Alyssa Hubbard

See a more detailed review, including how I rated each story on The Review Board via the KARR segment.

Note: This was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Concept: The ambiance is just enough to let you know the content inside is not for the faint of heart.

Syntax: Visual wise, the author did a great job. If there were any spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes they were minimal.

The author definitely has the ingredients to come up with interesting angles for stories and has a tone that is very engaging. However, it is okay for her to take her time with narratives that involve more thought and twists (such as "My Best Friend" and "The Ash Man", which have the greatest opportunities for improvement). It is also helpful for her to assign names to her characters because it assists in the reader connecting with them more. Plus, the reader won’t get confused going from one story to the next, for one might get the impression that a “he” is in multiple stories instead of just one.

Overall, I liked this collection and would be open to reading more from this author.… (mais)

As with every collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others:

1 - The one with a rusty spoon: while I anticipated the outcome, I was fascinated by this depressing story about superstition and how a person's self-esteem can be affected by narrow-minded behavior. ****

2 - The one with a crow-nosed piano player: an average but for me unremarkable story which reminded me of X-factor episodes you are asked to guess if it is based on a true story or not. **

3 - The one with a starving wolf: nice twist on the well-known fairy tale. The poor animal. ***

4 - The one with two sets of fingernails: My least favorite, I just couldn't get into it. *

5 - The one with a pair of best friends: I was very impressed by this little bitter-sweet story, though I can't really say why. ****

6 - The one with a man made of ash: Weird and creepy, great story. ****

The flawless writing and overall convincing quality of the stories made this collection a worthwhile read.

(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)… (mais)