A Smattering Of Darkness
The stories in this book kept me thinking, so much so, I read it again after almost a month. And yes, such smattering of darkness kept me glued to it.
The anthology is divided into three parts - short, shorter and shortest. Believe me, as I progressed, my excitement kept increasing. I simply loved the shortest stories, not because of the word count or length, but these very few liners were so simple in expression but so complex in thought.
The stories are not the usual kind. They are dark, sometimes gothic, and not the kinds with happy endings. But still, the themes are diverse, relevant and definitely thought provoking. They have the power to make you feel, make you emote as you progress.
Alisha has a distinct writing style. Its almost as if lesser the word count, deeper the symbolism and meaning. It is definitely not easy to capture a reader's attention till the last story, especially when some have the power to make you squirm and cringe in your seat. Each story rakes up beautiful yet dark imageries. The stories appeal to all senses and a pure, though somewhat disturbing, treat to read. She has truly done an awesome job.
Each story has the required number of characters- neither more nor less. In fact, too many characters lead to confusion and too little may border on boredom, unless, of course, the author has the writing skills to pull it off efficiently. Alisha certainly puts up a powerful performance. Hats off to her.
To sum up, you will love to think about the stories in this anthology long after you have read it. This collection is a must read and a book that you must have in your personal library.
P.S - Alisha, when is the next anthology coming up???
