Author Kelly Link either has a fantastic imagination or maybe just a lot of weird dreams.

“Everyone was in agreement that it was almost impossible to distinguish a homemade or store-bought shadow from a real one.”

In this tangle of tales with a variety curious and imaginative elements, each of the characters battle to find meaning in life and love.

Why is this on our bookshelf?

Every story has a geeky twist. Curiosities of all kinds abound— mysterious unseen beings, superheroes real and imagined, Egyptian pharaoh teens in modern trappings and holographic Boyfriends.

We heard more from Kelly Link during her author event at Powell’s Books.

Rating (3 stars)

The stories in Get in Trouble reminded me a good deal of Neil Gaiman. They were compelling— if only at times because I was hoping I would understand them if I just kept reading.

Short stories can demand a good deal of a reader since there is little room for setting a stage, and these are certainly no exception.  Many of Link’s stories were heavy with dialog (or monologue) and the fantastical bits are peppered through the stories from beginning to end.

From superheroes to vampires, Kelly is either embracing these current trends of geek culture or just adding them to her arsenal of weirdness.

I found it challenging to just read and enjoy the stories rather than getting caught up trying to understand the alternate reality in each one.

Each tale has a different element of the fantastic and Link is fearless in her experimentation. I was not entirely sold on the set, but it is a fun ride.