Thank you so so much to Storgy for sending me an early copy of Pain Sluts by Sian Hughes – I’m delighted to share my review below…
A teenager performs stripteases in her bedroom window as funeral processions pass by. A grieving mother reunites with her miscarried foetus. A widow takes on the sinister, rapacious treehouse in next door’s garden. Combining pitch-perfect, darkly comic observations with tender touches of humanity, Pain Sluts chronicles the flaws, frailties, and enduring spirit of an eclectic cast of curious characters as they navigate threats to their identity and humanity.
This is a fantastic short story collection that is like nothing I’ve ever seen or read before! It’s truly unique and original, and has so much variety, that it’s really difficult not to get sucked into it. My favourite elements of Pain Sluts were firstly, the range of fascinating and richly portrayed characters, who each represent a unique aspect of the human experience, and its complicatedness. I also really loved the prose itself; it’s incredibly original, haunting, and has an unforgettable lyrical quality to it. If you enjoy dark humour, strong characters, and writing with a poetic edge, Sian Hughes’ brilliant short story collection Pain Sluts is undoubtedly the book for you.
Pain Sluts is out now in print and eBook! Click here to get your copy.
Thank you so much to Storgy for my copy <3, and so sorry it’s taken me so long to share my review!
On the Book Shelf. 