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hilaryistired's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
You know those books that leave you wondering what the hell you had just read? Yeah, this is one of those books. This collection of stories are some of the strangest ideas I've ever come across, and I've read quite a few strange books. I'm pretty sure every single story caused me to stop and ask myself what the hell I just read, occasionally flipping back to see if I had imagined something that insane or if it had actually been on the pages.
But the strangeness didn't deter me from reading at all - this collection was really good. The stories were unique and well written, keeping you hooked from the moment you started until you've turned the last page. Kozma does an amazing job of creating atmospheres for each of the stories, even in the short space allowed. It's not hard to feel like you've been completely sucked into the world it takes place in, even though you've only read a couple of pages.
My only real issue with this collection is that most of the stories felt underdeveloped. They worked as they were, but so much more could have been done with them. I want to know more about what's happening, and get to spend more time in their fascinating worlds, because I feel like I didn't get enough story for anything to really stick.
But let's talk about these stories in a little more detail, shall we?
Stammlager 76
I was really enjoying this story until it ended, and then I got mad at it. It just ends and you don't learn anything and I wanted to know more about this prison and what was going on there. This was the meanest story, because I didn't get enough of it. This one definitely could have been more developed.
The Man in the Dark Chocolate Suit
I actually loved this story, because I love the idea of a bad guy that doesn't make sense and doesn't seem to have a purpose for his actions. It probably could have been a whole book, or at least a longer story, because there was so much that could have been done with this idea. Another one that left me frustrated, but less so than the previous story.
We of the Future are the Ghosts of the Past
This was the craziest and most fascinating story in this collection, I think. It's one of those stories that leave you thinking for ten minutes after the end of the book, and questioning every life choice you've ever made, because what if this was a thing that happened in real life.
A Passport to a Nation of Talking Slugs
This was the one story that actually felt properly fleshed out and like a whole story. Don't get me wrong, it's just as strange as the rest of the stories in this collection. But it was also felt like it had a timeline, and like it went somewhere. I did kind of want more of the slugs in the story, but it worked super well just as it was.
All in all, I really enjoyed this collection of stories, though they left me questioning a lot of things. I can only imagine what sort of chaos that goes on in Kozma's mind, if this is what comes out on paper. If you like surreal stories, confusing yourself, or mind games, you'll probably love this collection!
You know those books that leave you wondering what the hell you had just read? Yeah, this is one of those books. This collection of stories are some of the strangest ideas I've ever come across, and I've read quite a few strange books. I'm pretty sure every single story caused me to stop and ask myself what the hell I just read, occasionally flipping back to see if I had imagined something that insane or if it had actually been on the pages.
But the strangeness didn't deter me from reading at all - this collection was really good. The stories were unique and well written, keeping you hooked from the moment you started until you've turned the last page. Kozma does an amazing job of creating atmospheres for each of the stories, even in the short space allowed. It's not hard to feel like you've been completely sucked into the world it takes place in, even though you've only read a couple of pages.
My only real issue with this collection is that most of the stories felt underdeveloped. They worked as they were, but so much more could have been done with them. I want to know more about what's happening, and get to spend more time in their fascinating worlds, because I feel like I didn't get enough story for anything to really stick.
But let's talk about these stories in a little more detail, shall we?
Stammlager 76
I was really enjoying this story until it ended, and then I got mad at it. It just ends and you don't learn anything and I wanted to know more about this prison and what was going on there. This was the meanest story, because I didn't get enough of it. This one definitely could have been more developed.
The Man in the Dark Chocolate Suit
I actually loved this story, because I love the idea of a bad guy that doesn't make sense and doesn't seem to have a purpose for his actions. It probably could have been a whole book, or at least a longer story, because there was so much that could have been done with this idea. Another one that left me frustrated, but less so than the previous story.
We of the Future are the Ghosts of the Past
This was the craziest and most fascinating story in this collection, I think. It's one of those stories that leave you thinking for ten minutes after the end of the book, and questioning every life choice you've ever made, because what if this was a thing that happened in real life.
A Passport to a Nation of Talking Slugs
This was the one story that actually felt properly fleshed out and like a whole story. Don't get me wrong, it's just as strange as the rest of the stories in this collection. But it was also felt like it had a timeline, and like it went somewhere. I did kind of want more of the slugs in the story, but it worked super well just as it was.
All in all, I really enjoyed this collection of stories, though they left me questioning a lot of things. I can only imagine what sort of chaos that goes on in Kozma's mind, if this is what comes out on paper. If you like surreal stories, confusing yourself, or mind games, you'll probably love this collection!
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