Review: Fragile Beings and The Red Hand by Ali Al Saeed

Hey guys, I've been reading short stories outside of my genre a bit and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. Here's my review of a poetic and eerie Bahraini writer, Ali Al Saeed.

Fragile Beings and The Red Hand

Ali Al Saeed

Genre: Fiction / Short Story / Angels / Horror

Format: eBook from author

Buy Links: iTunes Fragile Beings / iTunes The Red Hand

Fragile Beings Synopsis:

In a future world where a mysterious disease transforms humans into another species, one woman tries to come to terms with the loss of her husband.

The Red Hand Synopsis:

A young man returns to his homeland after spending years traveling abroad trying to escape a childhood nightmare, to investigate the mystery of an urban legend that has haunted him for all this time. As he comes to terms with the emotions of being back, he stumbles across a terrifying truth behind The Red Hand.

Review:

Ali was kind enough to offer a copy of Fragile Beings and The Red Hand for me to read. I was thrilled to try out something new and out of my usual genre, so his generosity came at the right time! I finished both books in one sitting and absolutely loved The Red Hand and I found Fragile Beings beautifully written.

Fragile Beings was poetic, descriptive, and beautiful. It made me want to read more into the story of the Angel who came back home after his transformation when no one ever comes back from this. The end came too quick, and left me wanting more. I’m disappointed it was so short. I definitely wanted to read more about the wife of an Angel.

The Red Hand, on the other hand, was amazing. At first, I was weirded out because I have never read anything with Bahrain as the location and scenario of a book and in places I know so well. The feeling didn’t go away and I think it added to the level of creepiness that the book had and gave me.  It’s safe to say, Al Saeed knows his stuff and being an award-winning author shows in every aspect of his writing. I absolutely loved the concept of The Red Hand, the writing style, and the perfect balance of details and simplicity. I feel this short story said so much in so few pages. I’m in awe and I can’t help but say, this short story should be turned into a mini movie.

Ali Al Saeed has what it takes to make Bahrain proud with his brilliant writing. I’m looking forward to seeing him shine at a global level. I have a feeling it will be soon.

Review: The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Format: Paperback
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

Synopsis:

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant.

To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.

Set in Scotland and Iceland in the 1950s and '60s, The Flight of Gemma Hardy--a captivating homage to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre--is a sweeping saga that resurrects the timeless themes of the original but is destined to become a classic all its own

Review:

Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book. I fell in love with it when I was 11 and I’m still in love with it now. I love the book so much that I actually bought a hand full of Jane Eyre retellings so I can read a fraction of the original Jane Eyre in different perspectives and themes. But a majority of the retellings I’ve read were just plain awful. But The Flight of Gemma Hardy was actually a refreshing best in all the retellings I’ve read of Jane Eyre.

I think one of the mistakes that authors have made when they wrote a Jane Eyre retelling, was skipping Jane’s childhood. Thus, lacking heavily in character development. The Flight of Gemma Hardy, on the other hand, started in childhood and spent a considerable amount of time elaborating on Gemma Hardy’s early years, her struggles, and how and why she is the person she is now.

What makes this book really unique was the authors original touches to the book. For example, the book was set in the early 40’s and 50’s, the dialogue and occurrences were all different. Jane in this book actually had another boy in interest and it wasn’t always about Mr. Rochester.

Though I adored this book. The details and plot were confusing and really didn’t catch my interest. The books plot is a lot different than the original Jane Eyre book – so I spent the majority of the book waiting for the ex-wife to pop up only to figure out that there wasn’t one. So things, got really confusing and I just couldn’t catch on the last few chapters of the book. The book was very unpredictable at times. I don’t know if I should welcome that or not.

Another area the book was lacking was the obvious tension between Gemma (Jane) and Mr. Sinclair (Rochester). Instead of the romance gradually growing with tension and friendship. The entire romance felt forced and that disappointed me a little.

In short, The flight of Gemma Hardy was a wonderfully written book. It was a great retelling of Jane Eyre and it still had its originalities that makes the book unpredictable and different. Despite it’s flaws, the book was a breath of fresh air.

3/5 Stars

Guest Review: Kill Scene by Benjamin Reeves

Guest Review by Khalid "Kal" Ismael @ The Daily Khronicle

Title: Kill Screen
Author: Benjamin Reeves
Genre: Fiction
Format: eBook
Buy: Amazon

When game designer Jack Valentine finds his best friend’s body floating in a bathtub of his own blood, he begins an investigation to discover the reason for his friend’s sudden suicide. As Jack digs into the abandoned artifacts of his friend’s private life, he uncovers a mysterious artificial intelligence program that takes credit for his friend’s death. After conversing with the program, Jack quickly spirals into an insomnia-fueled craze. Haunted by demons from his past, Jack will have to discover the truth behind his friends suicide in order to save is career, his love life, and even his sanity. Set in the heart of videogame and tech culture of the mid-‘90s, Kill Screen is a novel that explores the concepts of death, personal forgiveness, and the social issues surrounding our ever-advancing technological culture.

A great one-sitting read for the general fiction lovers

Having read this book by the time I woke up, I had the liberty of immersing myself into the book without judgment nor bias. Any ounce of sleepiness that I had was killed off as I kept on going, and with that, I finished the read in a single sitting.

The novel ‘Kill Screen’ centers on the protagonist, Jack Valentine, who delves deeper into the reasons behind the abrupt suicide of his best friend, Dexter, who is found floating in a bathtub filled with his own blood. What lies in wait, is an artificial program that takes credit for the death and it sends Jack in a downward spiral to get to the answers and stay alive. What piqued my interest initially, was the novel being set during the 90’s gaming culture. The references were appreciative and help set the tone. But what did grasp me, was the novel being a fast paced read, allowing for readers to beat their hearts through as they strum through the pages. As far the main synopsis goes, I figured it was a common cliche story of ‘hero versus bad guy’ but what came was not expected. The writer has weaved in a twist that goes beyond that general cliche and allowing the story to be an eye-opener to one’s self and acceptance, questioning life, good and evil. All in all, a philosophical and thrilling plot that was fun to read to the end.

The protagonist, as well as the other characters in the novel are interesting and their character development is well played from start to end. My favourite instance of this is a whole chapter dedicated to a deceased character which really fleshes naturally and ties in well with Jack. Jack is a troubled man, ripe with dark secrets that the readers would yearn to know, while the writer teases and introduces them appropriately to watch Jack grow. Jack is not perfect, but that’s what why he makes a connection, his desires and conflicts are all relatable. The other characters make quite an impressive roster, helping in building the world you’re immersed in with their own qualities.

Overall, the book is a pleasure to read. It’s story is unique, its characters interesting, deep and thought out, leaving you satisfied. A definite must read for those into the genre. Plus, it doesn’t hurt if you’re a gamer like me, since the small nods always leave a smile just like when I finished the book.

Hey guys! I've been getting tons of review requests from General Fiction Writers and I felt bad turning them down. So I asked a friend (Kal) who loves the genre to read them and review them for Unputdownable Books! He might be a regular here, so watch out! He even might also join the blog full on, if I'm lucky enough. So for now, he'll just stop by for guestposts etc. 

Kal has also given me permission to post up this review on Amazon on his behalf. *happiness*

I hope you enjoyed the review! See you all next time!

Blog Tour: Review: The Girl in the Box by Sheila Dalton

Today is the start of The Girl in the Box Blog Tour! This is a literary fiction so not many of you may be interested. But this was an excellent book. Read on!

Title: The Girl in the Box
Author: Sheila Dalton
Started: 22/12/11
Finished: 23/12/11
Buy: Amazon / Amazon 2

Synopsis:

Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman originally from Guatemala, has killed Caitlin's psychoanalyst partner, Dr. Jerry Simpson. Simpson brought the girl, who may be autistic, back to Canada as an act of mercy and to attempt to treat her obvious trauma. Cailin desperately needs to find out why this terrible incident occurred so she can find the strength to forgive and move on with her life. 

Inez, whose sense of wonder and innocence touches all who meet her, becomes a focal point for many of the Canadians who encounter her. As Caitlin struggles to uncover the truth about Inez's relationship with Jerry, Inez struggles to break free of the projections of others. Each must confront her own anger and despair. The doctors in the north have an iciness that matches their surroundings, a kind of clinical armour that Caitlin must penetrate if she is to reach Inez. 

The Girl in the Box is a psychological drama of the highest order and a gripping tale of intrigue and passion.

The Girl in the Box follows the story about Jerry Simpson, a Canadian psychoanalyst on vacation in Guatemala. He rescues Inez, a young Mayan girl who was chained and locked up in a windowless shed by her parents because they believed there was an animal in her. 

As a paranormal reader, I usually don’t read these types of literary psychological novels. And the biggest surprise is. I liked it. The novel was researched and written beautifully. It was somewhat dark, very realistic and definitely movie dram potential. It was written in different point of views, mostly focusing on Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist and life partner of Jerry. 

Inez is mute, possibly autistic, and has murdered Jerry, and Caitlin does everything in her power to find out what really happened and in the process writes a book about it. The Girl in the Box follows leads of many different types of people that I found amazingly well written and narrated. 

Dalton is an amazing writer with skills way beyond any other author I have read and The Girl in the Box is a perfect specimen to showcase her epic skills that left me enlightened. This is definitely a read for the fiction lovers but not for the paranormal young adult readers.

NEXT STOP: Beyond Words Blog 

Quick Review: Return to Me by Tara Fox Hall

(Click image for goodreads page)

Title: Return to Me

Author: Tara Fox Hall

Started: 5/12/11

Finished: 5/12/11

Medium: eBook for Review

(From Author)

Goodreads Synopsis:


Determined to find the source of the nightly creaking she alone can hear, Sam Reading discovers Harrison Benning, a ghost who becomes corporeal for one night of the year; the summer solstice. Their warm friendship soon becomes powerful love that lasts through decades, tragedies, and even beyond death.

Review:

Return to Me is a romantic story between a ghost and a living girl. This is my second take on a ghost/living relationship and this one was more realistic and sad.

I enjoyed reading it even though it was awfully short. It would to way better with a little more detail and other instances. I felt like everything was rushed more than anything else. But either way, its a sad story that caught me. I'm hoping to see more from the author, especially when she releases her first novel.

Review: Aleph by Paulo Coelho

Title: Aleph
Author: Paulo Coelho
Started:  23/10/11
Finished: 24/10/11


Synopsis:


The Aleph is an encounter with our fears and our shortcomings - a search for love and forgiveness, and the courage to confront the inevitable challenges of life. Aleph marks a return to Paulo Coelho's beginnings. Facing a grave crisis of faith, and seeking a path of spiritual renewal and growth, Paulo decides to start over: to travel, to experiment, and to reconnect with people and the world. On his journey through Europe, Africa, and Asia, he will again meet Hilal - the woman he loved 500 years before - and this encounter will initiate a mystical voyage through time and space, through past and present, in search of an opportunity to rewrite his own destiny.


Review:


Coelho takes you along with him on a spiritual journey of self-discovery. He writes about his sojourn across Russia and meeting a Turkish girl called Hilal who helps him discover where he is now, where he was in the past and where hes going in the future. Together they discover their destiny through the Aleph.

Paulo wrote Aleph in a very personal level. It deeply challenges one to stop and think about life and every inch of its complexity. This is a fresh read out of my usual Paranormal genre. Finally, something that'll inspire me a lot more than usual. Paulo writes wonderful inspirational passages at the turn of every page. Though the book lacked any type of plot and may seem bumpy and very all over the place. Its revelations, creativity and inspirational content is the only thing that is holding this book together. It really makes you reconsider everything you do in life and your obstacles.

Paulo Coelho has and always have been able to create inspirational work that will hit you straight in the heart. This may be for some readers and not for others. I'll stay right in between this one. It was good but not that good. 3.5/5 stars

Review: Intoxication Hitchhiker (As Darkness Falls) by Tim Kizer

Title: Intoxication Hitchhiker (As Darkness Falls)
Author: Tim Kizer
Started: 6/8/2011
Finished: 7/8/2011
Goodreads | Review List

Goodreads Summary: 


For the fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz...

How do you force a confession out of a coworker trying to poison you? Do you kill those who dismiss your fears and believe you are paranoid? What do you do if you start questioning your own suspicions--and sanity--as you take the law into your hands?

In this disturbing tale of derangement, a young psychopathic woman is slipping into madness as she fights an enemy that may exist only in her imagination. She has to resort to desperate measures when she realizes that a gun, security cameras in her apartment, and constant vigilance will not be enough to survive.

Bonus: "Hitchhiker" by Tim Kizer, the first entry in the As the Darkness Falls series.
From description:
When a serial killer hitches a ride one sunny day in a beautiful California valley, he does not suspect that he may have met his match, who is dead set to take another life. The battle of wits begins and only the most devious mind will survive.
Review:


Intoxication is a collection of horror/suspense short stories that is said to appeal both Stephen King and Dean Koontz fans. I've read only a bit of Stephen King and nothing of Dean Koontz so I can't really compare.

At first I didn't know what I was getting into. Like usual, I prefer not to read the summary and just go straight into the story just to surprise myself. And it did. The story line for all 3 stories were solid but the writing seemed choppy but I guess that'll be easily fixed with further writing projects from the author himself.

The first of which was called Intoxication, I felt that it was the longest story in this novelette and the one that confused me the most. But I still enjoyed it despite its choppy sentence structure and best of all it was something new for me to read.

My favorite of the 2 would be Hitchhiker. It had an interesting plot even when the story was short. It had its suspense, horror and even some irony tossed in there. As the story goes a long I can't help but notice the style of writing it was different from other authors and again wasn't something but can evolve to something in Kizer's coming books.

Tim Kizer managed to write himself 2 good solid stories in one and it kept me reading but it isn't enough for me to read more. But then again. This isn't my genre but either way. I liked it enough to say it kept me reading from start to finish. 3.5/5 stars!

Thank you Tim for allowing me to review your book! It was a good read. 

Visit the Author here:

Smashwords

Website

Review: Prismatica by L. David Hesler

  

Title: Prismatica

Author: L. David Hesler

Started: 4/5/11

Finished: 4/5/11
Goodreads | Review List

Prismatica is a collection of dark, poetic, short stories. They all had me captivated. I was sitting there with my mom’s iPad on my lap flipping through the pages without knowing what I expected and WOW. It blew me away. They weren’t just random thought of stories they were deep, horrific and… I can’t describe it. It stirred something deep within me and now I’m inspired to write.  And all 7 were somewhat connected to one another and Hesler did it well! My favorite of the 7 is Sadie’s Beast. It was short but I still loved it.

Hesler has potential to write a full on awesome novel. He’s got the talent for it and I’m looking forward to seeing where writing takes him! I can’t wait to read his upcoming fantasy novels! He deserves more recognition! I’d like to recommend everyone to read his 88 paged e-book! It was creepy and unputdownable a great change in my usual YA paranormal AND I read all in one sitting. :D Oh and watch out for my Re-Cover of this book! Hesler gave me permission to do so. So I'd like to do it for this weeks Re-Cover Me Friday! So watch out!

Click me to purchase the E-book | L. David Hesler's Blog