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A Map Of The World: Stories
In this debut collection of stories, Zev Good takes the reader into a world he knows and illuminates so well: the middle-class American South.
In the opening story, "The Sweet By-and-By," an inexplicable tragedy brings to light the cracks in a family's foundation. In "Had," a man recalls his youth and must, at last, come to terms with the one love he could never have. The title story alternates between the present and the past, and tells us a truth we all know but find hard to admit: that to rescue ourselves, we sometimes have to leave others behind.
These stories, populated with mothers and children, friends and lovers, the living and the dying, reveal the intricate and tenuous bonds that unite us all.
In the opening story, "The Sweet By-and-By," an inexplicable tragedy brings to light the cracks in a family's foundation. In "Had," a man recalls his youth and must, at last, come to terms with the one love he could never have. The title story alternates between the present and the past, and tells us a truth we all know but find hard to admit: that to rescue ourselves, we sometimes have to leave others behind.
These stories, populated with mothers and children, friends and lovers, the living and the dying, reveal the intricate and tenuous bonds that unite us all.
- GenresFictionShort StoriesLGBT
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2017
16 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 14, 2018
In 'A Map of the World' Zev Good artfully presents seven snapshots of various painful experiences, exploring the outer responses and internal dialogue of those affected. Each story deals with a weighty issue: school shootings, suicide, HIV, unrequited love, murder, grief, cancer — yet the theme is not the tragedy. Good instead invites the reader to step beyond the the event, to where reactions are honest, rich with a truth often hidden from the headlines of such things. 'A Map of the World' is a celebration of vulnerability, showcasing the nuances of emotion and the power of the human spirit.
June 8, 2020
The stories in A Map of the World are keenly observed, showing us those tiny moments when we make choices, and the consequences that arise. Not big choices; sometimes, not even conscious choices. With a fine eye for detail, for subtle human interaction and the spaces between words and meaning, these are among the finest short stories I've read in a long time. Bittersweet and real, small glimpses into real lives touched by events both mundane and defining.
July 21, 2018
Zev Good crafted a very special collection of short stories in A Map of the World. This is a literary work featuring character driven stories. In each story, Good meticulously unpacks the interior lives of characters in whom you may see yourself, your family, and friends. The shorts are incredibly honest explorations of the flawed and beautiful brief lives we live, especially as we love "not wisely, but too well." The stories range in subjects, but mostly arrange themselves in a contemporary setting where social critique is a potent companion to the richly developed characters. I've always thought the measure of a short story is whether it clearly and effectively delivers a single thrust of emotion. Good's work is a kick to the head and the heart.
In this work, love never means cruelty and lies are off the table. Love never means you'll get loved in return. Neither of these facts diminish the importance of the love we share in a world where we are all a bit damaged, and just getting by when life puts us together, before pulling us apart.
A must read.
In this work, love never means cruelty and lies are off the table. Love never means you'll get loved in return. Neither of these facts diminish the importance of the love we share in a world where we are all a bit damaged, and just getting by when life puts us together, before pulling us apart.
A must read.
September 11, 2018
Mr. Good’s “A Map of the World” is a party platter of assorted life experiences, some sweet, some savoury and others that leave a distinctive after-taste that is hard to wash away with commonplace sensibilities. In his stories, love, loss, friendship, death and other such recurring aspects of the human condition often make their appearances within delicately woven scenarios and touching, relatable narratives that are sure to leave an indelible impression on the reader’s mind. Although each story has its unique flavour there is a recurring theme of compassion and sacrifice, often selfless and heart-rending. Sometimes the reader will be made to wonder if everything happens for a reason and at other times he/she will be baffled by the senselessness of certain events or actions that appear out of nowhere and wreak havoc in the every day lives of the characters. Across all of these stories, of course, Mr. Good’s flair for engaging his audience and keeping them glued to the pages is uncanny and worthy of applause. In fine, this is definitely a book worth reading and I would gladly recommend it to everyone.
August 17, 2018
This collection of short stories felt like a glimpse into real people's lives, with their hopes, dreams, fears, and loves on the page. The book opened with a bang. A mother and ex-principal, a daughter, and a community's loss. And ended with a friendship among generations. The stories took me to all the places in between. Each one individual and beautiful amongst the ugly aspects of life. I loved each story. I look forward to Zev's next book.
December 15, 2018
Engaging and real
Each of these stories pierces the heart of the reader in a different way. It is very easy to imagine a couple of them as movies. The texts have their own rhythms, too. Delightful!!
Each of these stories pierces the heart of the reader in a different way. It is very easy to imagine a couple of them as movies. The texts have their own rhythms, too. Delightful!!
December 8, 2018
A Map Of The World is a collection of short stories that have the reader travelling through the emotional landscape of its characters. The narration is so compelling, I often felt I was in the room with each protagonist as they poured their heart out. This collection unfolds a map that displays our universal connection. There is something in each story that pins itself to the reader with a sharp point, marking places they've been, or have been parallel to. Its pinch goes straight to the heart of the reader. No matter where you are in this world, I highly recommend reading this map!
August 26, 2019
Yet again, I've been reading a collection of short stories, and this was something very special.
First of all, I don't really know how to describe this, or the stories. If I was to put a genre on it, I don't know, maybe I'd call them dramas. Family dramas, or romantic dramas. That's at least something they all have in common, but then again, they're so more than that.
I'd argue that what Good writes about, is people. His stories are all about people, and they're absolutely amazing stories at that. I feel like I need to hammer this point through (because if I was on the other side of this, I don't think I'd find stories about people very exciting), but these are absolutely terrific stories, every single one of them. There's just something about the way Good describes relationships, hope and dreams, worries and anxiety, it... I don't even know. It's magnificent.
And his writing is so unique. I don't mean his stories, but the way he uses his words. Again, I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to call it. I remember in one story, instead of describing what various people looked like, he kept mentioning the names of every single one of them, in a very matter-of-factly way, like: "and his name was Thomas." It was such a innovative way of describing all these people he writes about that I just sat there staring for few moments.
There's something about his writing that just got to me. Something that popped out of the page for me, so I just had to keep going. I don't know how he does it, but this is what good writing - and good reading - should do to you.
First of all, I don't really know how to describe this, or the stories. If I was to put a genre on it, I don't know, maybe I'd call them dramas. Family dramas, or romantic dramas. That's at least something they all have in common, but then again, they're so more than that.
I'd argue that what Good writes about, is people. His stories are all about people, and they're absolutely amazing stories at that. I feel like I need to hammer this point through (because if I was on the other side of this, I don't think I'd find stories about people very exciting), but these are absolutely terrific stories, every single one of them. There's just something about the way Good describes relationships, hope and dreams, worries and anxiety, it... I don't even know. It's magnificent.
And his writing is so unique. I don't mean his stories, but the way he uses his words. Again, I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to call it. I remember in one story, instead of describing what various people looked like, he kept mentioning the names of every single one of them, in a very matter-of-factly way, like: "and his name was Thomas." It was such a innovative way of describing all these people he writes about that I just sat there staring for few moments.
There's something about his writing that just got to me. Something that popped out of the page for me, so I just had to keep going. I don't know how he does it, but this is what good writing - and good reading - should do to you.
December 27, 2017
This was well written putting real life scenarios people face today and putting it into some short stories. Looking forward to Zev's next book he writes. This was definitely a page turner and I couldn't put it down.
January 18, 2019
Zev Good writes good – I mean *well*, of course! He has a very natural quality to his prose and he uses it to weave accessible, relatable, and engaging tales in this collection of short fiction that covers a range of subject matter with relationships (familial, lovers, acquaintances, and friends) and their fleeting but consequential affects they have on our lives perhaps being the one subject that stands out the most. While this may sound like familiar territory, Zev empowers these stories and his characters with unique perspectives, and ones that often don't claim to have all the answers, if any of them. The first story especially surprised me with its take on the epidemic of school shootings. In that story, Zev expresses a conflict of empathy, understanding, and perception. I think this is a theme that can be found in most of the stories in A MAP OF THE WORLD where characters deal with complicated or unrequited love, terminal illness, lost friendships, and death, which always seems to linger around the edges of the narrative. It's a genuine conflict we find in all these tales, and not of the fireworks/dramarama variety, but of the everyday human condition, and these stories explore it in a way that discovers answers are not always at the end of the road, but hopefully acceptance is. All in all, an exquisitely written collection of stories that I'd recommend to just about anyone.
August 27, 2019
Like being a Fly on the Wall for every Story
Life, death, and all the delightful nothings in between fill the pages of this outstanding short story compilation. Each piece stands on its own but consistently good writing and relatable characters make them all feel familiar in some way.
Mr. Good shows a rare deftness in making the taboo topics of sex and death seem casual and intimitely important at the same time. None of the compelling stories took themselves too seriously, and yet, the depth of emotion in each one will leave a lasting impression on readers.
It's named A Map of the World, but it's really a map of the human experience. Pick this one up to go on a hell of a deep journey.
Life, death, and all the delightful nothings in between fill the pages of this outstanding short story compilation. Each piece stands on its own but consistently good writing and relatable characters make them all feel familiar in some way.
Mr. Good shows a rare deftness in making the taboo topics of sex and death seem casual and intimitely important at the same time. None of the compelling stories took themselves too seriously, and yet, the depth of emotion in each one will leave a lasting impression on readers.
It's named A Map of the World, but it's really a map of the human experience. Pick this one up to go on a hell of a deep journey.
March 18, 2019
This book of short stories was bursting with heart and soul. I think the author did a wonderful job of bringing such a gritty realism to each of the stories, that each one leaves you pining to know more about the characters and their lives. There is no way to sum up how much I enjoyed this compilation and how much of a portrait of modern life each one is. Masterfully, tenderly written, I recommend this as a weekend read if you enjoy contemporary, American literature and are open to concepts around sexual orientation. There is a bleakness to many of the arcs, but there are none that are lacking in charm and depth.
August 25, 2018
Within each short story, Zev has managed to effectively create relatable characters and situations; people and events that each one of us could encounter in a lifetime - both good and bad. I must say, that he has achieved this at an astonishing level of perfection i.e. one minute I was laughing, the next I had tears in my eyes - which is very rare (for me, at least). I still can't believe, that this is his debut novel. To conclude, 'A Map Of The World' is a fantastic read, eye-opening and poignant in many parts. I genuinely look forward to Zev's next book.
December 28, 2019
It has been a while since I’ve read something that has had what feels like it will be a long-lasting impact on me. Zev Good’s Map of the World is one of those instances, so I can safely reset the clock on that one. This collection of short stories offers us the idea that small cracks form within everyone, and regardless of how people may try to cover (or even succeed in covering) them, they fundamentally change the way that those people exist in the world around them.
"The Sweet By-and-By"
This story starts things off with what originally felt like the biggest catalytic event in the book. Despite this polarizing event, that isn’t where the story lies. The reader finds the story, instead, in the characters that were one step removed from the event, and yet found themselves pulled into the center of it. It often feels like this story is the one that exemplifies the theme of the cracks in the facade that the reader can see throughout the book.
"Had"
I loved this story. It had all of the wistful nostalgia of teenage romance with a strong undercurrent that felt as if it suggested that love isn’t always enough. Sometimes, it isn’t nearly enough, and that’s all right.
"Mysterious Ways"
This was definitely one of my favorites. It appealed to the part of me that loves to see how people’s lives fit together, sometimes better than they know, but just because it fits doesn’t mean it’s right (or wrong, for that matter!).
"Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair"
This was a hard one to read. It hits you, right in the depths of your soul, and doesn’t stop until the end, when there’s a small, warm comfort that helps soothe away the pain. Watching Howard struggle, balance, and struggle again speaks to all people in general. Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes those mistakes are messy (even indirectly), but there’s opportunity to fix them, if we’re willing to put the work in. This story was, to me, both inspirational and sobering. It was a dose of reality, and how reality can still be pretty damn good.
"A Map of the World"
There’s a reason this is the title story, and it is an amazing story. That’s all I’m going to say. You should check it out on your own.
There are two more stories in this collection, both "Decoration Day" and "Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye", but a lot of it would be me saying the same thing over and over again. These stories speak to me, they’re real and raw and sometimes messy, and they’re beautiful in all of their messiness. I won’t keep you here much longer, but I will say that this book is worth a read, and I promise that you will be richer for having experienced them.
"The Sweet By-and-By"
This story starts things off with what originally felt like the biggest catalytic event in the book. Despite this polarizing event, that isn’t where the story lies. The reader finds the story, instead, in the characters that were one step removed from the event, and yet found themselves pulled into the center of it. It often feels like this story is the one that exemplifies the theme of the cracks in the facade that the reader can see throughout the book.
"Had"
I loved this story. It had all of the wistful nostalgia of teenage romance with a strong undercurrent that felt as if it suggested that love isn’t always enough. Sometimes, it isn’t nearly enough, and that’s all right.
"Mysterious Ways"
This was definitely one of my favorites. It appealed to the part of me that loves to see how people’s lives fit together, sometimes better than they know, but just because it fits doesn’t mean it’s right (or wrong, for that matter!).
"Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair"
This was a hard one to read. It hits you, right in the depths of your soul, and doesn’t stop until the end, when there’s a small, warm comfort that helps soothe away the pain. Watching Howard struggle, balance, and struggle again speaks to all people in general. Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes those mistakes are messy (even indirectly), but there’s opportunity to fix them, if we’re willing to put the work in. This story was, to me, both inspirational and sobering. It was a dose of reality, and how reality can still be pretty damn good.
"A Map of the World"
There’s a reason this is the title story, and it is an amazing story. That’s all I’m going to say. You should check it out on your own.
There are two more stories in this collection, both "Decoration Day" and "Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye", but a lot of it would be me saying the same thing over and over again. These stories speak to me, they’re real and raw and sometimes messy, and they’re beautiful in all of their messiness. I won’t keep you here much longer, but I will say that this book is worth a read, and I promise that you will be richer for having experienced them.
June 22, 2018
“A Map of the World” by Zev Good
book review by Jessica Lucci
These short stories bound together create a journey through America, visiting rural towns and buzzing cities; touching on memorials and eras; and meeting characters whom are already known. Each story is uniquely driven, with fast-paced plots and simmering emotions that boil over into the love, pain, longing, and hope which is discovered to be universal.
As I read each story, I alternately found myself holding my breath, forcing myself to pause, and then placing my hand over the upcoming text so I would not be tempted to peek ahead. Reading this as a volume was like taking a road trip with a close friend, and meeting kindred spirits along the way.
If this was a road trip, following the trail outlined in the pages of this book, and my close friend took turns driving so I could read, this is what my travel journal would look like:
Travel Date: 6-14-18
Mode of Travel: “The Sweet By-and-By”
Origin: 8:20 AM, middle school, outside Knoxville, TN
Destination: Kingston, TN
Points of Interest:
A sister, a brother, a mother, a grocery store, a neighbor, a school, a church, a tragedy.
Where does this evil come from? What do we do with the pain from senseless murders? Is there a reconciliation between our judgment of others and our expectations of ourselves? Who do we comfort, and how, and why do we feel the need to be comforted when the grief is not our own?
Travel Date: 6-17-18
Mode of Travel: “Had”
Origin: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Destination: Provincetown, MA
Points of Interest:
Tulane University, Emory University, Herring Cove.
Reading on my phone, dabbing at my eyes, while everyone else in the room assumed I had an emotional attachment to the widescreen viewing of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Unrequited love, acceptance of loss, the helplessness of watching someone you love self-destruct.
Travel Date: 6-18-18
Mode of Travel: “In Mysterious Ways”
Origin: Westin Hotel, Atlanta, GA
Destination: Texas
Points of Interest:
Mexico, bus, train.
I am on the third story in “A Map of the World,” and am in love. I have not felt this immersed in short stories for a long time. The characters and the experiences they share are from diverse backgrounds, yet portray universal emotions. Gorgeous!
This story is beautiful in its allegorical telling of how fates and families mix and collide, like superheroes falling to pavement.
Travel Date: 6-19-18
Mode of Travel: “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”
Origin: Grady Hospital, Atlanta, GA
Destination: Virginia-Highland, GA
Points of Interest:
True love, good people, hospital, passive-aggressive mother, Midtown, Camp Barney, Toco Hills, Decatur.
Taking care of a loved one after a severe injury and brain trauma; knowing things will never be the same and wondering if you’d want the same anyway; guilty over your judgment of people who you once looked down upon, who are the only people helping you now. Discovering the intimacy, wanted or not, that comes from being a caregiver to a once strong person.
Travel Date: 6-20-18
Mode of Travel: “A Map of the World”
Origin: Eastern Tennessee
Destination: Harriman, Tennessee
Points of Interest:
Europe, Las Vegas, elementary school, junkyard, Winrock, Appalachia, trailer, Florida.
“He took forever and it occurred to me as he agonized over his choices – a literal world of them – that he was having such difficulty because it had never crossed his mind that he could, if he chose, go anywhere in the world.”
Each story in “A Map of the World” is pulling at my heart. The title story just broke it.
Travel Date: 6-21-18
Mode of Travel: “Decoration Day”
Origin: Vietnam
Destination: Birmingham, Alabama
Points of Interest:
Witch’s house, cemetery, dirt road.
Youth and grief are strangers, and death is viewed as a mystery. Ghosts? Spirits? If they exist, should we wish to see them? Or is it better not to revisit our pain, and let our loved ones rest in peace? Letting go is a need shared by survivors, even those from different cultures.
Travel Date: 6-22-18
Mode of Travel: “Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye”
Origin: Sonoma, CA
Destination: Alpharetta, GA
Points of Interest: Charleston, SC; Sydney, Australia; Auschwitz.
Live like you’re dying, and die like you’re living. That’s all I can say without bawling right now.
Travel Notes:
Really, really, just really… for a self-proclaimed writer, I am stunningly out of words. Except DAMN YOU Zev Good, for creating stories of such perfection that I am holding my breath to contain the cry invoked by your book! I just… can’t.
I’m not a gay man and I’m not Jewish. You don’t have to be to relate to the characters sharing these common traits.
Most of the books I have been reading lately have been fluffy romances, which is not meant as a disparagement; fluff is necessary to be well-read. But this book is one of those rare volumes which have touched my heart and will continue to feed my thoughts on the world.
book review by Jessica Lucci
These short stories bound together create a journey through America, visiting rural towns and buzzing cities; touching on memorials and eras; and meeting characters whom are already known. Each story is uniquely driven, with fast-paced plots and simmering emotions that boil over into the love, pain, longing, and hope which is discovered to be universal.
As I read each story, I alternately found myself holding my breath, forcing myself to pause, and then placing my hand over the upcoming text so I would not be tempted to peek ahead. Reading this as a volume was like taking a road trip with a close friend, and meeting kindred spirits along the way.
If this was a road trip, following the trail outlined in the pages of this book, and my close friend took turns driving so I could read, this is what my travel journal would look like:
Travel Date: 6-14-18
Mode of Travel: “The Sweet By-and-By”
Origin: 8:20 AM, middle school, outside Knoxville, TN
Destination: Kingston, TN
Points of Interest:
A sister, a brother, a mother, a grocery store, a neighbor, a school, a church, a tragedy.
Where does this evil come from? What do we do with the pain from senseless murders? Is there a reconciliation between our judgment of others and our expectations of ourselves? Who do we comfort, and how, and why do we feel the need to be comforted when the grief is not our own?
Travel Date: 6-17-18
Mode of Travel: “Had”
Origin: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Destination: Provincetown, MA
Points of Interest:
Tulane University, Emory University, Herring Cove.
Reading on my phone, dabbing at my eyes, while everyone else in the room assumed I had an emotional attachment to the widescreen viewing of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Unrequited love, acceptance of loss, the helplessness of watching someone you love self-destruct.
Travel Date: 6-18-18
Mode of Travel: “In Mysterious Ways”
Origin: Westin Hotel, Atlanta, GA
Destination: Texas
Points of Interest:
Mexico, bus, train.
I am on the third story in “A Map of the World,” and am in love. I have not felt this immersed in short stories for a long time. The characters and the experiences they share are from diverse backgrounds, yet portray universal emotions. Gorgeous!
This story is beautiful in its allegorical telling of how fates and families mix and collide, like superheroes falling to pavement.
Travel Date: 6-19-18
Mode of Travel: “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”
Origin: Grady Hospital, Atlanta, GA
Destination: Virginia-Highland, GA
Points of Interest:
True love, good people, hospital, passive-aggressive mother, Midtown, Camp Barney, Toco Hills, Decatur.
Taking care of a loved one after a severe injury and brain trauma; knowing things will never be the same and wondering if you’d want the same anyway; guilty over your judgment of people who you once looked down upon, who are the only people helping you now. Discovering the intimacy, wanted or not, that comes from being a caregiver to a once strong person.
Travel Date: 6-20-18
Mode of Travel: “A Map of the World”
Origin: Eastern Tennessee
Destination: Harriman, Tennessee
Points of Interest:
Europe, Las Vegas, elementary school, junkyard, Winrock, Appalachia, trailer, Florida.
“He took forever and it occurred to me as he agonized over his choices – a literal world of them – that he was having such difficulty because it had never crossed his mind that he could, if he chose, go anywhere in the world.”
Each story in “A Map of the World” is pulling at my heart. The title story just broke it.
Travel Date: 6-21-18
Mode of Travel: “Decoration Day”
Origin: Vietnam
Destination: Birmingham, Alabama
Points of Interest:
Witch’s house, cemetery, dirt road.
Youth and grief are strangers, and death is viewed as a mystery. Ghosts? Spirits? If they exist, should we wish to see them? Or is it better not to revisit our pain, and let our loved ones rest in peace? Letting go is a need shared by survivors, even those from different cultures.
Travel Date: 6-22-18
Mode of Travel: “Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye”
Origin: Sonoma, CA
Destination: Alpharetta, GA
Points of Interest: Charleston, SC; Sydney, Australia; Auschwitz.
Live like you’re dying, and die like you’re living. That’s all I can say without bawling right now.
Travel Notes:
Really, really, just really… for a self-proclaimed writer, I am stunningly out of words. Except DAMN YOU Zev Good, for creating stories of such perfection that I am holding my breath to contain the cry invoked by your book! I just… can’t.
I’m not a gay man and I’m not Jewish. You don’t have to be to relate to the characters sharing these common traits.
Most of the books I have been reading lately have been fluffy romances, which is not meant as a disparagement; fluff is necessary to be well-read. But this book is one of those rare volumes which have touched my heart and will continue to feed my thoughts on the world.
September 19, 2018
Zev Good's "a map of the world" is just that. A glimpse of the human condition. He exposes raw emotions in a brutally realistic way. He takes on issues that are usually buried because of societal norms and peels the onion layer by layer to excise his characters' inner truths. Has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Good has applied this brutal realism throughout his work by giving voice to the baser of emotions, one instance is selfishness. He has lain bare the fact that we are all capable of exhibiting incredible harm and then, THEN, not care about the casualties left behind.
Each story in AMOTW, although "stand alone's" also give a richer, deeper picture of character's who care about what is happening around them. Each character is colored by lives lived either authentically or inauthentically. With reckless abandon or exhaustive plotting. These stories show that survival is innate and empathy is hardwired. Good shows the perfect tension between the two.
AMOTW gives a bird's eye view of intimate relationships. Some romantic, some familial, but all with heart. Good has given an account of the
interweaving of peoples' lives, no matter how different they seem familiar. He has been able to bring round neatly tied up endings in some and left open ones that need further consideration.
Has he bitten off more than he can chew? Just enough. He gives the reminder that the human condition should always be examined.
Good has applied this brutal realism throughout his work by giving voice to the baser of emotions, one instance is selfishness. He has lain bare the fact that we are all capable of exhibiting incredible harm and then, THEN, not care about the casualties left behind.
Each story in AMOTW, although "stand alone's" also give a richer, deeper picture of character's who care about what is happening around them. Each character is colored by lives lived either authentically or inauthentically. With reckless abandon or exhaustive plotting. These stories show that survival is innate and empathy is hardwired. Good shows the perfect tension between the two.
AMOTW gives a bird's eye view of intimate relationships. Some romantic, some familial, but all with heart. Good has given an account of the
interweaving of peoples' lives, no matter how different they seem familiar. He has been able to bring round neatly tied up endings in some and left open ones that need further consideration.
Has he bitten off more than he can chew? Just enough. He gives the reminder that the human condition should always be examined.
November 22, 2019
Zev Good's first venture into fiction is a fine collection short stories from the American South. Each story portrays a different facet of life in the American South from the tragedy of a school shooting to a man dealing with brain cancer whose motherly neighbor is a survivor of the Holocaust. In between there is a gay man in a sometime relationship with another man who is more outgoing than he is and all the complications in life that causes; a brief vignette of a woman from Mexico and a black man who witnessed the suicide of a man with green eyes who jumped from a parking garage; a man who cares for his for his boyfriend who was nearly killed in an automobile accident and is very slowly recovering; a man returns to his hometown to attend the wedding of his best girl friend from kindergarten and finds out his sometime boyfriend from fourth grade has been tragically murdered; and, an eight-year-old girl helps her recently deceased uncle’s Vietnamese wife deal with her husband’s death in the manner as its done in Vietnam to release the spirit of its Earthly bonds.
December 29, 2020
Was not prepared for all the feels!
Zev Good has perfected the fine art of character depth with this short story collection. I'm not sure how he did it, but you are drawn in almost from the first page of each story and you KNOW these people. You would swear you do! He brings them to life on every page and you really feel like you are living with them in the moment.
The stories themselves are focused on endings and beginnings. There is sadness and loss, but there is also hope and a desire to begin again. This duality is at play in all the stories, but it is fitting that the book ends (as does my reading for the year) with a story called "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye." Never is the end/begin theme more clear than in this wonderful story. There are so many layers here that I want to read this story again.
All the characters need a hug, so give them one, and GET THIS BOOK! Bravo, Mr. Good.
Zev Good has perfected the fine art of character depth with this short story collection. I'm not sure how he did it, but you are drawn in almost from the first page of each story and you KNOW these people. You would swear you do! He brings them to life on every page and you really feel like you are living with them in the moment.
The stories themselves are focused on endings and beginnings. There is sadness and loss, but there is also hope and a desire to begin again. This duality is at play in all the stories, but it is fitting that the book ends (as does my reading for the year) with a story called "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye." Never is the end/begin theme more clear than in this wonderful story. There are so many layers here that I want to read this story again.
All the characters need a hug, so give them one, and GET THIS BOOK! Bravo, Mr. Good.
July 6, 2019
I believe that story collections are the hardest to review. But this collection makes it easy.
My favorite in the book was Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye. While the main character is Steven, I felt like Dora really carried the emotion of the piece. I could “see” and hear the voices of her and Steven better than any of the other characters. The message she delivers of “You want to live?” “Then you live,” is one I have heard for many years. Maybe these two characters were just more familiar to me, but they are definitely ones I will be thinking about for a while.
Usually, in these collections, there is at least one story that the reader cannot connect to. I did not have that happen in this book.
My favorite in the book was Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye. While the main character is Steven, I felt like Dora really carried the emotion of the piece. I could “see” and hear the voices of her and Steven better than any of the other characters. The message she delivers of “You want to live?” “Then you live,” is one I have heard for many years. Maybe these two characters were just more familiar to me, but they are definitely ones I will be thinking about for a while.
Usually, in these collections, there is at least one story that the reader cannot connect to. I did not have that happen in this book.
July 27, 2018
A wonderful collection!
A collection of high-impact short stories comprised of touching glimpses of the very essence of the human experience - the Connections we make with one another. Each story is crafted with style, warmth, insight and elegance. I went from one to the next, never wanting to reach the end.
Zev Good delivers real people living very real moments. He draws you in to their stories, gives a powerful emotional thrust and leaves you craving for more!
A collection of high-impact short stories comprised of touching glimpses of the very essence of the human experience - the Connections we make with one another. Each story is crafted with style, warmth, insight and elegance. I went from one to the next, never wanting to reach the end.
Zev Good delivers real people living very real moments. He draws you in to their stories, gives a powerful emotional thrust and leaves you craving for more!
September 26, 2018
These stories are touching, thought-provoking, funny, and incredibly well-paced. I finished the book hoping there are more stories Mr. Good has to share with the world. The subject matter is intensely personal, and yet even though there are many differences between me and the main characters, the empathy the author creates between the reader and his subjects is astounding. I would recommend this to anyone open to having someone hold up a mirror to their own life decisions, willing to examine their own feelings and scars through the lens of a similar, yet often very disparate, experience.
June 18, 2020
Zev Good drops you right into the middle of life: crisis, romance, heartbreak - and then puts his foot on the gas. I was swept along by each story, feeling like I knew the characters in the first few pages. He has a way of allowing you to have compassion without sentiment. These stories are special - a true gift. There are no weak spots in this collection.
August 1, 2018
This author has the most amazing talent. He has the ability to forge such believable and authentic characters. There's an honesty in his writing which really transforms the dialogue and makes it feel true.
I look forward to reading more from him in the future. I truly believe he's a writer to keep an eye on.
Because of his writing I mean, not because he might steal your stuff.
I look forward to reading more from him in the future. I truly believe he's a writer to keep an eye on.
Because of his writing I mean, not because he might steal your stuff.
December 2, 2020
This is easily my favorite book of the year.
This is a collection of stories, each one about broken people and their broken relationships. It's messy, sloppy and raw and it's wonderful, spectacular writing. This book is a master class in writing real emotions and I loved every second of it. He's a genius at creating real characters with tight, realistic dialogue.
I can't say enough good things about this book. I loved it. I'm buying everything he writes from now on.
This is a collection of stories, each one about broken people and their broken relationships. It's messy, sloppy and raw and it's wonderful, spectacular writing. This book is a master class in writing real emotions and I loved every second of it. He's a genius at creating real characters with tight, realistic dialogue.
I can't say enough good things about this book. I loved it. I'm buying everything he writes from now on.
May 29, 2018
I'm happy I finally picked up Zev's book this weekend. I ended up reading all the stories in one sitting. The characters in each were diverse, well developed and interesting. I'm sure I'll be purchasing his next effort. Highly recommend.
February 21, 2019
Beautifully crafted stories with characters everyone can relate to in some way. Zev is a master storyteller who manages to pull in readers quickly and keep them engrossed until the last word of each story. Zev tackles some heavy topics in this work in a compelling, evocative way. Wonderful debut novel. I good forward to reading more from this author.
June 1, 2019
The author has an innate understanding of human connections, especially of those of the American middle class in the South. That understanding is reflected in the dialog carried in by the various characters presented in vignettes that paint emotional pictures that draw the reader in. You’ll find it difficult not to place yourself inside these stories, feeling the visceral emotion of the characters as if you were experiencing the stories yourself. Do. Not. Miss. This. Book.
December 19, 2018
The stories in the book are very touching, the characters well written, the emotions well translated. I found something relatable in almost every story, and even when I didn’t, I could still feel the story. Definitely check it out.
February 11, 2018
Well written. I really enjoyed his writing style. I can’t wait for the next book.
May 3, 2021
Wonderful collection of short stories, most with a leniency towards LGBTQ+ characters. It was nice to read stories like these where the focus wasn't on BEING gay, but rather it was simply the characters' orientation and the stories were primarily about relationships.
I didn't connect on 100% of these, but Zev Good has a gift for the written word (in light moments and in heavier ones) as well as an incredible ear for realistic, engaging dialogue.
I didn't connect on 100% of these, but Zev Good has a gift for the written word (in light moments and in heavier ones) as well as an incredible ear for realistic, engaging dialogue.
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