Flashlight

Susan Choi’s Flashlight is a masterclass in psychological suspense. The story follows a woman who, after a seemingly mundane encounter, begins to suspect she is being followed. The 'flashlight' of the title refers both to a physical object and to the piercing beam of attention — wanted or unwanted — that can alter one’s sense of self. Choi plays expertly with perception, unreliable memory, and the thin line between vigilance and paranoia. Her sentences crackle with energy, and the tension is unrelenting, leading to an ending that is as surprising as it is inevitable.