Random House, May 31, 2016.
Four Stars
Hot Little Hands is a collection of short stories,
all about young women of varying ages and circumstances. The stories share several
themes, including desire, as alluded to in the title – the girls learn about
their own desires, but also about becoming an object of desire, and about how
confusing that can be when we’re young. The title comes from a figure of speech
that is really about yearning – not just sexual but also a sense of anticipation
for the future, and the urge to grow up quickly to experience the world.
The girls in these stories are searching for their
place in the wider world, trying to discover their individual sense of self,
and many of them are described while traveling to new countries and
experiencing new situations. Some of the stories are more linked than others,
especially several about a girl named Claire. She is the narrator of my
favourite story in the collection, “Your Charm Won’t Help You Here.” In the
story, Claire is attempting to enter the United States en route from Turkey,
and she is held up in customs for reasons she cannot understand. It is a
scathing analysis of the dangers of travel in a post-9/11 world.
I often find short story collections frustrating – I feel
like as soon as I begin to engage with a plot and its characters, it’s all
over. Although these stories have some cohesive themes, it’s not quite enough
for my preferences. However, the dialogue and inner thoughts of the girls are
realistic and distinct, and the writing style itself is confident and evocative.
Ulman is definitely an author to watch, and I will be waiting impatiently for a
debut novel.
I received this novel from Random House and NetGalley
in exchange for an honest review.
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