But You Scared Me the Most: And Other Short Stories

This collection of 26 clever but often aloof short stories tries to provide fresh takes on familiar material, from men behaving badly to monsters being monstrous, but doesn’t always succeed. Some of these stories display glimmers of sensitivity and insight, including “Nessie,” which features two young sisters bonding over the song “Puff the Magic Dragon,” and “Jamey’s Sister,” in which the teenage sister of a soldier killed in the Middle East begins to see the president as inhuman. However, many other stories are either brief and shallow, such as “The Creature from the Black Lagoon,” a letter from a man to his fiancée explaining his antics in her family’s pool, or finish with creatively dark but baffling twists, as in “No Place like Home” and “Dracula’s Daughter.” Manderino (Reason for Leaving) infuses each story with wit and well-observed detail, but the glib tone often keeps readers at arm’s length. As a whole, the collection is entertaining, but lacks depth. (June)