Soft Serve

by Allison Graves

Allison Graves’ edgy debut collection of short fiction scrutinizes unconventional and confused attachments between people and the reasons they last. The extraordinary becomes the ordinary as people navigate the weird, the quirky, and the sad aspects of everyday life. Through encounters in retail and fast food chains, on highways and dating apps, the characters in this collection wander through the non-places of our modern lives. The stories connect readers to the spaces that ultimately make them feel lost—zones for reconsideration. Delving into the confusion and boredom of everyday life, Graves’ fiction documents the emotional experiences and disillusionment of middle-class millennials seeking a meaningful life in both the isolating and the ordinary.

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Molly Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one go — very funny and enjoyable but also deeply moving and insightful. Easy to read, feels very accessible with sharp, precise prose. The stories are the type that warrant being re-read. A delightful read ✨

[justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

well this made me feel like i now need to go lie down and stare at the ceiling for hours. a lot of these stories feel like a punch to the gut, and even the ones that don’t are still so meticulously crafted. the author’s use of language is precise and intentional; she creates entire personalities and fully fleshed out relationships in only a matter of pages.

going to be thinking about these stories for a long time.

[Annie Flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have truly fallen in love with this collection. I was gifted this book for Christmas and was unsure what to expect after reading the first story, but I was definitely intrigued from the first page. After that, I could not stop reading it every chance that I had, it felt like every story was a stand-alone and yet also a piece of this puzzle that Graves has constructed in this thoughtful and engaging read. As an academic, twenty something figuring it all out, as a Canadian, I felt truly seen and also in awe of the characters and the fragments of their lives I was able to witness. So beautiful, concise & impactful!

[Richard L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded down.

A lot of quick sharp jabs. A few gut punches.

No single story is a knockout blow, not quite. But this collection of 19 short stories is a wonderful contribution to the form.

Each entry is a potent and precise fragment. Daily life is occasionally, momentous, often mundance. But every moment is precarious and precious.

Many of these stories are fraught with expectation, anticipation, and the possibility that something telling or terrible (or both) is lurking around the next corner.

An exciting yet economical read from an author well worth watching.

[caseyyyyyyyyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, looming, and topical collection of short-form, millennial Canadiana ❤️ The stories are rich with symbolism that will most certainly warrant a re-read.

[Kimberley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bedside reading book os short stories. Snore! Zzzzz

[Emily]

This felt pretty even as a collection though I still liked some stories more than others. The ones centered on parent-child relationships made me feel something unexpected.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tasteful!!

[Steven Holmberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure this author is quite ready for primetime. Interesting ideas but writing didn't do much for me. Felt very young.

[Sam Jameson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written! A great read to pass the time. Short stories just aren’t my thing, I find them hard to get into and morning seems to stick.