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onetrackmind77's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
azeryk's review
5.0
Although I'm not the biggest fan of short story collections when I was offered the chance to review this e-book from Kelli Owen I jumped at the chance. Having read two of her previous e-books (The Neighbourhood and Waiting Out Winter) I knew that it could be a good collection and I was not disappointed.
Within Black Bubbles are 21 short stories which are all easy to read and cover a good variety of topics ranging from the morbid and heartbreaking to the currently popular zombies, but what makes this collection different is that every tale is told in an original manner and there are plenty of twists and surprises which makes this a refreshing read in a world where there are plenty of good books easily available. It was because of this approach which led to me enjoying every story within the collection and that is something which is hard to achieve.
Table Of Contents:
Tin Box
Shadow of Skepticism
The Worst Intentions
Feeding the Animals
Potential
Brian Made Me Do It
The Rabbit
Crash and Burn
Grim Circumstances
Family Reunion
Shadows in a Bowl of Soup
Divorcing the Dead
Dig the Hole
Spell
How’s That Make You Feel?
Spring Thaw
Good Enough
Mercy’s Gasp
Trials and Tribulations of Dr Jekyll’s Third Cousin Twice Removed
Spilled Milk
Black Bubbles
So to sum things up; this is one very good collection of horror themed short stories which has been written in a way that allows for them to be consumed and enjoyed easily. The characters in each story are believable and helps turn this into a real page turner. If you've not read anything by Kelli Owen yet then now is a good chance to try her work.
Within Black Bubbles are 21 short stories which are all easy to read and cover a good variety of topics ranging from the morbid and heartbreaking to the currently popular zombies, but what makes this collection different is that every tale is told in an original manner and there are plenty of twists and surprises which makes this a refreshing read in a world where there are plenty of good books easily available. It was because of this approach which led to me enjoying every story within the collection and that is something which is hard to achieve.
Table Of Contents:
Tin Box
Shadow of Skepticism
The Worst Intentions
Feeding the Animals
Potential
Brian Made Me Do It
The Rabbit
Crash and Burn
Grim Circumstances
Family Reunion
Shadows in a Bowl of Soup
Divorcing the Dead
Dig the Hole
Spell
How’s That Make You Feel?
Spring Thaw
Good Enough
Mercy’s Gasp
Trials and Tribulations of Dr Jekyll’s Third Cousin Twice Removed
Spilled Milk
Black Bubbles
So to sum things up; this is one very good collection of horror themed short stories which has been written in a way that allows for them to be consumed and enjoyed easily. The characters in each story are believable and helps turn this into a real page turner. If you've not read anything by Kelli Owen yet then now is a good chance to try her work.
brennanlafaro's review against another edition
The latest re-issue from Poltergeist Press is the story collection Black Bubbles, from author Kelli Owen. The book contains 21 stories, all complete with author notes, and if you’ve read my thoughts on collections/anthologies, you’ll know author’s notes at the end of a story have a way of winning me over. Usually Kelli’s are a few thoughtful words, a couple paragraphs at most, about the genesis of the story. Some are just fun, others gave a nice insight and enhanced my enjoyment of a particular piece. If you are someone who prefers to read a story and develop your interpretation, I will defend your right to do so, but I like to get inside the author’s head.
One could argue that inside the head of Kelli Owen is a scary place to be. No doubt, packed with information on serial killers, zombies, and a myriad of other nightmares, both human and not, that fill the pages of Black Bubbles. Like the majority of collections, there were stories that I enjoyed, whose cleverness left me with a smirk. There were some that didn’t resonate with me, but were written with the same flair present throughout, and just may be your cup of tea. There were others that will stick with me, long after this book nestles into its new home on my shelf.
Allow me to highlight a few stand-outs. The Tin Box is a solid choice for an opener, and it goes in a direction that I didn’t expect. That being said, after reading the other twenty stories, I might have been more prepared if it came later on in the collection. Brian Made Me Do It is a fun, fourth-wall breaking flash fiction piece, only enhanced by the story notes. Well worth the time of anyone complicit in this thing we call the horror community. Dig the Hole is a terrific story about domestic abuse and revenge. It’s also added a new phrase to my vernacular. How’s That Make You Feel? is Kelli Owen writing inside the mind of serial killers, a place that she seems to feel, if not comfortable, at least well-versed. No implications here.
Two stories stuck with me above all others, however. Spell is a tough one to read as a parent. Hell, I would imagine it’s tough to read not being a parent. Like in the recent work of Andrew Cull in Remains, the mixture of grief and horror is beautifully blended and captured in this story.
The final and titular story, Black Bubbles, is infinitely creative. The moment I recognized what was going on in the story, that twinge of jealousy that can only come from wishing you had thought of this idea, hit home. It’s dark, scary, semi-cosmic, it’s got brilliant social commentary regarding children and medication, and it’s oddly plausible.
This book was a pleasure to spread out over the course of a few weeks, reading a story or so a day. In order for a story collection to be able to unfold in this manner, every story has to have some redeeming value. Even the ones that aren’t up my alley are still written in a way that begs you to try the next one. There’s likely to be something that invites you in, or keeps you up at night. Why not both?
I was given an e-copy by the publisher for review consideration.
One could argue that inside the head of Kelli Owen is a scary place to be. No doubt, packed with information on serial killers, zombies, and a myriad of other nightmares, both human and not, that fill the pages of Black Bubbles. Like the majority of collections, there were stories that I enjoyed, whose cleverness left me with a smirk. There were some that didn’t resonate with me, but were written with the same flair present throughout, and just may be your cup of tea. There were others that will stick with me, long after this book nestles into its new home on my shelf.
Allow me to highlight a few stand-outs. The Tin Box is a solid choice for an opener, and it goes in a direction that I didn’t expect. That being said, after reading the other twenty stories, I might have been more prepared if it came later on in the collection. Brian Made Me Do It is a fun, fourth-wall breaking flash fiction piece, only enhanced by the story notes. Well worth the time of anyone complicit in this thing we call the horror community. Dig the Hole is a terrific story about domestic abuse and revenge. It’s also added a new phrase to my vernacular. How’s That Make You Feel? is Kelli Owen writing inside the mind of serial killers, a place that she seems to feel, if not comfortable, at least well-versed. No implications here.
Two stories stuck with me above all others, however. Spell is a tough one to read as a parent. Hell, I would imagine it’s tough to read not being a parent. Like in the recent work of Andrew Cull in Remains, the mixture of grief and horror is beautifully blended and captured in this story.
The final and titular story, Black Bubbles, is infinitely creative. The moment I recognized what was going on in the story, that twinge of jealousy that can only come from wishing you had thought of this idea, hit home. It’s dark, scary, semi-cosmic, it’s got brilliant social commentary regarding children and medication, and it’s oddly plausible.
This book was a pleasure to spread out over the course of a few weeks, reading a story or so a day. In order for a story collection to be able to unfold in this manner, every story has to have some redeeming value. Even the ones that aren’t up my alley are still written in a way that begs you to try the next one. There’s likely to be something that invites you in, or keeps you up at night. Why not both?
I was given an e-copy by the publisher for review consideration.
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