Review of On the Wings of Ideas

[Joule Mwendwa]

[Following is a volunteer review of "On the Wings of Ideas" by Gabriella Balcom.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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On the Wings of Ideas by Gabriella Balcom is a collection of stories covering different themes. The stories take readers through romantic emotions, mystic phenomena, tragic horror, and many other topics—a rollercoaster that will leave you amazed by the author's craftsmanship. To highlight a couple of titles in the book, we have Gertrude, an old couple romance; Bobby—You'd Never Guess, a tragic and emotional journal entry; Edwina, a hero girl saving her captured alien people; and Mortal Men, a tale of a mysterious man with healing powers, among others.
 
Bobby—You'd Never Guess was my favorite in the collection. It revolves around children's trauma and its effects on them. Not only did the author's descriptive sceneries facilitate visualization of the desperate mood of the main character's surroundings, but also the murder puzzles in this story sparked my interest. Additionally, I applaud Balcom for his amazing delivery of each story. Regardless of whether the story was long or short, the plot felt satisfying to me.

When reading a story, I always look for something to connect me to it—something like a relatable aspect or an emotion. This book has that connection for each story. Emotions of romantic reunions (either in life or death), loss and pain, suffering characters, and the gasps from tragedy I encountered in the book sank me deep into it.

I would have loved the book more if the last story, He Loved Me, was a bit longer. I felt like the story's beginning was missing. Besides that, I couldn't find any negatives about the book. Also, the book editing was professional.

Therefore, I rate On the Wings of Ideas 5 out of 5 stars. There was nothing solid to make me deduct stars from these creative stories. The collection will be highly suitable for short story lovers or upcoming authors looking for examples of short story execution.

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On the Wings of Ideas
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