PositiveThe RumpusSour Heart never shies from anger, failure, or shit. Zhang’s characters are poor, or recently poor, or terrified of being poor again, and the girl protagonists of all these stories struggle for control over their own feelings and the various obligations of being a daughter in their family ... How brothers and sisters translate, restate, and reimagine for one another is critical to how Sour Heart’s protagonists see themselves. It’s refreshing to see that relationship given weight. Sour Heart goes deep and dark into the private worlds of children, shining a light on how twisted kids can get with imperfect knowledge and a lot of alone time. Zhang has a knack for both relaying pre-adolescent decision-making with clarity and undermining the idea that time softens edges of creepy memories. It leaves the collection with a few nightmarish tales about friendship and power ... Confessional without the shame of confession, the best stories in Sour Heart feel like they are being poured from a girl heart right to your ear. Zhang uses repetition to great effect. Sometimes like a cudgel, sometimes like a small, sharp stone in your hand, repetition makes you feel the psychic weight of certain words and ideas. Coupled with an ear for natural dialogue (and inner monologue), the stories almost beg to be read aloud. But, as spending time immersed in another person’s thoughts can be wearing, it may be best to take a break between the stories of Sour Heart to give the details room to breathe.
