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Recommend this book:
Justice for G
A Short Dark Superhero Romance
Jennifer Fales
2016 Finalist
27 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
A young girl, scarred for life from a brutal assault, thrown out of her home by a mother who no longer can stand to look at her – this girl now lives above the comic book store where she works. She hides her scarred face from the world with a hoodie and sneaks around in the shadows of the store doing inventory and trying to remain nameless, a mere shadow, a ghost. The girl’s name is G, short for Georgina, and the store owner, Jimmy, is just a little bit in love with her – in spite of her scarred face.
Determined to do right and help the girl emerge from her protective shell, Jimmy insists that G joins the rest of the staff, dressed in comic book characters, at a fundraiser event. G is presented with the costume of a superhero. She balks at the thought of going out in public, attending an event where there will be too many people in a small space. She gives in and reluctantly tries on the costume that was specifically designed for her. Once dressed, she feels like a whole new person. The old G continues to lurk behind the mask that covers the scarred half of her face, but a new G, a confident, fearless young woman, a real superhero emerges.
In Justice for G, Jennifer Fales excels in the art of storytelling. From the very first line, the powerful punch of dialogue and narrative lead the reader up the curve of excitement to a chilling climax where G meets her attacker face on, challenging herself with the conflict of standing her ground and defeating her fears, or becoming yet another victim. In creating the character of G, the author has implemented the unspoken fears of many other victims. She vividly explores the dual personality of the hidden victim and the victorious superhero evolving from a protective shell, a sanctuary in which the victim once hid from the world that abused her. This is a powerful story about one woman’s struggle to overcome evil and reclaim her life through her own ability to obtain justice. Well done.
A young girl, scarred for life from a brutal assault, thrown out of her home by a mother who no longer can stand to look at her – this girl now lives above the comic book store where she works. She hides her scarred face from the world with a hoodie and sneaks around in the shadows of the store doing inventory and trying to remain nameless, a mere shadow, a ghost. The girl’s name is G, short for Georgina, and the store owner, Jimmy, is just a little bit in love with her – in spite of her scarred face.
Determined to do right and help the girl emerge from her protective shell, Jimmy insists that G joins the rest of the staff, dressed in comic book characters, at a fundraiser event. G is presented with the costume of a superhero. She balks at the thought of going out in public, attending an event where there will be too many people in a small space. She gives in and reluctantly tries on the costume that was specifically designed for her. Once dressed, she feels like a whole new person. The old G continues to lurk behind the mask that covers the scarred half of her face, but a new G, a confident, fearless young woman, a real superhero emerges.
In Justice for G, Jennifer Fales excels in the art of storytelling. From the very first line, the powerful punch of dialogue and narrative lead the reader up the curve of excitement to a chilling climax where G meets her attacker face on, challenging herself with the conflict of standing her ground and defeating her fears, or becoming yet another victim. In creating the character of G, the author has implemented the unspoken fears of many other victims. She vividly explores the dual personality of the hidden victim and the victorious superhero evolving from a protective shell, a sanctuary in which the victim once hid from the world that abused her. This is a powerful story about one woman’s struggle to overcome evil and reclaim her life through her own ability to obtain justice. Well done.
Recommend this book:
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/the-girl-who-couldnt-come-up-with-an-original-title&media=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513hGurmB0L._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=For its author, who writes as The Behrg, a pen name, The Girl Who Couldn't Come Up With An Original Title is an admitted toss at the trend to have "girl" in so many titles. The idea struck me as trivial, yet readers will find the short story and Reluctance, the accompanying tale, to be anything but light. The title story pulls the reader into the w...){kind=link}
The Girl Who Couldn't Come Up With an Original Title
The Behrg
2016 Finalist
35 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Vincent F. A. Golphin for Readers' Favorite
For its author, who writes as The Behrg, a pen name, The Girl Who Couldn't Come Up With An Original Title is an admitted toss at the trend to have "girl" in so many titles. The idea struck me as trivial, yet readers will find the short story and Reluctance, the accompanying tale, to be anything but light. The title story pulls the reader into the worldview of a clinically depressed teenage girl. She is on the edge of destruction. The author takes the reader there too.
The intense detail, imagery, and pace of the tightly woven prose added to the work's almost hypnotic attraction that places readers on the unsteady walk toward a difficult decision. Then, in the end: "The stars on her wrists had finally landed, breaking through flesh and opening a crater no suture would calm. Not this time. Her notebook lay open beside her....Instead, she dipped her fingers into her memories. Etched out the title to the story she had been trying to write her entire life."
I couldn't put this book down, which admittedly sounds clichéd. I wanted to stop at so many points in the story. The images were too much. The Behrg wants readers to understand the thoughts and pressures faced by people with mental illness. Reading The Girl Couldn't Come Up With An Original Title does that and more. It is like being witness to someone's horrible moment, but you are too wrapped up in the action to look away.
For its author, who writes as The Behrg, a pen name, The Girl Who Couldn't Come Up With An Original Title is an admitted toss at the trend to have "girl" in so many titles. The idea struck me as trivial, yet readers will find the short story and Reluctance, the accompanying tale, to be anything but light. The title story pulls the reader into the worldview of a clinically depressed teenage girl. She is on the edge of destruction. The author takes the reader there too.
The intense detail, imagery, and pace of the tightly woven prose added to the work's almost hypnotic attraction that places readers on the unsteady walk toward a difficult decision. Then, in the end: "The stars on her wrists had finally landed, breaking through flesh and opening a crater no suture would calm. Not this time. Her notebook lay open beside her....Instead, she dipped her fingers into her memories. Etched out the title to the story she had been trying to write her entire life."
I couldn't put this book down, which admittedly sounds clichéd. I wanted to stop at so many points in the story. The images were too much. The Behrg wants readers to understand the thoughts and pressures faced by people with mental illness. Reading The Girl Couldn't Come Up With An Original Title does that and more. It is like being witness to someone's horrible moment, but you are too wrapped up in the action to look away.
Recommend this book:
Man's Best Friend
A Short Story
Taylor A. Davis
2016 Finalist
24 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Hilary Hawkes for Readers' Favorite
Man’s Best Friend by Taylor A. Davis is a short story based in the time of The Great Depression. One of the “Wild Boys,” Thomas, is shackled and journeying by ironclad steamer towards a state prison. But what events and experiences occurred to bring him to this point in time? As Thomas looks back, the reader discovers the actions and behaviours of the characters that eventually caused fate to unfold as it does. Discovering the betrayal of his friend, Thomas reaches new heights of anger and fury, and unleashes his revenge in shocking ways.
Man’s Best Friend is a competently and carefully plotted story which moves between the present and past moments of the characters. I found this a page-turner of a story and was intrigued from the beginning. It has both pace and depth. As the scenes gradually unfold, the pieces of the story fit slowly and revealingly together. Taylor Davis is an excellent young writer and storyteller, using particularly vivid descriptive language. He has a wonderful perception of his characters’ emotions, motivations and behaviours, bringing their individual personalities, hopes and despairs alive.
The characters are strong, well-defined and believable. I liked the suggested connection between the thundering onward of the steamer, or the seemingly endless trail into the horizon of the tracks, and the way choices, frustrations and despair lead to such a disturbing and seemingly unavoidable fate. This is a tale that explores aspects of humanity in a real and gripping way. Entertaining and perceptive, it is a powerful and suspense-filled short story. Recommended.
Man’s Best Friend by Taylor A. Davis is a short story based in the time of The Great Depression. One of the “Wild Boys,” Thomas, is shackled and journeying by ironclad steamer towards a state prison. But what events and experiences occurred to bring him to this point in time? As Thomas looks back, the reader discovers the actions and behaviours of the characters that eventually caused fate to unfold as it does. Discovering the betrayal of his friend, Thomas reaches new heights of anger and fury, and unleashes his revenge in shocking ways.
Man’s Best Friend is a competently and carefully plotted story which moves between the present and past moments of the characters. I found this a page-turner of a story and was intrigued from the beginning. It has both pace and depth. As the scenes gradually unfold, the pieces of the story fit slowly and revealingly together. Taylor Davis is an excellent young writer and storyteller, using particularly vivid descriptive language. He has a wonderful perception of his characters’ emotions, motivations and behaviours, bringing their individual personalities, hopes and despairs alive.
The characters are strong, well-defined and believable. I liked the suggested connection between the thundering onward of the steamer, or the seemingly endless trail into the horizon of the tracks, and the way choices, frustrations and despair lead to such a disturbing and seemingly unavoidable fate. This is a tale that explores aspects of humanity in a real and gripping way. Entertaining and perceptive, it is a powerful and suspense-filled short story. Recommended.
Recommend this book:
Two Hearts Undone
Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance #3
Tamara Ferguson
2016 Honorable Mention
48 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
Two Hearts Undone by Tamara Ferguson is romance at its best. The writing is great and well balanced. Every aspect of Two Hearts Undone is very well crafted. From the beautiful setting in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin, to the details and problems of running the Crystal Visions rehabilitation center, Tamara Ferguson guides us through the lives and hearts of the two main characters, Melinda McDaniel and Steven Ryder. I instantly liked both of these characters and wanted them to get together and be happy. They are good people doing noble work for all the right reasons. Their hearts have indeed become undone by past tragedy and there is no guarantee that they can put the past in its proper place so that they can relax, love again, and make each other happy.
Tamara Ferguson has a deft hand when it comes to writing romance. She chooses her words and scenes carefully so that the reader never forgets that romance doesn't always come easy in the real world. Sometimes it may need a little help from a magical setting, a good friend, or an innocent child. What I liked most about Two Hearts Undone was the sensitivity and care with which Tamara Ferguson crafted each scene and interaction as she guided Mel and Steve towards a very satisfying conclusion. I grew up in a small town and I also liked Ms Ferguson’s portrayal of the closeness and warmth of small town America at its best. Two Hearts Undone is an excellent read, especially if you need to renew your faith in romance.
Two Hearts Undone by Tamara Ferguson is romance at its best. The writing is great and well balanced. Every aspect of Two Hearts Undone is very well crafted. From the beautiful setting in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin, to the details and problems of running the Crystal Visions rehabilitation center, Tamara Ferguson guides us through the lives and hearts of the two main characters, Melinda McDaniel and Steven Ryder. I instantly liked both of these characters and wanted them to get together and be happy. They are good people doing noble work for all the right reasons. Their hearts have indeed become undone by past tragedy and there is no guarantee that they can put the past in its proper place so that they can relax, love again, and make each other happy.
Tamara Ferguson has a deft hand when it comes to writing romance. She chooses her words and scenes carefully so that the reader never forgets that romance doesn't always come easy in the real world. Sometimes it may need a little help from a magical setting, a good friend, or an innocent child. What I liked most about Two Hearts Undone was the sensitivity and care with which Tamara Ferguson crafted each scene and interaction as she guided Mel and Steve towards a very satisfying conclusion. I grew up in a small town and I also liked Ms Ferguson’s portrayal of the closeness and warmth of small town America at its best. Two Hearts Undone is an excellent read, especially if you need to renew your faith in romance.
Recommend this book:
The Post-it Note Affair
A Romance Novelette of Love Lost and Found
Justine Avery
2016 Honorable Mention
54 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Brit Rossie for Readers' Favorite
In the short story The Post-It Note Affair: A Romance Novelette of Love Lost and Found by Justine Avery, we find our heroine, Emily, discontented and in a passionless marriage. But that all changes while she is at work one day. At the office she discovers someone - an admirer - has placed a post-it note message in her purse. There’s a handsome, new guy in the office. In spite of guilt and in spite of her being upfront about her marital status, the notes continue. Is the office romance the spark she needs in her passionless love life? Her husband is sure and steady, but what our heroine wants is a little spice in her life. Should she take the opportunity and allow the post-it note admirer to pursue her?
This was a really sweet short story. A lot of punch behind a powerful moral in such a short number of pages. Now that’s really good writing. To be able to draw in the reader and make them root for or stress about a character's decisions in such a short space is a positive reflection on an author's skill. The story itself is a good reminder not to take for granted the opportunities that present themselves nor the people in front of us. I had my suspicions about the admirer, but loved how Avery left the admirer so artfully ambiguous, allowing for the story to potentially take multiple directions right up until the end. I know which outcome I was rooting for and my wish came true.
In the short story The Post-It Note Affair: A Romance Novelette of Love Lost and Found by Justine Avery, we find our heroine, Emily, discontented and in a passionless marriage. But that all changes while she is at work one day. At the office she discovers someone - an admirer - has placed a post-it note message in her purse. There’s a handsome, new guy in the office. In spite of guilt and in spite of her being upfront about her marital status, the notes continue. Is the office romance the spark she needs in her passionless love life? Her husband is sure and steady, but what our heroine wants is a little spice in her life. Should she take the opportunity and allow the post-it note admirer to pursue her?
This was a really sweet short story. A lot of punch behind a powerful moral in such a short number of pages. Now that’s really good writing. To be able to draw in the reader and make them root for or stress about a character's decisions in such a short space is a positive reflection on an author's skill. The story itself is a good reminder not to take for granted the opportunities that present themselves nor the people in front of us. I had my suspicions about the admirer, but loved how Avery left the admirer so artfully ambiguous, allowing for the story to potentially take multiple directions right up until the end. I know which outcome I was rooting for and my wish came true.
Recommend this book:
The Darkness
A Short Tale of Uncommon Daring & Ultimate Defiance
Justine Avery
2016 Bronze Medal
36 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Darkness: A Short Tale of the Dawning of the Darkness is a fantasy short story written by Justine Avery. The village was brimming with fear of the darkness. It came each evening, laying waste to each and every thing that lay in its path. There were no solutions to and no reasoning with its implacable nature, so the villagers lived each dawn to dusk as fully as they were able, and they spent the evening warding off their foe. Lunam was very aware of the awesome responsibility he had in his family’s home each night. While he was still very small, he was charged with holding up his torch in one corner of the stone-walled cottage through the endless hours, until finally his father would declare his watch over and gently take the torch from his tired fingers. Each morning, Lunam and his brother Lux would rush out to play in the brilliant sunshine; sometimes they’d visit Stella and Videre, the elders of the village, and speak with Videre. The couple had survived the darkness for far longer than any before them, and they held the wisdom of the people in their minds. But when Lux and his brother knocked on the door, Stella’s eyes were sad as she opened the door, and she told them Videre was gone.
Justine Avery’s allegorical fantasy short story, The Darkness: A Short Tale of the Dawning of the Darkness, is an epic tale in miniature, jewel-like and rich in imagery as the reader watches villagers holding torches up against the darkness in night-long weary vigils. I was touched by the image of those villagers and the opening description of the Darkness, a living, breathing and horrific entity, played itself out in my imagination. Avery skillfully and adroitly builds up a world of post-apocalyptic dimensions and plants the reader squarely in the minds and imaginations of two young brothers who dare to question the status quo and challenge the night. This is a well-written story filled with richly developed characters, and it works wonderfully.
The Darkness: A Short Tale of the Dawning of the Darkness is a fantasy short story written by Justine Avery. The village was brimming with fear of the darkness. It came each evening, laying waste to each and every thing that lay in its path. There were no solutions to and no reasoning with its implacable nature, so the villagers lived each dawn to dusk as fully as they were able, and they spent the evening warding off their foe. Lunam was very aware of the awesome responsibility he had in his family’s home each night. While he was still very small, he was charged with holding up his torch in one corner of the stone-walled cottage through the endless hours, until finally his father would declare his watch over and gently take the torch from his tired fingers. Each morning, Lunam and his brother Lux would rush out to play in the brilliant sunshine; sometimes they’d visit Stella and Videre, the elders of the village, and speak with Videre. The couple had survived the darkness for far longer than any before them, and they held the wisdom of the people in their minds. But when Lux and his brother knocked on the door, Stella’s eyes were sad as she opened the door, and she told them Videre was gone.
Justine Avery’s allegorical fantasy short story, The Darkness: A Short Tale of the Dawning of the Darkness, is an epic tale in miniature, jewel-like and rich in imagery as the reader watches villagers holding torches up against the darkness in night-long weary vigils. I was touched by the image of those villagers and the opening description of the Darkness, a living, breathing and horrific entity, played itself out in my imagination. Avery skillfully and adroitly builds up a world of post-apocalyptic dimensions and plants the reader squarely in the minds and imaginations of two young brothers who dare to question the status quo and challenge the night. This is a well-written story filled with richly developed characters, and it works wonderfully.
Recommend this book:
The End
A Novelette of Haunting Omens & Harrowing Discovery
Justine Avery
2016 Silver Medal
88 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite
In an extremely intriguing work of short fiction, The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery by author Justine Avery, readers will find themselves obsessively turning the pages from the first words all the way through to the very last page. Follow our protagonist, Trevor, an all-round great guy, family man, good friend and valued employee, week in and week out. But on the weekends, Trevor's life is his own, and he spends it on the back of his mountain bike, enjoying freedom and adventure. He records each of his weekend rides with his GoPro, but one weekend, when he goes back to relive his most recent trip, what he finds on the recording is not what he expects. Instead of fun, adventure and dazzling technical feats on the bike, what Trevor finds recorded is something terrifying and nothing he was aware of. What does he find and what does he do? You'll need to read this novelette to find out!
Wow! I so enjoyed The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery. Author Justine Avery has done a fantastic job in creating a story in which not one single word is wasted, and will leave readers hanging onto each of them. This story is fast-paced, exciting, and at times readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats with their hearts in their throats, waiting to see what will happen next. I highly recommend The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery to any reader looking for a great read. I look forward to more from author Justine Avery in the future, and hope that she's already hard at work on her next book right now!
In an extremely intriguing work of short fiction, The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery by author Justine Avery, readers will find themselves obsessively turning the pages from the first words all the way through to the very last page. Follow our protagonist, Trevor, an all-round great guy, family man, good friend and valued employee, week in and week out. But on the weekends, Trevor's life is his own, and he spends it on the back of his mountain bike, enjoying freedom and adventure. He records each of his weekend rides with his GoPro, but one weekend, when he goes back to relive his most recent trip, what he finds on the recording is not what he expects. Instead of fun, adventure and dazzling technical feats on the bike, what Trevor finds recorded is something terrifying and nothing he was aware of. What does he find and what does he do? You'll need to read this novelette to find out!
Wow! I so enjoyed The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery. Author Justine Avery has done a fantastic job in creating a story in which not one single word is wasted, and will leave readers hanging onto each of them. This story is fast-paced, exciting, and at times readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats with their hearts in their throats, waiting to see what will happen next. I highly recommend The End: A Novelette of Haunting Omens and & Harrowing Discovery to any reader looking for a great read. I look forward to more from author Justine Avery in the future, and hope that she's already hard at work on her next book right now!
Recommend this book:
All the Skies I Will Not See
A Novella (A Touch of Cinnamon Book 2)
Petra March
2016 Gold Medal
35 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
All the Skies I Will Not See by Petra March is a delicious book. Delicious? An unusual way to describe a book for sure, but it's delicious in that, like a beautifully prepared meal, all the dishes served work perfectly together. While the possibly slightly implausible plot line i.e. a young man writing this story as he draws close to death after a car accident might be unacceptable to those steeped in realism, All the Skies I Will Not See is actually quite feasible. If you look at this novella from the point of view that any person, in the last moments of life, may "write" a key part of their lives in their minds, then what happens in this book is acceptable.
And what a beautiful story it is! Through the protagonist, David Matthews, Petra March tells the sad tale of a young man who discovers he is gay in an unexpected way. After becoming close friends with Lily, who falls in love with him, he realizes that while he loves her as a friend, he doesn't respond to her sexually. But when he meets Lily's male friend, the artist, Ari, David feels drawn to him in every way. Ari captures the essence of David through his artwork, but when the two part, neither tells the other how they feel about each other.
What makes Petra March's book so delicious is her almost poetic descriptions, her ability to create an almost unearthly mood throughout the story, yet all the while depicting characters who are very real. All the Skies I Will Not See is classified as a Young Adult, but quite frankly, this is a story that will touch hearts of any age.
All the Skies I Will Not See by Petra March is a delicious book. Delicious? An unusual way to describe a book for sure, but it's delicious in that, like a beautifully prepared meal, all the dishes served work perfectly together. While the possibly slightly implausible plot line i.e. a young man writing this story as he draws close to death after a car accident might be unacceptable to those steeped in realism, All the Skies I Will Not See is actually quite feasible. If you look at this novella from the point of view that any person, in the last moments of life, may "write" a key part of their lives in their minds, then what happens in this book is acceptable.
And what a beautiful story it is! Through the protagonist, David Matthews, Petra March tells the sad tale of a young man who discovers he is gay in an unexpected way. After becoming close friends with Lily, who falls in love with him, he realizes that while he loves her as a friend, he doesn't respond to her sexually. But when he meets Lily's male friend, the artist, Ari, David feels drawn to him in every way. Ari captures the essence of David through his artwork, but when the two part, neither tells the other how they feel about each other.
What makes Petra March's book so delicious is her almost poetic descriptions, her ability to create an almost unearthly mood throughout the story, yet all the while depicting characters who are very real. All the Skies I Will Not See is classified as a Young Adult, but quite frankly, this is a story that will touch hearts of any age.
Recommend this book:
Forever Boy
Clockpunk Wizard Book 1
Lita Burke
2015 Finalist
51 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Forever Boy is Book 1 of Lita Burke's Clockpunk Wizard steampunk fantasy series. Kadmeion is a newly trained wizard whose companion, Bright, is a Metal Man, a seventh son and of Elfin heritage. They've gone to witness a mandrake root being animated and freed. In this crude procedure, the dog handler uses a dog to pull the root out of the ground, thereby releasing a demon-animated homunculus. The demon usually kills the dog who freed it, but this time something different happens. The root runs past the dog and kills the handler instead. Kadmeion blames the pellar's faulty magic for this occurrence. When the pellar removes the rope from the dog's neck, the dog growls and bites him; then he runs away. Kadmeion and Bright return to their airship where the dog is waiting for them.
Lita Burke's steampunk fantasy short story, Forever Boy: Clockpunk Wizard, Book 1, is fabulous and filled with magical adventure. Kadmeion is a gentleman wizard, just setting out on his career, with Sir Bright at his side, and their partnership, though quite new, is a marvel to behold. I had some concerns when I began this book as the thought of dogs being murdered is too awful for this devoted companion of animals to imagine, but I was soon relieved when the handler met his just deserts. Go Fer's sudden assimilation of language made the story glow even more for me. Burke's characters are marvelous and beautifully developed, and I soon felt at ease in the world she's carefully constructed. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in her Clockpunk Wizard series and finding out more about my new favorite steampunk adventurers. Forever Boy: Clockpunk Wizard, Book 1 is most highly recommended.
Forever Boy is Book 1 of Lita Burke's Clockpunk Wizard steampunk fantasy series. Kadmeion is a newly trained wizard whose companion, Bright, is a Metal Man, a seventh son and of Elfin heritage. They've gone to witness a mandrake root being animated and freed. In this crude procedure, the dog handler uses a dog to pull the root out of the ground, thereby releasing a demon-animated homunculus. The demon usually kills the dog who freed it, but this time something different happens. The root runs past the dog and kills the handler instead. Kadmeion blames the pellar's faulty magic for this occurrence. When the pellar removes the rope from the dog's neck, the dog growls and bites him; then he runs away. Kadmeion and Bright return to their airship where the dog is waiting for them.
Lita Burke's steampunk fantasy short story, Forever Boy: Clockpunk Wizard, Book 1, is fabulous and filled with magical adventure. Kadmeion is a gentleman wizard, just setting out on his career, with Sir Bright at his side, and their partnership, though quite new, is a marvel to behold. I had some concerns when I began this book as the thought of dogs being murdered is too awful for this devoted companion of animals to imagine, but I was soon relieved when the handler met his just deserts. Go Fer's sudden assimilation of language made the story glow even more for me. Burke's characters are marvelous and beautifully developed, and I soon felt at ease in the world she's carefully constructed. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in her Clockpunk Wizard series and finding out more about my new favorite steampunk adventurers. Forever Boy: Clockpunk Wizard, Book 1 is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/the-ice-cream-vendors-song&media=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cAvK%2BSYrL._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description="The Ice Cream Vendor's Song" is a collection of forty-six mini stories that became totally addicting for me; I really couldn't stop reading after just one story. Although the stories are totally unrelated, one story led to another because I was curious to see who I might meet or where I might go next in the telling of these stories! Sometimes t...){kind=link}
The Ice Cream Vendor's Song
Flash Fiction
Laura McHale Holland
2015 Honorable Mention
88 Pages
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Fiction - Short Story/Novela
Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite
"The Ice Cream Vendor's Song" is a collection of forty-six mini stories that became totally addicting for me; I really couldn't stop reading after just one story. Although the stories are totally unrelated, one story led to another because I was curious to see who I might meet or where I might go next in the telling of these stories! Sometimes the characters seem perfectly normal, at other times they do not. While I found some of the stories as really funny, a few were touchingly sad. Each one is like unwrapping a gift because you are never sure what you might find inside each story. These are a few of my favorites:
'Still There': A woman's son is tired of his mother's lack of motivation to move out of her chair, so he decides to take the cat and move out. When he slams the door on the way out a card falls into his mother's lap and is still there two weeks later. What's going on? The twist the author provides grabbed me, and was totally unexpected. 'She Could Decide': Aggie and her husband Bill had plans to take a trip after he has routine surgery which winds up being anything but routine leaving Aggie to decide the outcome! 'Her Love Returns': An odd relationship between a fifteen year old girl and a python. This one was really strange and more than a little creepy!
These are mini fiction stories, rich in detail, filled with nuggets of insight, and characters whose stories just jump off the page. I found myself pondering the plights of some characters and shaking my head and wondering about the stories of others. A book that you will zoom through, but then find yourself rereading just to make sure you didn't miss anything.
"The Ice Cream Vendor's Song" is a collection of forty-six mini stories that became totally addicting for me; I really couldn't stop reading after just one story. Although the stories are totally unrelated, one story led to another because I was curious to see who I might meet or where I might go next in the telling of these stories! Sometimes the characters seem perfectly normal, at other times they do not. While I found some of the stories as really funny, a few were touchingly sad. Each one is like unwrapping a gift because you are never sure what you might find inside each story. These are a few of my favorites:
'Still There': A woman's son is tired of his mother's lack of motivation to move out of her chair, so he decides to take the cat and move out. When he slams the door on the way out a card falls into his mother's lap and is still there two weeks later. What's going on? The twist the author provides grabbed me, and was totally unexpected. 'She Could Decide': Aggie and her husband Bill had plans to take a trip after he has routine surgery which winds up being anything but routine leaving Aggie to decide the outcome! 'Her Love Returns': An odd relationship between a fifteen year old girl and a python. This one was really strange and more than a little creepy!
These are mini fiction stories, rich in detail, filled with nuggets of insight, and characters whose stories just jump off the page. I found myself pondering the plights of some characters and shaking my head and wondering about the stories of others. A book that you will zoom through, but then find yourself rereading just to make sure you didn't miss anything.
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