Carla Crujido’s The Strange Beautiful is a dazzling collection of short stories with characters that both pop and haunt beyond the limitations of written pages. Whimsical in nature, these stories enamor and capture your heart and imagination, then tear it to shreds in the same breath.

Crujido’s prose is nothing short of magical and breathtaking, often prompting you to stop and gather yourself, then reread and stop again. With characters that stay with you for days, even weeks after reading - it’s hard to believe this masterful collection is Crujido’s debut. Truly a fantastic emerging voice to put and keep on your radar.

Santos Arteaga

Fiction Editor