Title: Roar

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 2019

Genre: Short Story Collection

Pages: 289

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

In this singular and imaginative story collection, Cecelia Ahern explores the endless ways in which women blaze through adversity with wit, resourcefulness, and compassion. Ahern takes the familiar aspects of women's lives—the routines, the embarrassments, the desires—and elevates these moments to the outlandish and hilarious with her astute blend of magical realism and social insight.

One woman is tortured by sinister bite marks that appear on her skin; another is swallowed up by the floor during a mortifying presentation; yet another resolves to return and exchange her boring husband at the store where she originally acquired him. The women at the center of this curious universe learn that their reality is shaped not only by how others perceive them, but also how they perceive the power within themselves.

By turns sly, whimsical, and affecting, these thirty short stories are a dynamic examination of what it means to be a woman in this very moment. Like women themselves, each story can stand alone; yet together, they have a combined power to shift consciousness, inspire others, and create a multi-voiced Roar that will not be ignored.

My goodness, what a disappointment. This was chosen for a big buddy read that I was participating in. I was hoping for interesting stories that illuminated the various perspectives and experiences of women. Instead, we get very cliched and simplistic magical realism stories that fail to give any insight. I felt like I was reading a Women’s Studies 101 text. If I had read this at 15 before my study of gender studies or experiencing adult life, I think I would have really enjoyed it. As it is, I have a degree in women’s studies and am a woman approaching middle age. This stories were just the tiny tiny tip of the iceberg of various issues. For that, I could have forgiven the book and given it 3 stars (not for me, but not a terrible book). My biggest issue was that every story I read ended with the woman somehow picking herself up and “solving” the problem. For instance, in the story “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin” the woman in question realizes that her guilt of not being able to be all things to everyone in her life and family is manifesting as bite marks. Okay. We are approaching a very real issue of being “President of Everything” and the work/life balance. I myself have often felt that I am letting down someone in my life and/or that I am putting myself in too small of a box identity wise. This is a very complicated problem facing many people, especially women, today. The solution in the story: the woman “lets go of the guilt” and all the bite marks disappear. If only it was that fucking easy. Every “solution” that I read involving the woman in the story fixing everything herself. Not one story that I read addressed the effects of the patriarchy or the various obstacles in our ways. We got no discussions about race and class creating hurdles or complications. Apparently, if we just think we can have a better life, it will come. I call bullshit. And for that I give this one 2 stars.

Next up on the TBR pile: