Official Review: John & Other Stories
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Bluefirerose
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Official Review: John & Other Stories
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "John & Other Stories" by Elysae Shar.]
4 out of 4 stars
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There are times when I like to take a break from reading long, complicated story lines. I don't want to stop reading; just looking for something that doesn't take a lot of deep thought. That's the mindset that made me pick up John and Other Stories by Elysae Shar. While still appealing to the fantasy genre, this collection of short stories promised to be a quick snack instead of a large meal of words.
John and Other Stories was not a disappointment. There are six stories in all. Some are set in fantasy worlds, and some in what could be called the "normal world," but even these turn the world as we perceive it on its head. One story titled "Cinnamon" was set on an entirely alien world where the use of magic was commonplace, while another story is about a family of owls.
I really did enjoy each story by itself. With most short stories, it is hard to create a world in such few words. The author did this rather well in all of the stories. A couple of them, I wish would be made into individual and more in depth books ("Just Us" comes to mind). Others were perfect as is. "John" and "The Cup" were thought-provoking as well as rather sad. Despite how short these stories were, I was touched by the characters in each.
The only story in the collection that I didn't much care for was the aforementioned "Cinnamon". Without giving away the entire story, it seemed like too much work for a rather trivial plot. Unless the author was using it to spitball ideas for a larger undertaking, which the completely alien setting and characters were almost begging for, the plot itself left much to be desired.
All things considered, I will give this short story collection 4 out of 4 stars. Even the one I didn't like had a setting and characters that kept my attention. I want to know more about this world and hope the author will consider making this and a few others into full stories. I must say that the author has a gift for bringing a new perspective to even the most mundane of objects and situations. If you are looking for a quick read that will make you see things in a new light (and maybe get your own creative juices moving), then this is a great choice for you.
******
John & Other Stories
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
There are times when I like to take a break from reading long, complicated story lines. I don't want to stop reading; just looking for something that doesn't take a lot of deep thought. That's the mindset that made me pick up John and Other Stories by Elysae Shar. While still appealing to the fantasy genre, this collection of short stories promised to be a quick snack instead of a large meal of words.
John and Other Stories was not a disappointment. There are six stories in all. Some are set in fantasy worlds, and some in what could be called the "normal world," but even these turn the world as we perceive it on its head. One story titled "Cinnamon" was set on an entirely alien world where the use of magic was commonplace, while another story is about a family of owls.
I really did enjoy each story by itself. With most short stories, it is hard to create a world in such few words. The author did this rather well in all of the stories. A couple of them, I wish would be made into individual and more in depth books ("Just Us" comes to mind). Others were perfect as is. "John" and "The Cup" were thought-provoking as well as rather sad. Despite how short these stories were, I was touched by the characters in each.
The only story in the collection that I didn't much care for was the aforementioned "Cinnamon". Without giving away the entire story, it seemed like too much work for a rather trivial plot. Unless the author was using it to spitball ideas for a larger undertaking, which the completely alien setting and characters were almost begging for, the plot itself left much to be desired.
All things considered, I will give this short story collection 4 out of 4 stars. Even the one I didn't like had a setting and characters that kept my attention. I want to know more about this world and hope the author will consider making this and a few others into full stories. I must say that the author has a gift for bringing a new perspective to even the most mundane of objects and situations. If you are looking for a quick read that will make you see things in a new light (and maybe get your own creative juices moving), then this is a great choice for you.
******
John & Other Stories
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Bluefirerose's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Thomas Kindercook and the Pink Pyjamas" by Gerald Feather
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kimmyschemy06
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You made the book sound very interesting. I'm into magic so I'm very much interested with the story 'Cinnamon'. Congratulations to Elysae Shar for a wonderful book!
Latest Review: Kazi Boku by M. Poyhonen
