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ksoles
Dec 30, 2011ksoles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Although the stories in "And Also Sharks" initially seem tediously realistic and even plain, they each contain a catch that appears at an unexpected moment. Such surprises jar the off-guard reader and become awkward circumstances in the lives of blundering characters. But this tactic doesn't render the collection frustrating; rather, Jessica Westhead's characterization and style compel the reader. The author tells her stories through mixed perspectives and a tone that varies from contemplative to playful, all the while maintaining a sense of ease. Westhead constantly confronts the reader not with the absence of choice but with the reasoning on which we make choices disappear. Her stories thus seem both comical and haunting as they are accompanied by the recognition of doom. Ultimately, "And Also Sharks" paints a vivid picture of characters emptied of moral force in the face of the knowledge that what they feel as meaningful might just be fabricated and senseless. So what's the moral? Nothing, really, which is hardly accidental on the author's part.