy blossoms, he and Tree bond and he begins to catch a glimmer of her dark side. At the end, "Tommy began to cry...not because of fear or loneliness or disappointment, but because there was so much beauty, too much beauty for his small body to hold..." This page-turning story is authentic, poignant, and masterfully done.

Or another: Sex Scenes From A Chain Bookstore. A bookstore employee begins an affair with the store manager in a darkly funny scene: "I let my teeth find the clink of his wedding bands and I push at it with the flat of my tongue. Bite into the flesh around it. When he pulls his hand back, I think he is going to hit me. But instead he throws it against the shelf."

Not every story is perfect and some try too hard. Femme, for example, written in second person plural, feels slightly formulaic and Economics -- the first line is "That was the year I thought I'd never be happy again", is not particularly memorable. Yet many of these stories are handled extraordinarily well: an uprooted British girl who wants to be "in" with the in crowd; an older sociopathic sister who ruins the life of everyone around her; a not-so-grieving sister who takes her niece and nephew for a night-to-remember with the Yellow Pirate.

Maybe these boys and girls ARE like you and me. Maybe they're not. But one thing's for certain: they're sure to be remembered. (4.5)

I picked this book up the day before I went to Europe expecting it to keep me company in short doses. Rarely do I have the patience or interest to read a book start to finish. In this case I could not put the book down. It made my New York to Rome flight feel like an hour long flight. I actually checked in to my hotel and finished the last 36 pages before I did anything else on my vacation. It's a great read!

This is a great collection of short stories. They are all very readable and I finished the book within a week. Some might find fault with the fact that most of the characters are of a certain type, young females down on their luck, but I felt the personalities of the protagonists were varied enough to be interesting. There certainly is no repetition of action.

If there are any flaws it would be that a few of the stories have a bit of an off-putting seediness although I doubt it will bother most readers. Personally I would have liked to have seen more cultural variety in the collection. I have no doubt that Kyle is capable of depicting a rich variety of characters. But the stories have an authenticity and clarity that make the collection easy and enjoyable to read so I probably shouldn't question her choices.

Aryn Kyle is a very talented writer and I look forward to more short story collections (as I am a huge short story fan).

This was a great book of short stories about various girls and women, most of whom make poor choices in friendships or relationships. I really liked about every story in the book. The writing was great. I enjoyed the dark humor in many of the stories and was touched by many of them. I recommend this book.

This is probably the best collection of short stories I have read all year. Each character is so believable and heartbreaking. What an incredibly talented writer. I usually don't recommend books but this one completely blew me away. A must read.

Aryn Kyle is an exceptionally talented writer with a witty and refreshing story to tell. Each of the 11 stories in "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" offer an insight into the lives of boys, girls, young women, and men. Each is somewhat of a lost soul, dealing with or anticipating the impending abandonment or isolation in their lives. Each story and every character is striking. She is able to create an entire world of people within these pages, each distinct and memorable.

It is difficult to say I have a favorite story from the collection, all are so engaging. Brides is a great way to get you sucked into this collection. Nine, Sex Scenes from a Chain Bookstore, and A Lot Like Fun are strong and funny stories that show her skill as a writer and story crafter. Take Care, Allegiance, and Boys and Girls Like You and Me have a sad, haunting effect. I found them to be the darkest and saddest stories of the collection, yet all possessed such beauty.

Each story has some misery, longing, and dark humor, making it a truly enjoyable and unforgettable read: Enjoy!