Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link, a review from Powells.com by Alexis Smith.
"Kelly Link is the future of American short fiction. Once you've read her stories you'll know why it is so easy to make such a strong claim for her talent. Her debut, Stranger Things Happen, garnered praise from all quarters of contemporary literature, from science fiction and fantasy writers, to horror writers and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists. In her latest, Magic for Beginners, Link continues to challenge the often arbitrary boundaries between genres. What makes her stories so captivating? How does she appeal to such a wide audience? Magic for Beginners is an apt title for this collection, because it casts a spell on us as we read, so captivating are her turns of phrase, her attention to details, and ? perhaps most of all ? her characters." Read the entire Powells.com review.