Customer Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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"Jump" - 4 Stars

This first story in the collection was an interesting introduction to the author. While the ending was predictable, I enjoyed the conversation the story centered around. The character development needed a lot of work, though. I think more could have been revealed about that narrator through the aforementioned conversation.

"The Club" - 2 Stars

I found this story to be pretty boring without much point. The character development was sorely lacking, providing me with no real reason to empathize or care about the narrator. The ending was weak and ineffectual.

"Peroxide Head" - 4 1/2 Stars

Despite its rather humorous title and the amusing scenes it contained, I found this story to have a somewhat deeper message than I expected. Again, the ending was predictable, but getting there was the real fun. I enjoyed the descriptions of an odd future, and the depictions of an alien society. The main character was quirky and believable.

"The Meateaters" - 2 Stars

This story was interesting as the main character tried to solve a mystery. Unfortunately, that same main character lacked any depth that might have made them interesting. Also, the ending was extremely poor. The story just kind of petered out. There was a hint of change in the main character's viewpoint in the end, but with no real personality given, there was no reason to care.

"The ABD" - 1 Star

After reading this story, I tried to figure out the point of it, but failed in my attempt. It centered around the creation of a machine that could assist kids when they were being bullied. Unfortunately, the entire idea sputtered when the story was turned into an anecdote at the end that just wasn't funny at all. I finally assumed it was just a `you had to be there' moment. As it was a short story, I was surprised at how much extraneous filler it contained. It could have been presented in half the pages.

"Pictures" - 4 3/4 Stars

Again, this story had a predictable ending that I predicted about three pages in. However, it was a fun read about a hotel that was haunted.

The rest of the stories: 2 Stars

Writing Style: 3 Stars

The writing style was very good in some stories and somewhat elementary in others. This led me to think that the stories had most likely been written over a long period of time, with some completed prior to the author hitting her stride. The descriptions were pretty vivid, and the dialogue was good in most of the stories.

Editing: 3 1/2 Stars

There were extra commas and missing commas. Also, some misplaced clauses were sprinkled throughout.

I received this book as a free Review Copy from the author or publisher.

I have really enjoyed reading Sue's short stories. They give one reason to pause. While some are not for the faint of heart they touch the center of some issues at hand.