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The Good Eye
A major debut collection of globe-spanning stories set in the worlds of art, crime, and fantasy, by an exceptionally elegant and mischievous storyteller.
A stone appears in a woman’s pocket like a charm only to end up lodged in someone else’s throat. A condescending artist throws a dinner party with his too-square wife, only to learn too late that she is far more daring than he ever imagined. A young and besotted apprentice haunts her mentor’s lover after a stinging betrayal.
In The Good Eye, the world can change in an instant. The beautiful turns grotesque, the exalted becomes the disgraced, the genius an imposter. Contradictory forces confront the men and women of Gibson’s collection, as they wrestle with the limits of perception.
Pulsing with style and vibrancy, The Good Eye takes readers on an unforgettable journey, without ever giving in to easy answers, and announces the arrival of a prodigious new talent.
A stone appears in a woman’s pocket like a charm only to end up lodged in someone else’s throat. A condescending artist throws a dinner party with his too-square wife, only to learn too late that she is far more daring than he ever imagined. A young and besotted apprentice haunts her mentor’s lover after a stinging betrayal.
In The Good Eye, the world can change in an instant. The beautiful turns grotesque, the exalted becomes the disgraced, the genius an imposter. Contradictory forces confront the men and women of Gibson’s collection, as they wrestle with the limits of perception.
Pulsing with style and vibrancy, The Good Eye takes readers on an unforgettable journey, without ever giving in to easy answers, and announces the arrival of a prodigious new talent.
168 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Want to Read
June 15, 2026i read too much for either of my eyes to be good
July 4, 2026
The Eyes Have It 🍁
A review of the Knopf Canada hardcover (May 5, 2026) released simultaneously with the eBook and Audiobook.
Technically, these 12 stories average out to a 4.25 rating overall, but I enjoyed this collection so much that I don't hesitate in bumping it up to a 5 star.
I picked this up as an immediate must read due to the curiosity of knowing that Jess Gibson is the daughter of Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson. I think that even if I had read these in a so-called "Blind Test," without knowing the author, I would still have given a similar rating. That was how much I enjoyed these stories.
The stories have a unique flavour which is often due to a mid-point change in the POV, sometimes there is even a 3rd POV that is injected. In the space of only 10 to 12 pages average length, that was surprising to me, but I really began to enjoy the style.
Basically each story is built about a relationship between two people, sometimes with a 3rd instigator. At times they start together and come apart. At other times they are separate and come together in the end. Some are built around the topic of food and others around the world of art. Several have an element of the paranormal to them where the people might have actual powers, but without going too far with it.
Lastly, there is often a sign off where the reader has to speculate in order to fill in the gaps. These were not the frustrating, copout types of endings which I often label with an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ or a Write Your Own Ending Alert™. Instead they are simply clever and provoke the reader to think. This is in keeping with Ernest Hemingway's Iceberg Theory, whereby omitting parts of the story will strengthen it, just as the 7/8ths of an iceberg is not visible to a viewer above sea level. As a bonus this can also be flattering to the reader, as it shows the author respecting their intelligence.
The following individual ratings and synopses provide setups only without revealing endings so I have not spoiler blocked them.
1. Pest Control ***** Luella ponders how to get rid of the rats who crawl around her front porch. Wanting to avoid poisons, she finds an “animal communicator” and realizes that it is Caroline, a psychic who once helped exorcise a house that Luella was trying unsuccessfully to sell. But Caroline is nursing a grudge from way back.
2. Linear A **** Zoe is on a Greek cruise with new boyfriend Liam. She has inadvertently picked up a small stone which has mysterious writing on it from an archeological site. As she gradually begins to realize that Liam is a bit of a jerk, the stone seems to start to act in mysterious ways. Trivia Linear A is the currently undeciphered writing system of the Minoan civilization of Crete ca. 1800 to 1450 BC.
3. Cushion Cut **** An unnamed senior character calls himself “retired” from some mysterious career which required that he didn’t record his activities in any form. He awakens and goes about his day and is going to a regular breakfast meeting with a woman when tragedy strikes. We then meet Juliette, the woman, as she is preparing breakfast and awaiting her friend.
4. Intake **** Fiona is the weekend caregiver to Hanna Sebright who is now debilitated due to a stroke. Hanna was once a prominent chef and a protegee of August Escoffier. Discovering Hanna’s old recipes, Fiona begins preparing gourmet meals instead of the pablum served by the in-week caregiver and soon there is a renewed interest and enthusiasm for the food.
5. The Good Eye ***** The unnamed narrator is an art appraiser who is called out to do an appraisal of the collection of Patricia who is now partners with Del, her former art dealer. The appraiser realizes that many of the works are forgeries. Trivia This story was first published in an early version as “The effects of light” in the Dublin Review in Autumn 2015 and you can read that version online here.
The still lifes of Dutch painter Willem Claesz. Heda (c. 1593/1594 – c. 1680/1682) are mentioned several times in this story. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
6. Wild Food ***** Sebastian and Emily are having a dinner party with foods that were partially foraged by Emily. There is a concern that some of the mushrooms may be poisonous. Sebastian is meanwhile flirting under the table with Monique, one of the guests at the meal.
7. Our Lady of the Moonlight **** School teacher Cecily Dillon has gone to live in a small community where an apparent vision of the Virgin Mary was seen. She eagerly looks for her own vision to appear. She meets Nora a young girl who is to play the Virgin Mary in the school Christmas pageant.
8. Clairvoyance *** Husband August is disturbed when his wife Helene appears to be starting a cult with her old school mate Emmi, whom they met while Helene was recuperating from illness.
9. Flip **** Budding young magician Aiden meets Willow while they are both working as carnies. Willow appears to have an uncanny ability to win at games of chance or coin tosses.
10. The Hunt **** Hugh is currently having an affair with Gudrun which he thinks he is hiding from his wife Jenny. While at an annual pheasant hunt at the island where his in-laws live, he may have a rude awakening. Takes an odd diversion into the life of Catherine de Medici (1519-1589).
11. Light Tricks **** Susie, who is feeling unmotivated about her academic work, and Arthur, a widowed train driver, are drawn together due to a tragic incident on a railway line.
12. Blue Circle ***** Jeannie and Theo are married and are both young struggling artists. Jeannie does something drastic that promotes Theo’s career but not her own. He becomes a breakthrough success. She leaves him for a life of teaching. After Theo’s death, she is interviewed about his early works and she makes a surprising discovery.
Trivia and Link
Jess Gibson was interviewed at Toronto Life May 6, 2026 upon the release of the book and you can read that online here.
There is a more recent interview with Jess Gibson at the Girls on the Page Substack on June 14, 2026 which you can read here.
A review of the Knopf Canada hardcover (May 5, 2026) released simultaneously with the eBook and Audiobook.
Technically, these 12 stories average out to a 4.25 rating overall, but I enjoyed this collection so much that I don't hesitate in bumping it up to a 5 star.
I picked this up as an immediate must read due to the curiosity of knowing that Jess Gibson is the daughter of Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson. I think that even if I had read these in a so-called "Blind Test," without knowing the author, I would still have given a similar rating. That was how much I enjoyed these stories.
The stories have a unique flavour which is often due to a mid-point change in the POV, sometimes there is even a 3rd POV that is injected. In the space of only 10 to 12 pages average length, that was surprising to me, but I really began to enjoy the style.
Basically each story is built about a relationship between two people, sometimes with a 3rd instigator. At times they start together and come apart. At other times they are separate and come together in the end. Some are built around the topic of food and others around the world of art. Several have an element of the paranormal to them where the people might have actual powers, but without going too far with it.
Lastly, there is often a sign off where the reader has to speculate in order to fill in the gaps. These were not the frustrating, copout types of endings which I often label with an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ or a Write Your Own Ending Alert™. Instead they are simply clever and provoke the reader to think. This is in keeping with Ernest Hemingway's Iceberg Theory, whereby omitting parts of the story will strengthen it, just as the 7/8ths of an iceberg is not visible to a viewer above sea level. As a bonus this can also be flattering to the reader, as it shows the author respecting their intelligence.
The following individual ratings and synopses provide setups only without revealing endings so I have not spoiler blocked them.
1. Pest Control ***** Luella ponders how to get rid of the rats who crawl around her front porch. Wanting to avoid poisons, she finds an “animal communicator” and realizes that it is Caroline, a psychic who once helped exorcise a house that Luella was trying unsuccessfully to sell. But Caroline is nursing a grudge from way back.
2. Linear A **** Zoe is on a Greek cruise with new boyfriend Liam. She has inadvertently picked up a small stone which has mysterious writing on it from an archeological site. As she gradually begins to realize that Liam is a bit of a jerk, the stone seems to start to act in mysterious ways. Trivia Linear A is the currently undeciphered writing system of the Minoan civilization of Crete ca. 1800 to 1450 BC.
3. Cushion Cut **** An unnamed senior character calls himself “retired” from some mysterious career which required that he didn’t record his activities in any form. He awakens and goes about his day and is going to a regular breakfast meeting with a woman when tragedy strikes. We then meet Juliette, the woman, as she is preparing breakfast and awaiting her friend.
4. Intake **** Fiona is the weekend caregiver to Hanna Sebright who is now debilitated due to a stroke. Hanna was once a prominent chef and a protegee of August Escoffier. Discovering Hanna’s old recipes, Fiona begins preparing gourmet meals instead of the pablum served by the in-week caregiver and soon there is a renewed interest and enthusiasm for the food.
5. The Good Eye ***** The unnamed narrator is an art appraiser who is called out to do an appraisal of the collection of Patricia who is now partners with Del, her former art dealer. The appraiser realizes that many of the works are forgeries. Trivia This story was first published in an early version as “The effects of light” in the Dublin Review in Autumn 2015 and you can read that version online here.
It was my job of course, but I joked that I’d always had a good eye. Del seemed not to know what I meant. She said that everybody had an evil eye and a good eye.
The still lifes of Dutch painter Willem Claesz. Heda (c. 1593/1594 – c. 1680/1682) are mentioned several times in this story. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
6. Wild Food ***** Sebastian and Emily are having a dinner party with foods that were partially foraged by Emily. There is a concern that some of the mushrooms may be poisonous. Sebastian is meanwhile flirting under the table with Monique, one of the guests at the meal.
7. Our Lady of the Moonlight **** School teacher Cecily Dillon has gone to live in a small community where an apparent vision of the Virgin Mary was seen. She eagerly looks for her own vision to appear. She meets Nora a young girl who is to play the Virgin Mary in the school Christmas pageant.
8. Clairvoyance *** Husband August is disturbed when his wife Helene appears to be starting a cult with her old school mate Emmi, whom they met while Helene was recuperating from illness.
August hardly noticed his wife’s burgeoning interest in what she began to call “the realm of the spirit.” A quantity of books with peculiar titles appeared in her room. How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation, The Secret Doctrine, The Voice of the Silence: Being Extracts from the Book of the Golden Precepts, Man, Visible and Invisible. Had Emmi suggested such subjects?
9. Flip **** Budding young magician Aiden meets Willow while they are both working as carnies. Willow appears to have an uncanny ability to win at games of chance or coin tosses.
10. The Hunt **** Hugh is currently having an affair with Gudrun which he thinks he is hiding from his wife Jenny. While at an annual pheasant hunt at the island where his in-laws live, he may have a rude awakening. Takes an odd diversion into the life of Catherine de Medici (1519-1589).
11. Light Tricks **** Susie, who is feeling unmotivated about her academic work, and Arthur, a widowed train driver, are drawn together due to a tragic incident on a railway line.
12. Blue Circle ***** Jeannie and Theo are married and are both young struggling artists. Jeannie does something drastic that promotes Theo’s career but not her own. He becomes a breakthrough success. She leaves him for a life of teaching. After Theo’s death, she is interviewed about his early works and she makes a surprising discovery.
I’d read Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color the previous winter and was so taken by his ideas that I’d copied out quotes and pinned them above my work table:
Art is not an object, but experience.
It is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually.
A thing is never seen as it really is.
Trivia and Link
Jess Gibson was interviewed at Toronto Life May 6, 2026 upon the release of the book and you can read that online here.
There is a more recent interview with Jess Gibson at the Girls on the Page Substack on June 14, 2026 which you can read here.
July 4, 2026
I fear I have very little praise to offer this collection, which feels less like a cohesive work of fiction than a thinly veiled exercise in showcasing the author's writing prowess. The stories are stilted—often ending incredibly abruptly—and repeatedly left me scratching my head, wondering what they were trying to say. There's no sense of cohesion or throughline to the collection, and most of the stories are only a dozen pages or so (which seems far too short, even for a collection like this). The entries oscillate between the supernatural, magical realism, and completely domestic narratives that feel entirely unrelated to one another.
What salvages this from the one-star rating is the final story, Blue Circle, which is the only entry that seems to have some sense of finality and purpose. Perhaps I'm too critical for my own good, but knowing that Gibson is Margaret Atwood's daughter gives me some degree of apprehension here. I'm not saying that Gibson isn't a talented author in her own right, but as a collection, I fear this is very weak. It's a little surprising that such a short collection of extraordinarily short stories has received so much critical acclaim, but perhaps I'm in the minority in my dislike of this.
Curious to see how other readers fare with this one — I hate to throw around nepotism accusations willy-nilly, but I do think some degree of skepticism is warranted!
---
Thank you to Cardinal for the copy of this - short story collections are my favourite way to give new authors a whirl!
Substack | Bookstagram | BookTok | BookTube | Bookshop.org Store | Libro.fm Bonus Offer
What salvages this from the one-star rating is the final story, Blue Circle, which is the only entry that seems to have some sense of finality and purpose. Perhaps I'm too critical for my own good, but knowing that Gibson is Margaret Atwood's daughter gives me some degree of apprehension here. I'm not saying that Gibson isn't a talented author in her own right, but as a collection, I fear this is very weak. It's a little surprising that such a short collection of extraordinarily short stories has received so much critical acclaim, but perhaps I'm in the minority in my dislike of this.
Curious to see how other readers fare with this one — I hate to throw around nepotism accusations willy-nilly, but I do think some degree of skepticism is warranted!
---
Thank you to Cardinal for the copy of this - short story collections are my favourite way to give new authors a whirl!
Substack | Bookstagram | BookTok | BookTube | Bookshop.org Store | Libro.fm Bonus Offer
Want to Read
November 1, 2025Today, November 1, 2025, I read Lisa Allardice's wonderful interview with Margaret Atwood in The Guardian where I discovered that Jess Gibson is her daughter and this book of short stories is Jess' debut novel. I'd like to read it.
May 13, 2026
While these are mostly less stories and more the presentation of characters in situations, I have to say I enjoyed this short collection.
Read
May 19, 2026An interesting collection of stories - a bit uneven, some really great, some only mildly interesting.
Clearly see the family influence in the types of stories and way they are told.
3.5 rounded up to 4
Clearly see the family influence in the types of stories and way they are told.
3.5 rounded up to 4
Read
May 1, 2026thank you cardinal and netgalley for the digital arc!! full review to come!!
Read
May 15, 2026Eerie. Clever. The attentive reader is sure to be pleased by Jess Gibson's jewelbox perspective puzzles.
June 3, 2026
a beautiful collection of short stories! absolutely stunning writing, I only wish it was longer.
April 5, 2026
Thank you, Cardinal, for the early copy!
The Good Eye will be out 05/12/2026.
This short story collection blew my mind. Really clever and eerie. It felt like I was watching a version of Black Mirror and White Lotus (in the best possible way). I really liked Pest Control, Linear A, The Good Eye, and Clairvoyance. I am amazed by her prose. For example, in the first story, Pest Control, the context and conflict of the story were presented to you in a way that didn't feel rushed; two pages in, you already know what's going on and can't stop reading. It makes the collection really enjoyable because there are other collections that don't take the time to help you understand, while this collection tells you the story without holding your hand to keep up but also without leaving you behind.
This is an extremely impressive debut short story collection. Jess Gibson knows how to write stories that captivate and transport you. I can't wait to see what else she does in the future. This book left me wanting more from her writing; I need a novel!
The Good Eye will be out 05/12/2026.
This short story collection blew my mind. Really clever and eerie. It felt like I was watching a version of Black Mirror and White Lotus (in the best possible way). I really liked Pest Control, Linear A, The Good Eye, and Clairvoyance. I am amazed by her prose. For example, in the first story, Pest Control, the context and conflict of the story were presented to you in a way that didn't feel rushed; two pages in, you already know what's going on and can't stop reading. It makes the collection really enjoyable because there are other collections that don't take the time to help you understand, while this collection tells you the story without holding your hand to keep up but also without leaving you behind.
This is an extremely impressive debut short story collection. Jess Gibson knows how to write stories that captivate and transport you. I can't wait to see what else she does in the future. This book left me wanting more from her writing; I need a novel!
July 9, 2026
4 stars
I am a sucker for a collection of short stories, and this was no exception. I loved the themes in most of the stories (art, history, travel, etc.). There was one or two stories I thought could've been left out, but overall I loved this collection!
I am a sucker for a collection of short stories, and this was no exception. I loved the themes in most of the stories (art, history, travel, etc.). There was one or two stories I thought could've been left out, but overall I loved this collection!
July 2, 2026
Very "everything is not always as it seems". It was okay.
June 1, 2026
Excellent book of stories. The narrator isn’t always the good guy; the end isn’t obvious. I haven’t consumed a book this fast in a long time.
June 21, 2026
Beautiful collection of short stories. Some of them felt a little unfinished. But overall good read!
June 30, 2026
Die zwölf Stories erzählen von der Unzuverlässigkeit menschlicher Wahrnehmungen, von Täuschungen und Enttäuschungen, von surrealen Erlebnissen und geheimnisvollen Erfahrungen, die wahrhaftiger sind als die augenscheinliche Realität. Man spürt beim Lesen die Herzensgüte und die Liebe, die die Autorin für ihre Figuren und Geschichten empfindet.
June 2, 2026
Good eyes
Readable. But unsettling as the stories seem like they should make sense, but they don’t and I find blaming my shallow appreciation of the written word for it. But also, seems like I shouldn’t be.
The stories seem to abruptly end when my mind says “Aah - now it’s getting interesting”
Seems like the writer is challenging the reader to figure out the meaning and point of the story - with a breadcrumb trail of a sentence here, or a reference there. Or maybe I am overthinking it?
I see a ton of DNF comments and reviews.
But some of the latter stories are a bit more traditional and do seem to make sense. Don’t miss them.
But.. readable. Very Well written. And interesting - great cast of characters and settings.
Worth the time and effort?. Surely. Yes.
3.75 stars.
Readable. But unsettling as the stories seem like they should make sense, but they don’t and I find blaming my shallow appreciation of the written word for it. But also, seems like I shouldn’t be.
The stories seem to abruptly end when my mind says “Aah - now it’s getting interesting”
Seems like the writer is challenging the reader to figure out the meaning and point of the story - with a breadcrumb trail of a sentence here, or a reference there. Or maybe I am overthinking it?
I see a ton of DNF comments and reviews.
But some of the latter stories are a bit more traditional and do seem to make sense. Don’t miss them.
But.. readable. Very Well written. And interesting - great cast of characters and settings.
Worth the time and effort?. Surely. Yes.
3.75 stars.
June 28, 2026
These sharp and quickly paced stories may have guessing their plots' conclusions, but most of the time, you'll enjoy getting there. Jess Gibson is adept at creating small surprises that keep everything fresh. An animal communicator takes revenge; a painter finds her vindication in the archives; a ghost does some matchmaking—and all these stories are fresh at the sentence level.
July 9, 2026
"ART IS NOT AN OBJECT BUT AN EXPERIENCE"
Jess Gibson does an excellent job of showcasing her skill with prose in the The Good Eye. Unfortuantely, I did not find her equally adept with the short story format in this collection, as many of the stories are mere vignettes or character studies that do not seem to have conclusions - they just end.
Her protagonists are a bit same-y: educated indivuduals with classical interests (architects, art critics, artists, archaeologists etc), but the setting and scenarios for each story are unique enough to perceive colour shifts between the 12 stories here.
That said, I still found this collection entertaining (even if I have to stretch my definition of the short story format). Your mileage may vary.
"IT IS NECESSARY TO RECOGNIZE THAT COLOUR DECEIVES CONTINUALLY"
A summary of each entry follows.
Pest Control
A firm and strong starter. A mother calls upon a spiratualist to offer kindly help with a vermin infestation, unknowing that the help has a bone to pick with her. Containing a very amusing ending.
Linear A (War of the Roses vignette 1)
A woman on an archaeological Greek cruise tour discovers her initial impression of her significant other to be as undecipherable as some of the texts in the sites they are visiting. Liam gets his comeuppance.
Cushion Cut
The unfortunate last day of a romance, from both sides (but not what you are thinking).
Intake
My favourite of the entire collection. Such a gem! A weekend home care worker discovers a truth about the life of her post-stroke client, and uses that truth to slowly bring her back from the brink.
The Good Eye
An art expert is invited to an Italian villa to assess a couple's collection paintings. The warmness of the couple seeps into the flesh and bones of the assessor. A reflection on the value of art.
Wild Food (War of the Roses vignette 2)
A couple goes extreme efforts are expended to prepare the feast for a dinner party from scratch. Increasing tension suggests discontent, followed with a side of vengeance?
Our Lady of the Moonlight
My least favourite of the bunch - a plot that was too slippery for me to grasp or recall.
Clairvoyance
A tale that belongs within the pages of a chilling victorian tale. Perscription of a sanatorium is made to help a woman overcome her physical ailments. As her architect husband works day and night to create a home for her, it becomes very clear that his wife's ambitions are now shhedding it's physical shell.
Flip
Adventureland, retold.
The Hunt (War of the Roses vignette 3)
If there is a change your significant other knows about your extramarital dalliances, DO NOT GO ON A HUNTING TRIL WITH HER FAMILY.
Light Tricks
A Möbius tryptich: three stories folded into each other, like elegant origami.
People find tragedy and healing together.
Blue Circle
A former partner to a highly regarded artist is forced to look deep and reflect into the origins of his rise to fame, discovering that not all is as it seems.
"A THING IS NEVER SEEN AS IT REALLY IS."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this short story collection with characters dealing with past mistakes, future mistakes, people with abilities, and people with the ability to ruin everything around them.
I read a lot of short stories as a young reader, mainly because I could find so many old magazines at the numerous tag sales and book sales my parents bought me to. Most of what I read was genre related, and were clear in what the offered. Mystery tales, fantasy tales and science fiction. Many seemed familiar, my first experience with the fix-up story where many writers would create a short story, and stretch it out later into novel form. I remember getting a bunch of old Paris Reviews at the library not knowing these were literary stories and being surprised by what I had found. These stories didn't have a clear mystery, no first contact. Many didn't even have an ending, a few didn't really have a story. What I did notice was the skill it took to create a good short story. To create a world, characters and a situation that made the reader interested and invested in the outcome. And have it end in a few pages. A skill that the author of this book has, and one that makes me excited to read more by. The Good Eye by Jess Gibson is a collection of stories about people and a world that seems familiar, and yet is full of magic, miscommunication, legends and myths and by a longing to belong, no matter the cost.
The book features twelve stories all about the same length give or take a few pages. The world might be our own, with some slight exceptions. The first story is a tale about a condominium, a worried mother and a pet psychic with a true gift, and a sense of revenge. The second is a tale of man, a woman, a rock and a relationship that seems doomed on so many levels, and what the woman learns about herself. One of my favorites is Blue Circle about the wife of a famous artist who helps make his career not in way she expected, but in her own talents. This is a stealthy tale that hits hard at the end, and one that surprised me.
As in any collection some stories didn't agree with me, but as the saying goes results may vary. I thought this was a strong collection, each story different than the last, with different themes, and really great ideas. Gibson has a really nice way of developing characters, of creating worlds that seem to be ours, and yet are slightly different. Either magical, such as a psychic pet woman, or just askew in different ways. Not all the stories have twist endings, some endings are left to the reader. Though many of these are stories I would like to read more about.
A really strong collection, and one that I quite enjoyed. This was my first reading of Gibson, but I really enjoyed what I read and can't wait to read more.
I read a lot of short stories as a young reader, mainly because I could find so many old magazines at the numerous tag sales and book sales my parents bought me to. Most of what I read was genre related, and were clear in what the offered. Mystery tales, fantasy tales and science fiction. Many seemed familiar, my first experience with the fix-up story where many writers would create a short story, and stretch it out later into novel form. I remember getting a bunch of old Paris Reviews at the library not knowing these were literary stories and being surprised by what I had found. These stories didn't have a clear mystery, no first contact. Many didn't even have an ending, a few didn't really have a story. What I did notice was the skill it took to create a good short story. To create a world, characters and a situation that made the reader interested and invested in the outcome. And have it end in a few pages. A skill that the author of this book has, and one that makes me excited to read more by. The Good Eye by Jess Gibson is a collection of stories about people and a world that seems familiar, and yet is full of magic, miscommunication, legends and myths and by a longing to belong, no matter the cost.
The book features twelve stories all about the same length give or take a few pages. The world might be our own, with some slight exceptions. The first story is a tale about a condominium, a worried mother and a pet psychic with a true gift, and a sense of revenge. The second is a tale of man, a woman, a rock and a relationship that seems doomed on so many levels, and what the woman learns about herself. One of my favorites is Blue Circle about the wife of a famous artist who helps make his career not in way she expected, but in her own talents. This is a stealthy tale that hits hard at the end, and one that surprised me.
As in any collection some stories didn't agree with me, but as the saying goes results may vary. I thought this was a strong collection, each story different than the last, with different themes, and really great ideas. Gibson has a really nice way of developing characters, of creating worlds that seem to be ours, and yet are slightly different. Either magical, such as a psychic pet woman, or just askew in different ways. Not all the stories have twist endings, some endings are left to the reader. Though many of these are stories I would like to read more about.
A really strong collection, and one that I quite enjoyed. This was my first reading of Gibson, but I really enjoyed what I read and can't wait to read more.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Anticipated Release date: may 12, 2026
Genre: fiction (short stories)
Series: standalone
This is a collection of twelve short stories, and even though each story stands on its own, they all center around women, which I appreciated.
As with other short story collections that I've read, some stories resonated with me more than others. My favorites were “Linear A,” “Intake,” “Our Lady of the Moonlight,” and “Flip.” These stories felt the most engaging to me and left the strongest impression.
There were also a couple of stories that didn’t work as well for me, particularly “Cushion Cut” and “The Hunt (but good for you, Jenny).” I found myself feeling bored during these and was ready to move on to the next story before they were finished.
My main hindrance with the collection, however, was the endings. For the majority of the twelve stories, the conclusions felt very abrupt. I often reached the final page expecting just a little more resolution. Even one or two additional pages might have helped some of the narratives feel more complete and satisfying.
Nonetheless, I think this is a good debut, and I will be open to exploring her other works in the future.
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: fiction (short stories)
Series: standalone
This is a collection of twelve short stories, and even though each story stands on its own, they all center around women, which I appreciated.
As with other short story collections that I've read, some stories resonated with me more than others. My favorites were “Linear A,” “Intake,” “Our Lady of the Moonlight,” and “Flip.” These stories felt the most engaging to me and left the strongest impression.
There were also a couple of stories that didn’t work as well for me, particularly “Cushion Cut” and “The Hunt (but good for you, Jenny).” I found myself feeling bored during these and was ready to move on to the next story before they were finished.
My main hindrance with the collection, however, was the endings. For the majority of the twelve stories, the conclusions felt very abrupt. I often reached the final page expecting just a little more resolution. Even one or two additional pages might have helped some of the narratives feel more complete and satisfying.
Nonetheless, I think this is a good debut, and I will be open to exploring her other works in the future.
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2026
More like 3.5, as the good stories here are really good, but this collection is a mixed bag, even though Gibson’s writing style maintains a beguilingly easy flow throughout.
Notes on a few of the stories I most enjoyed:
Pest Control: this opener about psychics and rat infestations is an interesting enough introduction to Gibson‘s overarching concerns here, what we see and believe to be true and important.
Linear A: a relationship unspools during a Mediterranean cruise due to a possibly magical rock, a possible pickpocket, and a definite ass of a boyfriend.
Cushion Cut: a real highlight for me. A sumptuously told story of a monied widow waiting to connect again with the man who seems to truly understand her, a Ripley-esque rogue who encounters trouble on his way back to her.
Clairvoyance: a man seems to lose his relationship with his wife to some mysteriously powerful forces during a Swiss health retreat. Another one with some beautiful descriptions that linger in the head like shots from a film.
The Hunt: a cheating husband accompanies his wife and father-in-law on a pheasant hunt, taking time along the way to ruminate on his mistress as well as the history of the Medicis. Almost collapses under the weight of the historical facts trudged out here, but still enjoyable.
Notes on a few of the stories I most enjoyed:
Pest Control: this opener about psychics and rat infestations is an interesting enough introduction to Gibson‘s overarching concerns here, what we see and believe to be true and important.
Linear A: a relationship unspools during a Mediterranean cruise due to a possibly magical rock, a possible pickpocket, and a definite ass of a boyfriend.
Cushion Cut: a real highlight for me. A sumptuously told story of a monied widow waiting to connect again with the man who seems to truly understand her, a Ripley-esque rogue who encounters trouble on his way back to her.
Clairvoyance: a man seems to lose his relationship with his wife to some mysteriously powerful forces during a Swiss health retreat. Another one with some beautiful descriptions that linger in the head like shots from a film.
The Hunt: a cheating husband accompanies his wife and father-in-law on a pheasant hunt, taking time along the way to ruminate on his mistress as well as the history of the Medicis. Almost collapses under the weight of the historical facts trudged out here, but still enjoyable.
July 2, 2026
Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for this copy that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway! As always, all opinions are my own. This collection of short stories ended up being just okay for me. Jess Gibson has a real talent for creating vivid settings and writing scenes that are rich with atmosphere. I appreciated the beautiful descriptions throughout the book. That said, I struggled with quite a few of the stories because they often felt unfinished to me. I’d get invested in a character or situation, only for the story to end before I felt like I understood what had actually happened. I found myself flipping back a few times thinking, “Wait…is that it?” 😅 Now, that could absolutely be a “me” thing. I know some readers love stories that leave plenty of room for interpretation, and if that’s your style, you may connect with this collection much more than I did. Personally, I prefer a little more closure, especially in short fiction. While this one wasn’t quite the right fit for my reading tastes, I can definitely appreciate Gibson’s descriptive writing and the mood she creates. If you enjoy literary short stories that invite you to draw your own conclusions, this collection may be worth checking out.
Read
June 18, 2026[…] but I joked that I’d always had a good eye. Del seemed not to know what I meant. She said that everybody had an evil eye and a good one. (61)
*
The paintings he had so completely ignored were geometric watercolors. Small and precise: I used tiny brushes and worked very slowly. I found it soothing to make them, although I was sure it was hurting my eyes. They were pale, bleached pictures of order. I rearranged their little grids like Mondrian endlessly moving his bits of tape around. The intensity of color that had fascinated me earlier in my career had dissolved and I’d begun diluting my paints, applying watery thin washes. Soon, my paintings would be nearly invisible. They would become lighter and lighter and lighter and then I’d die. (138)
*
I remembered the attention I’d paid to my paints, lining up the white Winsor & Newton tubes—Prussian Blue, French Ultramarine, Cobalt Turquoise, Viridian—and positioning the colors on the canvas so each of the blues looked different. They weren’t; I’d only used four shades. But color deceives continually. A thing is never seen as it really is. (149)
*
The paintings he had so completely ignored were geometric watercolors. Small and precise: I used tiny brushes and worked very slowly. I found it soothing to make them, although I was sure it was hurting my eyes. They were pale, bleached pictures of order. I rearranged their little grids like Mondrian endlessly moving his bits of tape around. The intensity of color that had fascinated me earlier in my career had dissolved and I’d begun diluting my paints, applying watery thin washes. Soon, my paintings would be nearly invisible. They would become lighter and lighter and lighter and then I’d die. (138)
*
I remembered the attention I’d paid to my paints, lining up the white Winsor & Newton tubes—Prussian Blue, French Ultramarine, Cobalt Turquoise, Viridian—and positioning the colors on the canvas so each of the blues looked different. They weren’t; I’d only used four shades. But color deceives continually. A thing is never seen as it really is. (149)
May 7, 2026
This is the first short story collection I've read this year, and it reminded me how much I enjoy them. I was looking for a collection, and this is getting a lot of buzz which is a bit anomalous for a book that is both Canadian and short stories. About 70% of the way through, I did learn that Jess Gibson is Margaret Atwood's daughter and I wish I had remained ignorant. I can't help seeing it within that lens now and acknowledging that at least some of the hype comes from her pedigree.
All of that said, I thought this was an above average anthology. I breezed through the stories, all of which felt accessible while managing to have a moment of surprising emotional impact. The stories felt cohesive without becoming staid, and the titular story was by far the standout. I am not sure this is a favourite just because I doubt any of the details will stick with me a month of from, so despite enjoying my time with this book, my final impression is that it feels a bit forgettable.
All of that said, I thought this was an above average anthology. I breezed through the stories, all of which felt accessible while managing to have a moment of surprising emotional impact. The stories felt cohesive without becoming staid, and the titular story was by far the standout. I am not sure this is a favourite just because I doubt any of the details will stick with me a month of from, so despite enjoying my time with this book, my final impression is that it feels a bit forgettable.
May 27, 2026
I loved this collection of short stories. They're about missed connections, relationships, art and creativity, and some have a quiet thread of the speculative in them.
The writing is exquistie. Sometimes I had to pause and think to myself: what a unique way of describing that, or saying this, or I've not thought about this that way. That's great writing to me.
I love how the stories weren't too long, but they encompassed so much. They felt very complete and down to earth. And even when the dning may be partially open, you could infer what would / wouldn't happen next.
My favourites were the first and las stories, but I also really liked the one on grief in the middle.
I would happily read another collection by Jess Gibson or a full length novel. I feel like her work is grounded, extremely relatable and says something significant about the ways in which we connect to each other -- or don't.
The writing is exquistie. Sometimes I had to pause and think to myself: what a unique way of describing that, or saying this, or I've not thought about this that way. That's great writing to me.
I love how the stories weren't too long, but they encompassed so much. They felt very complete and down to earth. And even when the dning may be partially open, you could infer what would / wouldn't happen next.
My favourites were the first and las stories, but I also really liked the one on grief in the middle.
I would happily read another collection by Jess Gibson or a full length novel. I feel like her work is grounded, extremely relatable and says something significant about the ways in which we connect to each other -- or don't.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"The Good Eye" is competently written and occasionally intriguing but too often the stories feel like sketches rather than fully realized narrative, a little too flat for me, and any sense of a plot is nonexistent: a few things happen and then they end. The title story is intriguing with its art-world "twist," , but then nothing comes from that, no conflict, no tension. Surely anyone can string a few scenes together? I want something more.
Without escalation, conflict, or meaningful consequence, the collection feels a little inert. It's as though gesture alone were enough. There's talent here, certainly, and sharp premises, but I wanted more propulsion and tension, I wanted the stories to be building toward something rather than simply fading out.
Without escalation, conflict, or meaningful consequence, the collection feels a little inert. It's as though gesture alone were enough. There's talent here, certainly, and sharp premises, but I wanted more propulsion and tension, I wanted the stories to be building toward something rather than simply fading out.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
unfortunately, this short story collection wasn't for me. for the most part, I felt really meh about the majority of the stories. 😭
I was either too stupid to understand the point of each of them, or they were genuinely just really banal. however, I do think that maybe I'm just the wrong audience. this book is definitely for a specific group of people.
these are my ratings of them:
• pest control — 2⭐️
• linear a — 2.5⭐️
• cushion cut — 3⭐️
• intake — 2.5⭐️
• the good eye — 2⭐️
• wild food — 2⭐️
• our lady of the moonlight — 2.5⭐️
• clairvoyance — 4⭐️
• flip — 2.5⭐️
• the hunt — 1⭐️
• light tricks — 2⭐️
• blue circle — 3⭐️
I was either too stupid to understand the point of each of them, or they were genuinely just really banal. however, I do think that maybe I'm just the wrong audience. this book is definitely for a specific group of people.
these are my ratings of them:
• pest control — 2⭐️
• linear a — 2.5⭐️
• cushion cut — 3⭐️
• intake — 2.5⭐️
• the good eye — 2⭐️
• wild food — 2⭐️
• our lady of the moonlight — 2.5⭐️
• clairvoyance — 4⭐️
• flip — 2.5⭐️
• the hunt — 1⭐️
• light tricks — 2⭐️
• blue circle — 3⭐️
May 17, 2026
The Good Eye
Jess Gibson
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
ARC courtesy of Cardinal and NetGalley.
Jess Gibson’s debut, The Good Eye, is a collection of short stories with memorable women trying to break out of gender roles. The stories are very atmospheric, with surrealism and distorted reality, as well as elements of the supernatural. Gibson’s writing is spare and restrained, and many of the stories end with an ambiguity some readers may find frustrating. I myself prefer some questions left unanswered, and found myself ruminating on them long after finishing the book. A very strong debut. I look forward to more from Jess Gibson.
Jess Gibson
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
ARC courtesy of Cardinal and NetGalley.
Jess Gibson’s debut, The Good Eye, is a collection of short stories with memorable women trying to break out of gender roles. The stories are very atmospheric, with surrealism and distorted reality, as well as elements of the supernatural. Gibson’s writing is spare and restrained, and many of the stories end with an ambiguity some readers may find frustrating. I myself prefer some questions left unanswered, and found myself ruminating on them long after finishing the book. A very strong debut. I look forward to more from Jess Gibson.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Apparently this is Margaret Atwood's daughter, which is interesting.
I would give this collection ***½. Decent short stories and I liked the writing. I'm not sure this book would be for someone looking for a page-turner experience or someone who isn't really into short stories. Perhaps the pacing was a bit slow? I am personally OK with short stories that on the slower paced side.
{owned, paperback, won in a GR giveaway}
I would give this collection ***½. Decent short stories and I liked the writing. I'm not sure this book would be for someone looking for a page-turner experience or someone who isn't really into short stories. Perhaps the pacing was a bit slow? I am personally OK with short stories that on the slower paced side.
{owned, paperback, won in a GR giveaway}
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