Official Review: Our Beautiful Child by Annalisa Crawford
Posted: 14 Jun 2014, 16:02
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Our Beautiful Child" by Annalisa Crawford.]
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Wow…..grab a cup a coffee and take a break from the daily grind. Our Beautiful Child is a very short book at only 69 pages long but wow……it packs quite a punch. The first story is Ella’s story. Ella has had a dream ever since she was a little girl, a dream in which she dies. Can we predict the future? And if we can, can we change it or is it inevitable no matter what we do?
In The Traveller, we meet a mysterious woman who seems lost and alone. Murray seems like the answer to her problems. But when the truth finally comes out, it’s a shocking one to be sure!
In Our Beautiful Child (the title story), we meet Rona. Rona can feel things, things that shouldn’t be there. It seems that this little backwoods town is coming to life………or coming back to life.
This collection of short stories was an interesting one, but a dark one as well. Ms. Annalisa Crawford does a good job of drawing you in and then revealing the darker side of the story. Her style of writing reminds me of Nathaniel Hawthorne (not that it is the same but in some way reminds me of him).
I only noticed a handful of grammatical errors. It is written in the Queen’s English so, it’s a little different. Overall, I would say that if you enjoy Nathaniel Hawthorne, or Edger Allen Poe, or other writers that write in that style, then you will enjoy Annalisa Crawford.
Be forewarned, this is not a “light, happy” read. I enjoyed it, but it is definitely one that leaves you thinking, and feeling deeply for the characters. In that aspect, she has done a great job. I wanted answers, I felt their pain for not having their stories resolved. And that is so much a part of life. Too often, we only get to see part of the picture; and have to be okay with never knowing how the story ends.
I would have liked it if the story were a little bit longer. I was unaware that it was only 69 pages, but even for a collection of short stories, it would be better if it were longer. Maybe if there were more stories from the characters that we only caught a glimpse of, then it would round it out more. But that is just my opinion. Personally, if I am paying for a book, I like it to be longer.
So, I am rating this story 3 out of 4 stars. Job well done!
***
Buy "Our Beautiful Child" on Amazon
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In The Traveller, we meet a mysterious woman who seems lost and alone. Murray seems like the answer to her problems. But when the truth finally comes out, it’s a shocking one to be sure!
In Our Beautiful Child (the title story), we meet Rona. Rona can feel things, things that shouldn’t be there. It seems that this little backwoods town is coming to life………or coming back to life.
This collection of short stories was an interesting one, but a dark one as well. Ms. Annalisa Crawford does a good job of drawing you in and then revealing the darker side of the story. Her style of writing reminds me of Nathaniel Hawthorne (not that it is the same but in some way reminds me of him).
I only noticed a handful of grammatical errors. It is written in the Queen’s English so, it’s a little different. Overall, I would say that if you enjoy Nathaniel Hawthorne, or Edger Allen Poe, or other writers that write in that style, then you will enjoy Annalisa Crawford.
Be forewarned, this is not a “light, happy” read. I enjoyed it, but it is definitely one that leaves you thinking, and feeling deeply for the characters. In that aspect, she has done a great job. I wanted answers, I felt their pain for not having their stories resolved. And that is so much a part of life. Too often, we only get to see part of the picture; and have to be okay with never knowing how the story ends.
I would have liked it if the story were a little bit longer. I was unaware that it was only 69 pages, but even for a collection of short stories, it would be better if it were longer. Maybe if there were more stories from the characters that we only caught a glimpse of, then it would round it out more. But that is just my opinion. Personally, if I am paying for a book, I like it to be longer.
So, I am rating this story 3 out of 4 stars. Job well done!
***
Buy "Our Beautiful Child" on Amazon