The Office of Historical Corrections

'Alcatraz' is the story readers most often say they forget completely, one admitting it “completely erased itself from my memory” even as a fan of the rest of the collection. The opening story, set at a Titanic-replica gift shop, reads as a weak entry point; at least one reader says they “almost DNFed the book” before being told it improves. The closing title novella, despite its reputation as the peak, underdelivers for some: one reader says flatly “the execution was a bit lacking” next to the setup's promise. 'Why Won't Women Just Say What They Want?' splits readers on structure, with one calling it “overtly didactic” compared to the subtlety elsewhere, and more than a single reader reports “feeling disconnected from the characters,” with grief registering as muted rather than felt.