Review of Fantastica - Surreal Prose & Poetry

Ruth Naomi · Post by **Ruth Naomi** » 30 Jun 2021, 13:14

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fantastica - Surreal Prose & Poetry" by Andrea Lightfoot.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Fantastica - Surreal Prose & Poetry by Andrea Lightfoot is packed with poems, short tales, letters, most of which are standalone. Andrea introduces us to quaint and surreal characters. This work transports a reader to a world full of fantasy. To hype you up, the author includes instances of humor, rhyming words, and satire.

Fantastica is a phenomenal and mysterious place. With witches, ghosts, magic, Pilates, and humans all dwelling together, the book cannot get any better. For religion, all denominations are allowed, with Wicca and Druidism being the main. Some doors and passageways exist in portals. The sceneries are breathtaking; elegant hotels, supernatural musical boxes, yoga lessons, among others. Then we have dreams come true. In an instance, a lady once bullied and insulted for being fat ends up in the gym and proves her haters wrong.

I appreciate a few things about the work. Firstly, there are relatable stories in real life. There’s a story about Anjali where she shares her life back in India. Growing up in abject poverty, the parents could not afford to educate them. They had to accept low-paying jobs to sustain themselves. They were bullied, harassed, and jeered by those who were better off than them. I found such a story easy to relate to because such things still happen in today’s life.

Nonetheless, despite short, I got lost in some stories. One about regular happenings in one of Fantastica’s underground passageways made no sense to me. Though meant to be therapeutic and used in yoga classes, it did not resonate with me. Additionally, I’d have appreciated it if some stories went deeper than they did. Most villains often went down within a snap of a finger; there were no real fights. Then bad witches are executed for casting a disastrous spell on the seemingly well-thriving hotel business. I mean, that’s what witches do. That’s what I despised in the book.

I found very few errors; therefore, the installment is professionally edited. The short stories, writing techniques, poems, and letters make it feasible for a young audience. Some tales ended in a suspenseful manner, often making me wonder what happened after that. There are creatures of all kinds; mermaids, kings and queens, goddesses, magic-wielders, etc. Andrea’s ingenuity is worth noting. Nevertheless, I found quite a number of reasons to dislike this publication. Consequently, I rate it three out of four stars. I recommend this book to fantasy lovers.

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Fantastica - Surreal Prose & Poetry
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Kavita Shah · Post by **Kavita Shah** » 05 Jul 2021, 03:38

It has a nice cover. A combination of tales, poems and letters, it has quite a lot to offer. I like that you pointed out the good and bad honestly. Thank you for a great review!

Sara chhawniwala · Post by **Sara chhawniwala** » 07 Jul 2021, 01:11

When i first saw this book's cover, i wanted to read it. But after reading your review i would like to rethink it. Thank you for your honest review.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 08 Jul 2021, 15:32

I have mixed feelings about this book because it has some fascinating contents but appreciating poems in a language that's now my primary language is a problem for me. Regardless, thank you for your great review!