Each of the thirteen stories in Here in the World so effectively uses imagery that you can almost see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the characters and settings. Victoria Lancelotta adeptly manipulates pacing to convey emotion. Within the confines of a few words she manages to succinctly plot, advance and wrap up each story. She leaves the reader wondering what comes next in the characters' lives, and that is the ultimate goal of any writer.
The raw emotions that are presented here are sometimes too fierce to read without flinching. In "The Guide," the female character's manipulation of the blind man is decidedly not politically correct and by that fact provides an honest look at what people sometimes do in order to make themselves feel better. In "Spice", the girl who chose to sidestep the small-town quagmire she was born into resonates with all who have searched for where they fit in.
The quality of her writing belies the fact that this is Lancelotta’s debut. Read this book, and you will impatiently await her next effort.