This has been a lovely book to read. The poems are quirky and extremely clever. The short stories have touches of delicious fantasy and amazing realism. The author seems to have the captivating writing style of someone between David Foster – Wallace and Neil Gaiman. (Book Tour Reviewer Rachel Stoddart)
This collection has humour, zing and a ton of grace. The author’s voice comes through loud and clear, with a wry, intelligent tone. I giggled, I smirked, and I guffawed. The writing is clever, flowing well, with snark a plenty. It’s real, with enough archetypes that we, too, can recognise. The poetry is good, well structured, although less engaging for me than the short stories. I liked the mix of forms, though. (Book Tour Reviewer Eryn McConnell)
This small but perfectly formed book was an absolute breeze to read from start to finish. Rachel’s writing flows naturally from her and she has a gift for creating colourful characters and verse. The writing is wonderfully witty but there are also moments of poignancy that really make you stop and think. To me this beautifully reflects real life, where there are moments of humour and hope to be found even in the darkest times. I’d recommend this collection to anyone, even people who aren’t particular fans of poetry and short stories. Reading Dregs feels like passing a stranger in a street and getting an intriguing glimpse into their life before carrying on with the business of your own day. I’m very excited for Dregs 2! (Book Tour Reviewer Michelle Marshall)
This was one of the quirkiest collections I’ve read in a while. One goes through many emotions when reading through. Some stories are comfy feel-good stories; some are strange and end in eclectic ways; some are creepy and end in a dark way; as for the poems they are all over the spectrum too; with some being philosophical musings about life and emotions; others about writing, or some being about family and death. All of the stories and poems have a strong emotional punch, whatever genre they fall in. The author’s voice is clear and unique, whether it’s for the poetry or the stories; the poems flow and are digestible because they are not long; and all the content seems to have a linking thread of delving into the intense parts of human nature: whether it’s uncomfortable, or on the contrary soothing to the soul. The collection felt cohesive despite the different mediums. (Book Tour Reviewer Sophie Jupillat Posey)
In hindsight, the title of the book is quite suited to the tone of its contents, not for lack of quality, but for the quirky voice of the writer. Not everything here goes together, but it certainly works, and feels like a great introduction to Rachel Jones as an author. The pieces range from comedy to horror, with a few more philosophical and existentialist works in between. I personally enjoyed the author’s irreverent sense of humour and the stories where it was center stage were real highlights for me. (Book Tour Reviewer Tim Marshall)
Rachel has written many different characters in this work of assorted gems from her portfolio. Many could be used in novels of their own. I’d like to see her separate these into different works, and who knows, maybe this will happen in the future. I did enjoy most of it, and I would happily recommend it. (Book Tour Reviewer Yvonne Marrs)
I am not normally a fan of short story collections or poetry, as I prefer to sink my teeth into a good novel. With poetry whilst I find some verses quite beautiful, I often find it difficult to understand and truly connect with. However I was completely blown away with the poetry and short story compilation in Dregs. I absolutely loved all of the stories and poems in this short but powerful book. The poetry truly resonated with me on a personal level and so I must commend the Author on this point alone. To be captured by a poetry collection is really telling for me on just how good the quality and expression of writing is. There are two short stories that I loved and would read them again and again, the Pitch being one of them. Dregs ticked every box for me and is a book I would definitely add to my own personal collection and recommend others do the same. (Book Tour Reviewer Kirsty McKay)
We award 5 stars.
