Review by Challa_F -- A Second, Less Capable Head

[Challa_F]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Second, Less Capable Head" by James Hanna.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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A Second, Less-Capable, Head is a collection of short stories that are bizarre to downright disturbing. Each tale is a piece of its own world where crime is called into question and behavior is contemplated. Which story will intrigue you more: the book titled story of surgery that may have gone more right than wrong? Or “The Vial,” a story that is so plausible that it can’t be fiction.

James Hanna draws on his experiences in the world of criminal justice as a source for the creepy tales in this collection.

A Second, Less-Capable, Head is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. Trigger warnings are for disturbing imagery, violence, and rape. Though these elements are present in the various stories, Hanna does an excellent job of only giving them the least amount of attention needed to create the setting or the story. The topic is broached, and the event is described in minimal words yet with excellent word choice to make the intent easy to understand without being too graphic. The trigger warning is necessary for courtesy. The topic is not the point of any of the stories, only a catalyst for the real story. Hanna treats sensitive subjects with plenty of respect.

Each story in the collection stands on its own uniqueness. No two stories have the same sounding narrator, and the character voice is distinctively different between stories as well as gender and character. Hanna successfully moves into a different mindset with each story, helping set the tone of the new tale from a unique point of view.

I was fonder of some stories more so than others. “The Stalker,” about a man who always finds his way back to his targets home, and “The Body in the Bay,” the story of a parolee who is so polite you want to let him go, are two of my favorite stories. Other stories such as “Fruits,” a farmer works to secure a wife despite his less than agreeable plans for the world, is among my least enjoyable tales.

I give James Hanna’s, A Second, Less-Capable, Head a 3 out of 4. Hanna does an excellent job on each individual story. The collection geared towards a very particular reader. If you enjoy short, absurd stories, then A Second, Less-Capable, Head is the right choice. This book is not for a reader who prefers stories strung together with a theme. It straddles a line between the genre of crime and suspense or macabre.

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A Second, Less Capable Head
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[Jlprince26]

I think I could get into these short stories. Your review of the book makes it sound intriguing, fortunately for me, I am not faint at heart and tend to love crazy. Thank you for your review. I am definitely going to check it out!