WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE goes precisely where it needs to go and no further
A pair of reviews lauding Daryl Gregory’s We Are All Completely Fine.
nerds of a feather, flock together:
Along with his compassion for his characters, Gregory has clear empathy for us as weary readers, too – the story is perfectly-brief. Indeed, some have complained that it ends before it gets going. I disagree. It goes precisely where it needs to go and no further. A sequel would be welcome, and yet in some ways a shame. By avoiding the action that eventually erupts in the final pages for the bulk of the short book, he shows his interest is more in human interaction, emotional development and the effects of violence on the psyche, not in describing how monsters do cool things in fight scenes (although he has prowess there). Not the usual Nerds fare that I explore perhaps, but I was delighted by this adventure and will now eagerly search out Gregory’s earlier novels.
It is a short and wild ride, that left me wanting more. The characters are unique and I completely connected with them despite their dark histories. Gregory does a great job of gradually revealing their back story, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, unable to put this book down.
It is really short, so I don’t want to reveal too much because it truly is something you have to experience for yourself. But the pacing was perfect, the characters unforgettable and the plot engaging.
For information on We Are All Completely Fine, visit the Tachyon page.
Cover design by Elizabeth Story.