Review of Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . .
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Anurag Paul
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Review of Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . .
[Following is a volunteer review of "Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . ." by Jody B. Miller.]
Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . . is a compelling collection of three short stories authored by J. B. Miller. Each of the stories has a unique narrative and is entangled in its own web of mysteries! The stories in this book are: Is P,L my Half Brother?, Tweeker and The Recruiter.
The first one talks about a shocking revelation by a parent that shatters the lives of the family members. The distraught narrator, a member of the family, explains the story from her perspective. As time went by, gradually, with even more secrets laid bare, she found herself in a state of confusion, with another secret on the line and yet a sense of curiosity. A half-brother?
The second story, just as the name suggests, is from the perspective of a "tweeker" who has had a rough upbringing (similar to the first story but not quite the same, or so it seems). The story basically follows the life of the narrator from the first-person point of view. A tale full of resentment, betrayal, curses and swears, and an IDEA? But what is it?
Lastly, the third story, although quite long (longer than the first two stories combined), is the one I, personally, liked the most. Similar to the other two, this too is a story of betrayal, guilt, resentment, and such. But, most of all, it holds out the ugly side of humans—those who become vulnerable when exposed to raw emotions. I was stunned by the progress of the story and sat tight until I read it completely. However, the ending was disappointing! It wasn't bad, but it seemed sort of rushed. The author threw in all kinds of new elements in very little space, leaving no room for readers to grasp what was happening near the ending. All I could wonder was, who IS the mastermind?
Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed going through each of the stories. And, even though I racked my brain into connecting the dots among the stories (to stand up to the author's challenge to unravel the mysteries as to how the stories interlace), I failed miserably. The allure of the distinct narratives of the stories got the better of me! I couldn't even think of similarities when suddenly a fickle clue just up and vanished. In the end, I just settled for enjoying the present! Yet, some parts felt unnecessary, or maybe even pretty strange. But, maybe, that's part of its charm, and it was me who couldn't grasp the essence of it.
As for the rating, I rate this book a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars. One star was deducted since there were multiple typos and errors in the book. And, as mentioned earlier, the third story seemed poorly put together (at the end), which, as a reader, actually hurt me. I understand that the story was probably getting too lengthy, but we could've tagged along for a little longer. With all said and done, the author did a great job, having us on the edge of our seats with our minds vigilant.
Lastly, the book contains lots of profanity and is thus suited for adults.
******
Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . .
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . . is a compelling collection of three short stories authored by J. B. Miller. Each of the stories has a unique narrative and is entangled in its own web of mysteries! The stories in this book are: Is P,L my Half Brother?, Tweeker and The Recruiter.
The first one talks about a shocking revelation by a parent that shatters the lives of the family members. The distraught narrator, a member of the family, explains the story from her perspective. As time went by, gradually, with even more secrets laid bare, she found herself in a state of confusion, with another secret on the line and yet a sense of curiosity. A half-brother?
The second story, just as the name suggests, is from the perspective of a "tweeker" who has had a rough upbringing (similar to the first story but not quite the same, or so it seems). The story basically follows the life of the narrator from the first-person point of view. A tale full of resentment, betrayal, curses and swears, and an IDEA? But what is it?
Lastly, the third story, although quite long (longer than the first two stories combined), is the one I, personally, liked the most. Similar to the other two, this too is a story of betrayal, guilt, resentment, and such. But, most of all, it holds out the ugly side of humans—those who become vulnerable when exposed to raw emotions. I was stunned by the progress of the story and sat tight until I read it completely. However, the ending was disappointing! It wasn't bad, but it seemed sort of rushed. The author threw in all kinds of new elements in very little space, leaving no room for readers to grasp what was happening near the ending. All I could wonder was, who IS the mastermind?
Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed going through each of the stories. And, even though I racked my brain into connecting the dots among the stories (to stand up to the author's challenge to unravel the mysteries as to how the stories interlace), I failed miserably. The allure of the distinct narratives of the stories got the better of me! I couldn't even think of similarities when suddenly a fickle clue just up and vanished. In the end, I just settled for enjoying the present! Yet, some parts felt unnecessary, or maybe even pretty strange. But, maybe, that's part of its charm, and it was me who couldn't grasp the essence of it.
As for the rating, I rate this book a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars. One star was deducted since there were multiple typos and errors in the book. And, as mentioned earlier, the third story seemed poorly put together (at the end), which, as a reader, actually hurt me. I understand that the story was probably getting too lengthy, but we could've tagged along for a little longer. With all said and done, the author did a great job, having us on the edge of our seats with our minds vigilant.
Lastly, the book contains lots of profanity and is thus suited for adults.
******
Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide . . .
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: No Greater Faith than that of Science by Manuel S. Vergara
