Off Somewhere

by Z.Z. Boone

Off Somewhere, Z.Z. Boone's debut story collection, is populated by characters who seek recognition and empowerment in a world that has suddenly become baffling. The tone of these eighteen stories ranges from a humorous account of a young student obsessed with an unobtainable fast-food worker, to a cartoonist forced to face the fact that brotherly hatred runs deeper than brotherly love, to a young woman hoping a homemade cake will keep her parents' marriage intact.

228 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2015

Reviews

[Jawknee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

The first story, which gives the collection its title, is about a family dealing with father/husband whose mind seems to be "off somewhere" else, later diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
From there, each story goes off somewhere in other directions.
Young lovers sneaking off somewhere across the border in search of the perfect doughnut.
A recently divorced couple and their daughter, moving off somewhere in their own direction.
A man working out his love life, off somewhere away from his overweight (and overprotective) mother.
And this is only the first four stories.

Z.Z. Boone's first published collection of stories hopefully won't be his last.
I look forward to reading more in the future.

[Tricia Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unflinching look at the other side of the tracks, whether they separate sexes, races, religions, families, or economies. There’s not much searching going on among these characters, even the young ones, but rather a holding in place, especially when the appointed spot is sure to doom them sooner rather than later. Boone’s signature move is to hit us—and hit us hard—with pithy, often irreverent, pronouncements, sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing, sometimes within seconds of each other. Bravo!

[Jadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free uncorrected proof on Goodreads. I think the stories were written well, but I didn't have strong feelings either way about any of these stories. I felt as if some were cut off too soon, I needed a little more wrap up. I hope that before publication it was caught that Minot Air Force Base is not in South Dakota, but North Dakota. That took me out of the story for a minute, I was so thrown off about it. I don't like how much work it is for me to figure out if the person narrating is a male or female or if it even matters, I just want to know! I think short stories just aren't for me. It isn't in depth enough.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the stories, especially the characters. They were skillfully brought to life. Each short story, when it ended, left me wanting more. Bravo, ZZ Boone.