No Need To Reply by Jodi Cleghorn

No Need To Reply Reviews

• 
  Cameron Trost

  "No Need To Reply" is a wonderful and tantalising collection of flash fiction that you'll need to read at least twice before even attempting to understand what is happening. That's what is so special about these stories - their ambiguity and vagueness. We are in this world but Jodi is making us look at everyday people and places from a difference angle and through a strange veil. It won't take you long to read each of these tales, but you'll be left pondering them after reading the last line.
• 
  Tsana Dolichva

  No Need to Reply by Jodi Cleghorn is a collection of flash stories. They are not speculative fiction — I felt that was important to say up front. For that reason, they are also not the kind of thing I usually read but they were a pleasant enough way to pass the time. The blurb summarises the theme of the collection better than I can.
  
  This is actually a difficult form to review. I swore off individually reviewing flash stories (like I would a short story collection) last year which doesn't leave much to say. The stories are all flash pieces, of similar length and none are super-short short stories. They are also all some amalgamation of mood and character pieces, deftly balancing the two sides of that coin.
  
  The stories are mostly sad, but for a variety of reasons. The opening and titular story, involving letters, was my favourite and a strong opening for the collection. In all her stories Cleghorn gradually reveals character and then deftly illuminates the situation, previously ambiguous. I did write a brief note for each story, mostly as a memory aid for myself and not as a review, which I include below in case you are interested.
  
  I would recommend this collection to fans of contemporary fiction, particularly of the contemplative/literary variety. It's short on pages — how long could eight flash pieces really be? — but not on emotional heft. A thoughtful read.
  
  
  
  ~
  
  No Need To Reply — Unopened letters
  
  It Could Be — Friendship contemplation over a dirty sink
  
  Squeeze Box — War veteran remembering his wife
  
  Holding On — Woman visiting a lover in London
  
  Olives — A woman’s conversation and contemplation over olives
  
  Shuffling — A Tarot reading over Skype (or whatever)
  
  Wishing, Happily Ever After — A day at the beach from a child's perspective
  
  Closure — Basically what the title says (includes poem)
  
  4 / 5 stars
• 
  A Reader's Heaven

  This collection of 8 pieces of flash fiction are stories primarily of people - people going through turmoil, tragedy, heartache and loss. Each and every one has a moment where I was forced to nod in acknowledgement - not always from my own experiences, but from knowing those who had been there and understanding a little better what they had gone through.
  
  I would love to have rated this higher but I would like to have seen more stories - maybe even the inclusion of a novella to just push the page count out. Was over before it began, in some ways.
  
  3.5 stars.
• 
  Emily Craven

  Beautifully written flashes of the lives of eight people, some heart broken, some confused, all trying to find their way. All the tales are quite sad, so if you're after a buoyant read this may not be for you, but one thing I can say is each makes you think and consider the consequences of staying silent. This little chap book was a great way to while away the Monday commute and hit me in the heart strings a couple of times.
• 
  Patrick O'Duffy

  A lean collection of lean stories - flash fiction pieces about emotions, damaged relationships and trying to make sense of human interaction.
  
  The eight pieces here are more vignettes and character studies than stories as such, and some left me wanting more motion or resolution than was on offer. If you're interested in plot, this book is unlikely to satisfy; if you're interested in something cerebral and emotional, this is definitely worth a look.
• 
  Elizabeth Fitzgerald

  This collection of flash fiction isn't my usual fare, but made a great change of pace. I found myself nodding in recognition in places and I appreciated the threads of grief and longing that wove through the collection.