"Certain American States" by Catherine Lacey

I picked this one up because I loved reading Pew by the same author. Unlike Pew, this is a short story collection. I quite liked it, but I didn't love it. The stories touch upon (mis)communication, connection, and isolation. There are morally flawed, unreliable narrators and odd happenings mixed with genuine, tender topics. I think some stories might come across as if they take themselves very seriously, but I don't think they really do that. Some are so serious in their silliness that they come around and are quite funny. Some stories I think about fondly, but some have already begun to slip my mind. They might not have been as memorable as I'd hoped. Despite some of its heavy topics, this collection felt like floating around in a calm lake. It's enjoyable, but eventually I got out, dried myself off and went home. If there's one thing I've learned from this book, it's that I love a well written long sentence. And that I'm looking forward to getting back to Lacey's long-form work.