3 out of 4 stars
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Illustrated Short Fiction by William H Coles 2000-2016
3 out of 4 stars
This is a collection of short story ranges from 5-15 pages each, starting with an illustration.
Upon reading each story I felt a very understandable tone. The reads were easy, and the diction was at a high school level. I felt I related to the main character of most of the stories. There was enough background information about each character to have a well-versed depiction of the story. There were clear indicators of struggle, survival, and overcoming judgement. I enjoyed each story in its own uniqueness. And I feel the illustrations were a beautiful token of the story. For example, in the first story, the placement of the butterfly implies the positivity of their unexpected situation.
The stories start simple then touch on topics of death, sex trafficking, and murder to prove a point. They have a similar moral of letting go, and that letting go prevails. The stories have a common use of cause and effect, that is gives a clear path for readers to see the change and evolution of each character.
In the second story: Speaking of the dead, was about acquiring strength through forgiveness. Henri and John were both the only 2 people closest to Grace and Candi. Despite feeling personally hurt by the deceased, Henri and John are asked to write thoughtful eulogies for their funerals.
The stories have a snapshot detail of what each character was experiencing. In being a short story, with the limited amount of words, the author was able to portray the characters struggle, ability to work together, and step outside themselves for the greater good. The writer jumps right into the setting and tells the tale with as many details taking place in the present moment with few background details.
I would suggest this book to a high school student. It is a great resource to teach about facing moral dilemmas, and the cause and effect style of writing can be used as a teaching guide. I feel more detail in each story about the past of these characters would dramatically level of diction in these stories. Using foresight adds a level of maturity that would take these stories out of a realm of teaching, and become a rich captivating read for adults.
This book is deemed 3 out 4 stars, because of its entertaining relatable stories that are fun for travel, and ideal for teaching. Although, it was not given 4 stars because its lack of cohesion. There was an unbalanced intensity, and ranging of genres in the illustrative styles, text and setting that made the book come off as unprofessional.
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Illustrated Short Fiction of William H. Coles: 2000-2016
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