...[a] fabulously and unflinchingly queer debut story collection ... Manning’s characters are as gorgeous and various as the community of which they are part, representing different identities, sexualities and experiences of queerness ... In this way, We Had No Rules both engages with and moves beyond the narrative constrictions of what we think 'queer fiction' should be, instead pushing toward a limitless vision of queer storytelling that will capture readers with its vivacity ... In their sharp, surprising stories, Manning displays a willingness to defy expectations and take the reader to uncomfortable places ... Today’s readers will find the frank discussion of sex, money, relationships, and fluidity not just refreshing but deeply necessary. We need stories like these—stories that are willing to take risks, ask difficult questions, and reflect both our ugliest and most beautiful moments ... To that end, We Had No Rules does a remarkable job of representing a pretty broad swath of queer experiences and communities. It does, however, fail to explore race and ethnicity at any depth, and this is one area where the collection could have proven to be more expansive. In all other respects, We Had No Rules is an intimate, rebellious and often hilarious exploration of queer life in the U.S. in the 21st Century.
...if all coming-of-age stories boasted as much humor and humanity as the collection’s titular story packs into its 16 pages, I would never have grown tired of the form. Note to all fledgling authors: Take a page out of Corinne Manning’s book. Please ... The collection is equal parts humor, heartache, and education as Manning unpacks often-unseen narratives that have, nonetheless, existed in the margins for some time ... Manning’s eye for character is matched only by her clear prose, which almost seems to crackle with electricity. 'I felt alive in the same way I had the first time I had sober sex,' Manning writes. Each story in We Had No Rules is distinct, and every sentence is a joy to read.
It's...full of strong narratives ... Manning deftly plays with the idea of rules, and the idea of queerness, weaving a neon cat’s cradle of complex characters whose questions and desires push on the constraints and freedoms of both ... The 'gay aunt' and 'gay uncle' are fixtures in pop culture and family narratives. But these categories, like all categories, flatten people. Manning actively writes their characters into three dimensions.
These characters encompass a range of ages, genders, and sexualities, but curiously missing are any identifiers of race or class. It seems that everyone is a middle-class white. How strange it is to explore the edges of identity but fail to explicitly include any characters of color, any poor characters, or any disabled characters, especially when it’s queer people with these intersecting identities who are usually the ones pushing hardest on the boundaries and demanding that the larger society see and accept them ... I don’t personally know the details of author Corinne Manning’s background, so it is possible they intentionally chose to write what they know, which is commendable in an era where publishing is still filled with poorly handled books by white authors about people of color. Still, by leaving out this entire portion of the queer world, the author winds up examining a very narrowly defined version of the queer existence.
As of this writing, we are living in a time when we are desperate for community and could literally be killed by it. Quarantine will save us, but isolation will hurt us. This is a terrible paradox that makes me cling to Manning’s writing like I now do to phone calls with old friends ... This book feels like a lifeline, a tether to our old lives and a promise that we’ll return to each other someday. It likely won’t look the same, but our communities will be stronger and wiser and hopefully a little more like Manning’s writing: not what you expected, but exactly what you needed.
Manning’s debut collection exquisitely examines queer relationships with equal parts humor, heartache, and titillation ... Manning handles complicated subject matter with playful self-awareness ... This enriching view of queer worlds unpacks narratives that have always been there, even if they’re not often seen.
Queer characters break rules and make them in Manning's smart debut collection ... Manning's overriding interest in sex, sexuality, and power means their characters are sometimes conscripted into playing specific roles that flatten them and some of these stories. But when they complicate the script, this work is a powerful testament to the complexity of identity and desire ... An incisive but slightly uneven debut collection about the nuances of queer identity.
