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Brawler: Stories
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26One of our best American writers, Lauren Groff returns with a fierce new story collection, her first since the award-winning and bestselling
Florida
.
Each story in Lauren Groff’s electric collection is an individual triumph, bold, agile, and packed with power. They hum in exhilarating resonance. Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region -- from New England to Florida to California -- these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared the ceaseless battle between humans’ dark and light angels.
“In every human there is both an animal and a god wrestling unto death,“ one character tells us. Among those we see caught in this match are a young woman suddenly responsible for her disabled sibling, a hot-tempered high school swimmer in need of an adult, a mother blinded by the loss of her family, and a banking scion endowed with a different kind of inheritance. Motivated by love, impeded by the double edges of other peoples’ good intentions, they try to do the right thing for as long as they can.
Precise, surprising, and provocative, anchored by profound insight into human nature, Brawler reveals the repeated, sometimes heartbreaking turning points between love and fear, compassion and violence, reason and instinct, altruism and what it takes to survive. It is a timeless, stunning achievement from one of the very best short story writers working today.
Each story in Lauren Groff’s electric collection is an individual triumph, bold, agile, and packed with power. They hum in exhilarating resonance. Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region -- from New England to Florida to California -- these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared the ceaseless battle between humans’ dark and light angels.
“In every human there is both an animal and a god wrestling unto death,“ one character tells us. Among those we see caught in this match are a young woman suddenly responsible for her disabled sibling, a hot-tempered high school swimmer in need of an adult, a mother blinded by the loss of her family, and a banking scion endowed with a different kind of inheritance. Motivated by love, impeded by the double edges of other peoples’ good intentions, they try to do the right thing for as long as they can.
Precise, surprising, and provocative, anchored by profound insight into human nature, Brawler reveals the repeated, sometimes heartbreaking turning points between love and fear, compassion and violence, reason and instinct, altruism and what it takes to survive. It is a timeless, stunning achievement from one of the very best short story writers working today.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 24, 2026
8667 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Groff
66 books7,274 followersLauren Groff was born in Cooperstown, N.Y. and grew up one block from the Baseball Hall of Fame. She graduated from Amherst College and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in a number of journals, including The Atlantic Monthly, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Hobart, and Five Points as well as in the anthologies Best American Short Stories 2007, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and Best New American Voices 2008.
She was awarded the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville, and has had residencies and fellowships at Yaddo and the Vermont Studio Center.
She lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her husband, Clay, and her dog, Cooper.
Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in a number of journals, including The Atlantic Monthly, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Hobart, and Five Points as well as in the anthologies Best American Short Stories 2007, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and Best New American Voices 2008.
She was awarded the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville, and has had residencies and fellowships at Yaddo and the Vermont Studio Center.
She lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her husband, Clay, and her dog, Cooper.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
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February 12, 2026I’ve read 2 of Groff’s novels before and enjoyed them both immensely. She has a very particular way with words that I resonate with, and I’m happy, but not surprised, to say that that is just as true in her short fiction! These 9 stories were all powerful, memorable, and beautifully written.
Many of them deal with the intense range of human emotion, especially resiliency, and how women often have to fight to hold onto scraps of power and use that to gain some agency in their lives.
My favorites were “Annunciation,” “Brawler,” “Birdie,” “Between the Shadow and the Soul,” and “Such Small Islands” – but honestly there wasn’t a single story I disliked.
Thanks to Riverhead for sending me a copy of this a bit early! I am excited for more people to pick this up and read it when it’s out in a few weeks.
Many of them deal with the intense range of human emotion, especially resiliency, and how women often have to fight to hold onto scraps of power and use that to gain some agency in their lives.
My favorites were “Annunciation,” “Brawler,” “Birdie,” “Between the Shadow and the Soul,” and “Such Small Islands” – but honestly there wasn’t a single story I disliked.
Thanks to Riverhead for sending me a copy of this a bit early! I am excited for more people to pick this up and read it when it’s out in a few weeks.
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February 6, 2026Review to come
December 28, 2025
Nobody needs me to tell them Lauren Groff is good with words, but…y’all, Brawler is SO GOOD. I hadn’t read these stories before, and they’re all singularly wonderful. Together, they feel like we got removed from where we are and placed under Groff’s skin as she swims as a means to write. One of the greatest gifts of this book comes at the very end: Groff gives us what she was feeling or thinking about while writing each story. Not what they’re about, but what lives in her that necessitated that story being written.
Short story collections can be difficult to talk about as a whole, but if I had to boil this down, I would say these stories are about crossroads. Very Large or deceptively small moments in lives where everything changes for one reason or another. My favorites were The Wind, Between the Shadow and the Soul, To Sunland, Brawler, and Annunciation. I dare you to read this and not have to choose over half the stories as favorites 🤣
Short story collections can be difficult to talk about as a whole, but if I had to boil this down, I would say these stories are about crossroads. Very Large or deceptively small moments in lives where everything changes for one reason or another. My favorites were The Wind, Between the Shadow and the Soul, To Sunland, Brawler, and Annunciation. I dare you to read this and not have to choose over half the stories as favorites 🤣
August 7, 2025
I genuinely don't know how Lauren Groff does it--how each of her books are so different from each other, yet she still never misses.
The age-old advice is to write what you know, and, looking at Groff's notes at the end of Brawler, it appears many of the stories in this collection originated from one small idea taken from her life. She takes those tidbits and fashions a whole world around them in a few short paragraphs. Yes, that's what writers do, but I've read so many authors who repeat themselves in their work. Every protagonist is a writer or every story takes place in the same small town or every conflict is caused by a crotchety old man who is set in his ways. Every story of Groff's, however, is wholly original.
A throughline in this collection seems to be violence against women--specifically violence perpetrated by a man, often in domestic situations. We see a mother taking her children and fleeing from an abusive husband, another mother living with her daughter in a van so they can always stay one step ahead of the man that almost killed her, and a man who stalks his ex-lover in increasingly intrusive and violent ways.
Following that pattern, you'd expect the titular Brawler to be male, but she's female--a teen diver who is essentially raising herself and her hypochondriac mother. In passing, it's mentioned that she abandons swimming for diving after too many instances of brushing the crotches of her male teammates in the pool. "Most of the boys hadn't complained, some had even slowed down as they passed, but it took only one whiner, and then she was forced to switch to diving," Groff writes.
I found it interesting that the one story without an abusive male figure in fact contains a sexually abusive *female* figure, and Groff names the book after her. I look forward to when the book comes out to see what reviewers make of this and if Groff is asked about it in any interviews. That's the disadvantage of reading a book before its release--you want to talk about it but you're forced to remain patient.
The age-old advice is to write what you know, and, looking at Groff's notes at the end of Brawler, it appears many of the stories in this collection originated from one small idea taken from her life. She takes those tidbits and fashions a whole world around them in a few short paragraphs. Yes, that's what writers do, but I've read so many authors who repeat themselves in their work. Every protagonist is a writer or every story takes place in the same small town or every conflict is caused by a crotchety old man who is set in his ways. Every story of Groff's, however, is wholly original.
A throughline in this collection seems to be violence against women--specifically violence perpetrated by a man, often in domestic situations. We see a mother taking her children and fleeing from an abusive husband, another mother living with her daughter in a van so they can always stay one step ahead of the man that almost killed her, and a man who stalks his ex-lover in increasingly intrusive and violent ways.
Following that pattern, you'd expect the titular Brawler to be male, but she's female--a teen diver who is essentially raising herself and her hypochondriac mother. In passing, it's mentioned that she abandons swimming for diving after too many instances of brushing the crotches of her male teammates in the pool. "Most of the boys hadn't complained, some had even slowed down as they passed, but it took only one whiner, and then she was forced to switch to diving," Groff writes.
I found it interesting that the one story without an abusive male figure in fact contains a sexually abusive *female* figure, and Groff names the book after her. I look forward to when the book comes out to see what reviewers make of this and if Groff is asked about it in any interviews. That's the disadvantage of reading a book before its release--you want to talk about it but you're forced to remain patient.
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
All I need to know about Lauren Groff's new short story collection is that it's a collection of short stories by Lauren Groff. Always a sharp observer of human nature and often a cutting one, Groff has become one of the most exciting writers working today. Whether she's dissecting a complicated marriage while exploring the mysteries of perspective or walking right up to the edge of the mystical in a 13th-century convent, she finds a way to speak to the present moment by saying something timeless and deeply original. I don't know what will happen in these short stories, but I know what they will be about: humanity in all its messy, fascinating wonder. —Rebecca Joines Schinsky
All I need to know about Lauren Groff's new short story collection is that it's a collection of short stories by Lauren Groff. Always a sharp observer of human nature and often a cutting one, Groff has become one of the most exciting writers working today. Whether she's dissecting a complicated marriage while exploring the mysteries of perspective or walking right up to the edge of the mystical in a 13th-century convent, she finds a way to speak to the present moment by saying something timeless and deeply original. I don't know what will happen in these short stories, but I know what they will be about: humanity in all its messy, fascinating wonder. —Rebecca Joines Schinsky
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September 28, 2025Another amazing collection from one of our greatest living writers. The brilliance and complexity of these characters and stories unfurl with complete radiance. Groff is an exceptional short story writer and really gets you to think about the characters, their predicaments, their lives. Everything she writes feels real and true to life. She covers a lot of ground in this collection, moving through different historical periods to our modern era, but always manages to convey her protagonists at the apex of something profound happening in their lives, a moment of no return. Groff is a wonder.
Advanced digital galley provided by Riverhead/Netgalley, exp. pub date: Feb 24, 2026
Advanced digital galley provided by Riverhead/Netgalley, exp. pub date: Feb 24, 2026
December 11, 2025
4.5 stars. Gorgeous as always. Lauren Groff cannot write things I don’t love. Half of the stories were 5 stars for me: beautiful from start to finish. I lingered on lines that pummeled me. Two of the stories made me weep. The other half were also great but didn’t hit me as hard - probably because they didn’t relate as closely to my own personal troubles. My least favorite story was the one in the middle that was 80 pages. It was great but too long to be considered a short story, in my opinion. To sum up: Love her. Will always love her. Shower me in Lauren Groff’s words for eternity. Too much? 😂
August 30, 2025
what’s the time, mr wolf? is an all-timer, very bee sting vibes
November 26, 2025
I remain amazed by Groff's talent. As someone who has only recently gotten into short story collections (as in, over the last few years), I find that the right collection can resonate just as deeply as a full length novel.
The title story in here was my favorite. It was an absolute knockout - completely gutting. Everything else was hit or miss.
I'd still recommend picking this up, especially if you're hoping for something you can read a little of, here and there.
The title story in here was my favorite. It was an absolute knockout - completely gutting. Everything else was hit or miss.
I'd still recommend picking this up, especially if you're hoping for something you can read a little of, here and there.
February 9, 2026
Five enthusiastic stars. I listened to the audio and I’m so glad I did. I think I gasped at the end of the last story. I will definitely be getting the hard copy of the book and rereading.
February 10, 2026
Two great ones in the middle (“Birdie,” “What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?”) and the rest were ok
October 29, 2025
* thanks to Riverhead for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: February 24, 2026)
Loved this - review TK
Loved this - review TK
January 23, 2026
Brawler is a bold collection of nine short stories exploring human nature.
Groff focuses on themes of obsession, belonging, loneliness, and the extremes that we're pushed to in life-altering moments. Connecting all stories is an underlying tension and different forms of violence against women thus getting very bleak at times.
Standouts were 'The Wind', 'Birdie' and 'What's the time, Mr. Wolf?'.
Groff focuses on themes of obsession, belonging, loneliness, and the extremes that we're pushed to in life-altering moments. Connecting all stories is an underlying tension and different forms of violence against women thus getting very bleak at times.
Standouts were 'The Wind', 'Birdie' and 'What's the time, Mr. Wolf?'.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
In this pale apartment on another continent, where I have come to be alone now, I’ve been waking to my surprise into brightness and peace, marveling that beauty could come so suddenly after such deep and (I believed) permanent shadow.
Brawler
Annunciation
Lauren Groff
•
Despite having bowed out of sharing everything I read here, I did promise to share great finds. And of course it is no surprise that Lauren Groff’s upcoming Brawler (due out 2/24) is in that category.
•
Groff does not need accolades from me, but it is so comforting when a beloved author lives up to the bar we set for them. I think her talent surpasses many contemporary writers because it really knows no bounds. Whether it’s a novel, historical fiction or short stories, she always nails it.
•
I fell in love with her debut, The Monsters of Templeton and I still think it’s my favorite, but she is always reinventing herself. I listened to her read her last short story collection, Florida, and adored the way she delivered her own words. The same is true with Brawler, it is read by Groff, and she is in an elite group of writers who can also read their own works effectively.
•
I am a reader who normally struggles with the short story format - as a lover of tomes I always feel like I’m left wanting more. Not the case with Groff - every single story here is a complete work unto itself and I felt a connection to the settings and the characters.
•
Groff’s writing is never flowery but it is exquisite, and she is able to build characters who we understand and care about and then weave contemporary stories around them.
•
I have been vocal about the fact that I’ve been incredibly let down by new releases over the last year - it is one of the reasons I stepped back here - no one wants reviews of classics and backlist on IG. Brawler was the first new release in eons that I craved getting back to and I was sorry when it ended.
•
This will be on shelves 2/24 and it has a huge endorsement from this picky reader. And thank goodness Groff is young and has years of writing ahead!
•
Thank you @prhaudio @riverheadbooks for my early copy!
Brawler
Annunciation
Lauren Groff
•
Despite having bowed out of sharing everything I read here, I did promise to share great finds. And of course it is no surprise that Lauren Groff’s upcoming Brawler (due out 2/24) is in that category.
•
Groff does not need accolades from me, but it is so comforting when a beloved author lives up to the bar we set for them. I think her talent surpasses many contemporary writers because it really knows no bounds. Whether it’s a novel, historical fiction or short stories, she always nails it.
•
I fell in love with her debut, The Monsters of Templeton and I still think it’s my favorite, but she is always reinventing herself. I listened to her read her last short story collection, Florida, and adored the way she delivered her own words. The same is true with Brawler, it is read by Groff, and she is in an elite group of writers who can also read their own works effectively.
•
I am a reader who normally struggles with the short story format - as a lover of tomes I always feel like I’m left wanting more. Not the case with Groff - every single story here is a complete work unto itself and I felt a connection to the settings and the characters.
•
Groff’s writing is never flowery but it is exquisite, and she is able to build characters who we understand and care about and then weave contemporary stories around them.
•
I have been vocal about the fact that I’ve been incredibly let down by new releases over the last year - it is one of the reasons I stepped back here - no one wants reviews of classics and backlist on IG. Brawler was the first new release in eons that I craved getting back to and I was sorry when it ended.
•
This will be on shelves 2/24 and it has a huge endorsement from this picky reader. And thank goodness Groff is young and has years of writing ahead!
•
Thank you @prhaudio @riverheadbooks for my early copy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
@riverheadbooks #gifted me of one of my most anticipated read of 2026, 𝑩𝑹𝑨𝑾𝑳𝑬𝑹 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒇!
I was able to add the audio of this book thanks to the generosity of @prhaudio and having the author read her work was an added joy.
This short story collection takes what I love about Groff's writing and compresses it somehow into powerful stories, each leaving me slackjawed. I have loved getting lost in the lyrical prose of her longer novels, but short stories must, by design, push that storytelling into a concise form with just as much punch, which happens here. I kept expecting the "next" story to pull back a bit from the emotional edge, just because they can't possibly all be at that level, but they each left me with an audible exclamation of genius.
The Wind. Generational effects. Women will know it.
Between the Shadow and the Soul. What is it that stirs new life in middle age?
To Sunland. I may have choked up with this tale.
Brawler. The depths of a diver's world.
Birdie. Final confessions.
What's the Time, Mr. Wolf? Poor rich boy.
Under the Wave. A rescue?
Such Small Islands. Sweet, innocent children.
Annunciation. True story.
Each one brilliantly captures a human quality of grayness, and in prose that I will read over and over again. Literary fiction in fine form. Every 🌟
I was able to add the audio of this book thanks to the generosity of @prhaudio and having the author read her work was an added joy.
This short story collection takes what I love about Groff's writing and compresses it somehow into powerful stories, each leaving me slackjawed. I have loved getting lost in the lyrical prose of her longer novels, but short stories must, by design, push that storytelling into a concise form with just as much punch, which happens here. I kept expecting the "next" story to pull back a bit from the emotional edge, just because they can't possibly all be at that level, but they each left me with an audible exclamation of genius.
The Wind. Generational effects. Women will know it.
Between the Shadow and the Soul. What is it that stirs new life in middle age?
To Sunland. I may have choked up with this tale.
Brawler. The depths of a diver's world.
Birdie. Final confessions.
What's the Time, Mr. Wolf? Poor rich boy.
Under the Wave. A rescue?
Such Small Islands. Sweet, innocent children.
Annunciation. True story.
Each one brilliantly captures a human quality of grayness, and in prose that I will read over and over again. Literary fiction in fine form. Every 🌟
July 29, 2025
I felt every emotion imaginable reading these short stories, and I loved every second of it. It was full of so many aspects of the human experience. Hunger. Rage. Trepidation. Depression. Vengeance. Unrequited love. Jealousy. Each story holds a special place in my heart as Groff’s writing reached inside myself and spoke to me through each character.
I don’t share many life experiences with them, but each of them were somehow relatable. I know nothing of marriage like in Between the Shadow and the Soul, but Eliza’s representation of disappointment after attempting to build yourself from the ground up was, personally, palpable. Chip, in What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?, also especially told a story close to me with his tactile insecurity and indecisiveness.
I’m not writing this to pour my heart out but rather talk about Groff’s weaving of little bits of darkness within each work. Little bits of darkness that everyone can see within themselves. This book is for people exploring moments of, frankly, crappy times in their lives that are worth reminiscing about to gain perspective and grow.
Or maybe not. Don’t take my word for it; maybe I’m just cynical. Please read this collection so you can see for yourself. You won’t regret it (I think).
I don’t share many life experiences with them, but each of them were somehow relatable. I know nothing of marriage like in Between the Shadow and the Soul, but Eliza’s representation of disappointment after attempting to build yourself from the ground up was, personally, palpable. Chip, in What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?, also especially told a story close to me with his tactile insecurity and indecisiveness.
I’m not writing this to pour my heart out but rather talk about Groff’s weaving of little bits of darkness within each work. Little bits of darkness that everyone can see within themselves. This book is for people exploring moments of, frankly, crappy times in their lives that are worth reminiscing about to gain perspective and grow.
Or maybe not. Don’t take my word for it; maybe I’m just cynical. Please read this collection so you can see for yourself. You won’t regret it (I think).
February 12, 2026
Brawler includes nine stories about suffering, survival, failure, and resilience. These 269 pages include some of the realest characters I've come across. I found it nearly impossible not to feel their pain.
My favorite story in the collection was Birdie, a story about a group of women reuniting around their friend's hospital bed. Their pasts are complicated and their lifelong friendships not as bright and shiny as they might want to believe.
As a former competitive swimmer, I appreciated Brawler, a story about an isolated teenager who juggles the responsibilities of caring for her mother with competitive diving. And I loved learning that Lauren Groff and I both recited poetry to ourselves while swimming laps in our youth.
If you're able to endure a bit of heartache, I'd definitely recommend grabbing a copy of this book. If you're feeling a bit more sensitive right now, it might be best to save this one for a warm, sunny day.
My favorite story in the collection was Birdie, a story about a group of women reuniting around their friend's hospital bed. Their pasts are complicated and their lifelong friendships not as bright and shiny as they might want to believe.
As a former competitive swimmer, I appreciated Brawler, a story about an isolated teenager who juggles the responsibilities of caring for her mother with competitive diving. And I loved learning that Lauren Groff and I both recited poetry to ourselves while swimming laps in our youth.
If you're able to endure a bit of heartache, I'd definitely recommend grabbing a copy of this book. If you're feeling a bit more sensitive right now, it might be best to save this one for a warm, sunny day.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 - I didn't enjoy the stories in the latter half of this collection quite as much, but the first half stunned me over and over again. I've been deeply distracted lately but I could pick up any one of the first five stories from where I'd left off and instantly fall right back in love with Groff's clear-eyed prose and the stunning insights of her characters. There's a lot about...maybe not parenting, but caretaking in these stories - who gets to be made caretaker in which strange and difficult situations, and how does the balance of power get knocked off kilter by all the tragic or mundane or mundanely tragic events and situations that humans find themselves in. Oh, our strange and terrible and lovely lives, and the all the fraught connections we make, and how they break us.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
3.5 stars. I do not read many story collections but Florida is one of my favorites of all time so of course I was going to read a new collection from Groff. This didn't grab me as much as I would have liked, more of a mixed bag, but this is one of those things where because it's Lauren Groff even on a bad day it's miles above almost anyone.
This collection certainly feels like a collection. Maybe too much. In each story terrible things happen or are about to happen or have happened already, every story feels like a response to trauma in different ways. After a while, I admit, it wore on me. Even if each story is poignant and beautifully told, it started to make me feel a little beaten down. It reflects the world we live in perhaps a little too well.
This collection certainly feels like a collection. Maybe too much. In each story terrible things happen or are about to happen or have happened already, every story feels like a response to trauma in different ways. After a while, I admit, it wore on me. Even if each story is poignant and beautifully told, it started to make me feel a little beaten down. It reflects the world we live in perhaps a little too well.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
WOW! Wow. This collection of stories blew me away. This was my first time reading Groff and it certainly won’t be my last.
Brawler is a collection of 9 short stories by acclaimed author Lauren Groff. These stories have a range of different timelines and locations but I would say their general throughline is these characters that are, for better or worse, in a place of ‘no going back.’ Decisions have to be made. Most of these stories also explore violence against women in both straightforward and insidious ways, so they can be pretty bleak but poignant.
Each story felt vivid and grounded and the characters real. It has been a while since I was so immersed, and I already know I’m going to struggle picking up my next book while still riding the high of this one.
Overall, this is easily one of my favorite short story collections that I have ever read. Do yourself a favor and pick it up… when it comes out Feb 24th.
Brawler is a collection of 9 short stories by acclaimed author Lauren Groff. These stories have a range of different timelines and locations but I would say their general throughline is these characters that are, for better or worse, in a place of ‘no going back.’ Decisions have to be made. Most of these stories also explore violence against women in both straightforward and insidious ways, so they can be pretty bleak but poignant.
Each story felt vivid and grounded and the characters real. It has been a while since I was so immersed, and I already know I’m going to struggle picking up my next book while still riding the high of this one.
Overall, this is easily one of my favorite short story collections that I have ever read. Do yourself a favor and pick it up… when it comes out Feb 24th.
November 22, 2025
do not usually like short stories, however, this book of short stories is one to pick up and read. each story makes you think about humanity. the story about the dropping off of a mentally handicapped brother at a residence for him before the sister walks away to start her life was a heart breaking story. how sad for the both of them to be homeless. then there is the beginning story of spousal abuse and again homelessness. that seems to be a repeated theme in ways. the rich boy returning to his family home to recover from his alcoholism and the high school swimmer trying to maintain a residence with an mother with "health" issues. good book to pick up.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Often when I finish a short story collection I have trouble recalling them. But the stories in Brawler get under your skin, stick in your heart like a pin. They don’t let go.
The terrifying decline into madness in What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? The heartbreaking inability to escape in The Wind. The haunting nostalgia of Annunciation. The chilling way a woman deals with her loss in Under the Waves.
Oh, the things we do for love! It’s not all pretty, even when we intend the best.
The writing is magnificent, at turns lyrical, humorous, and noir.
These stunning stories will haunt you.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
The terrifying decline into madness in What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? The heartbreaking inability to escape in The Wind. The haunting nostalgia of Annunciation. The chilling way a woman deals with her loss in Under the Waves.
Oh, the things we do for love! It’s not all pretty, even when we intend the best.
The writing is magnificent, at turns lyrical, humorous, and noir.
These stunning stories will haunt you.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
August 26, 2025
Lauren Groff is one of the most talented and versatile writers out there. Her new collection of short stories is so beautifully written and so powerful. Containing nine stories, set across different locations and time periods, each story really evoked an emotional response. While it was a fast read for me, I was left thinking about the stories for days to come, especially the aftermath in “Under the Wave” and the ending of “Birdie.” Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy.
November 29, 2025
This collection is a perfect case of exquisite writing matched with forcefully unpleasant content. Every story is a premise hurled in the direction of the question, "What is the worst thing that can happen in this scenario?" Unsettling, precisely observed, beautifully written, fairly horrible. While I probably won't know for a while if I like this book, per se, or if I even am glad I read it, the experience was invigorating--for better or worse, Groff has the technical skill that could spawn careers. Picking apart nearly any one of these stories could make someone a substantially better writer.
January 9, 2026
Lauren Groff is such a magnificent writer, it is staggering. This collection looks at all violence against women, and the ways love mutates into obsession, or something uglier and often sinister. It has moments of tenderness and moments of visceral, unadulterated looks at the underbelly of humanity. The tension of every story is slow and subtle; the balance shifts in the space of a perfectly concise paragraph or hinges on one single sentence. The stories crawl under your skin and settle there. Story collections always have heroes and duds, but for me, with this collection, the standouts will haunt me forever, and even the duds were so well done that I couldn't help but be invested.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This serious and reflective short story collection from Lauren Groff was on the dark side for me! I found each story incredibly vivid and immersive, but ultimately they left me emotionally drained. I really had to fight with myself to pick this collection back up knowing how bleak they kept turning out.
Brawler is extremely well written, but be wary if you’re in an emotionally fragile place.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Riverhead Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Brawler is extremely well written, but be wary if you’re in an emotionally fragile place.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Riverhead Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2025
Fans of Groff’s writing (particularly “Florida”) will not be disappointed with this story collection — I certainly wasn’t. From the first page, it’s like snuggling under a warm but slightly itchy blanket: beautiful writing and generally unsettling stories that challenge you. Each story sank its hooks into me, and I’d recommend taking time to pause and reflect after each one, because the next one will be a new wild ride to contend with. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
December 15, 2025
This collection of stories is Lauren Groff at her finest. It's a terrific work of literature to give to any friend who loves fantastic writing. Some of the stories dig deep into the bonds of families and others are focused on individuals coming into their own. I enjoyed every story and especially appreciated Groff's postscript where she briefly mentions her inspiration or motivation for writing each one.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Gritty stories of good and evil offer insight in average lives. They cover many decades as well as various parts of the country but the common thread is women just trying to navigate life fighting real and imagined demons. I don't usually enjoy short stories but these melded from one into the other seamlessly. I also enjoyed the author's notes on each which gave some background. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Excellent collection. The thread throughout these stories is basically versions of people grappling (or giving into) their worst selves and letting their best selves claw their way out (or not). I don't know, is that most stories? Other than the stranger coming to town ones, and there are a few of those here too. Anyway, I really enjoy her writing, so this was a good one for me. I'd read a few in the New Yorker over the years and it was good to revisit them—the opener is still a gut punch.
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