Book Name: Fate and Fortune: A Collection of Stories
Author Name: Deniz Besim
Publisher Name: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Reviewed By: Jessica Bucci
ABOUT THE BOOK
Twenty-first Anniversary - Anne forgets an important day in her life but can she convince her husband that she's remembered? Mother Snowman - Amy designs a stunning snowman who comes to life and shows her a world she has never seen before. A Love Despaired - Calum has a secret he intends to tell Marissa. But will revealing his secret destroy their relationship? The Paper - A couple of girls visit a gypsy, both receiving a paper and strict instructions that if not followed, can have dire consequences. Caroline's Witness - The Old Farmer has lost his other half but only his dog knows what's really going on. The Curse of the Stone Statue - A young girl makes her way to an old castle hoping that she'll be the one who can break its haunted spell. The Government Boycott - Miri is in a fight to the death to do something about the oppressive government but when all is said and done will it go her way? A Day in the Life of Malcolm - A homeless man is suspicious of the charity of a well meaning stranger. Lord Medley - An important man is almost burnt to a crisp and Ellie has to find out what is going on.
MY REVIEW
Rating: 2/5
Although the topic of each of the nine stories is unique and different, the plotlines seem underdeveloped, even for short stories. The details are far and few between, leaving the reader unable to fully grasp the message and intent of the stories. The concepts are interesting, especially when new worlds are created for the piece, but the lack of explanation causes some confusion. Some possess interesting twists and turns, but the endings feel incomplete. The length of each story varies drastically, and while I am normally a fan of varying sentence and story length, it was distracting. Now maybe I, as a reader, do not quite understand the nature of short stories or the author’s writing style, but it didn’t work for me. That is not to say that others would not enjoy the stories. As individual pieces the stories might be more appealing, but as a collection it feels random.
With that being said, I did enjoy the second story entitled ‘Mother Snowman (a Christmas story).’ This story felt whole and complete, from its characters to its plot to its ending. ‘Mother Snowman’ is a cute Christmas wish tale that reminded me slightly of ‘Toy Story.’ It was my favorite out of the collection. ‘Caroline’s Witness’ and ‘The Curse of the Stone Statue,’ caught my attention in terms of the concepts and point of views.
This collection is an interesting read, but may leave readers with an incomplete and confused feeling. Perhaps reading each story individually, in distinct settings, would help the reader to better understand each topic and outcome.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deniz Besim is a thirty-two year old lady who lives in London and used to teach creative writing to adults. She enjoys reading fiction and sometimes enters short-story competitions. She self-published two poetry books in 2014 (http://poetry-heaven.my-free.website). She enjoys walking, swimming and playing tennis in her spare time and sometimes attends author readings.
Amazon Link
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Author Name: Deniz Besim
Publisher Name: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Reviewed By: Jessica Bucci
ABOUT THE BOOK
Twenty-first Anniversary - Anne forgets an important day in her life but can she convince her husband that she's remembered? Mother Snowman - Amy designs a stunning snowman who comes to life and shows her a world she has never seen before. A Love Despaired - Calum has a secret he intends to tell Marissa. But will revealing his secret destroy their relationship? The Paper - A couple of girls visit a gypsy, both receiving a paper and strict instructions that if not followed, can have dire consequences. Caroline's Witness - The Old Farmer has lost his other half but only his dog knows what's really going on. The Curse of the Stone Statue - A young girl makes her way to an old castle hoping that she'll be the one who can break its haunted spell. The Government Boycott - Miri is in a fight to the death to do something about the oppressive government but when all is said and done will it go her way? A Day in the Life of Malcolm - A homeless man is suspicious of the charity of a well meaning stranger. Lord Medley - An important man is almost burnt to a crisp and Ellie has to find out what is going on.
MY REVIEW
Rating: 2/5
Although the topic of each of the nine stories is unique and different, the plotlines seem underdeveloped, even for short stories. The details are far and few between, leaving the reader unable to fully grasp the message and intent of the stories. The concepts are interesting, especially when new worlds are created for the piece, but the lack of explanation causes some confusion. Some possess interesting twists and turns, but the endings feel incomplete. The length of each story varies drastically, and while I am normally a fan of varying sentence and story length, it was distracting. Now maybe I, as a reader, do not quite understand the nature of short stories or the author’s writing style, but it didn’t work for me. That is not to say that others would not enjoy the stories. As individual pieces the stories might be more appealing, but as a collection it feels random.
With that being said, I did enjoy the second story entitled ‘Mother Snowman (a Christmas story).’ This story felt whole and complete, from its characters to its plot to its ending. ‘Mother Snowman’ is a cute Christmas wish tale that reminded me slightly of ‘Toy Story.’ It was my favorite out of the collection. ‘Caroline’s Witness’ and ‘The Curse of the Stone Statue,’ caught my attention in terms of the concepts and point of views.
This collection is an interesting read, but may leave readers with an incomplete and confused feeling. Perhaps reading each story individually, in distinct settings, would help the reader to better understand each topic and outcome.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deniz Besim is a thirty-two year old lady who lives in London and used to teach creative writing to adults. She enjoys reading fiction and sometimes enters short-story competitions. She self-published two poetry books in 2014 (http://poetry-heaven.my-free.website). She enjoys walking, swimming and playing tennis in her spare time and sometimes attends author readings.
Amazon Link
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
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