The View From the Seventh Layer

by Kevin Brockmeir

Format.
    A book lent to me.

The book in one sentence.
    A collection of short stories featuring ghosts, aliens, your own death, and so much more.

The Good.
    Beautiful and lyrical with elements of the fantastic and supernatural.

The Bad.
     Lacking in anything solid to hold on to.  Like spun sugar, easily devoured, leaving behind the taste of sweetness and the remembrance of intense enjoyment.  
    And as tends to be my problem with short stories, I feel the need for greater resolution and clarity.  For neatly folded corners and tucked in sheets, that the author leaves us to fill in on our own.

Who would I recommend it to?
    Someone who likes poetry, coloring outside the lines, and doesn't mind unanswered questions.

A quote from the book.
    "What would the sky be like if there was nothing to see but stars?"

Verdict.
    I don't always get or understand this sort of writing.  But I keep coming back for more.  It speaks to the part of my mind I ignore.  The part of my mind that likes shiny things and wants to chase butterflies.  Sometimes you've got to feed the monsters in the basement.