Bleed

Stolarz, Laurie Faria. 2006. Bleed.

Bleed can best be described as a collection of interwoven short stories. Each of the ten stories take place within one twenty-four hour period, and they feature ten to twelve young characters who in some fashion or another know each other. Each story is told by a different narrator. Some are more seriously troubled than others. Some are looking for love. Some are looking for acceptance. Some are looking for excitement. Some are looking for a sense of belonging. Some are looking for escape. Some are popular. Some are not. Featuring stories narrated by both teen girls and teen guys, Bleed is an interesting concept showing how small things we do or don’t do can have significant and somewhat unforeseen impact on others around us. But because these characters are from short stories and not novels, they are lacking somewhat in development and depth. But overall, an interesting and enjoyable read. Like most collections of short stories, they’re not all of equal value.