Anthology I The Other Side Hamidah Gul 9781105520273 Books
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A collection of stories about things that go bump in the night. Stories about the end of the world, what happens when your wishes come true, and when your emotions become your darkest enemy. Come Home with Me - Do not invite her to come home with you. The Best Friend - Ever wondered what your best friend is thinking when she smiles at you. Mary Had a Little Lamb - About what someone would do to save her own life. How far is she willing to go? Children of the Mist - Wishes do come true but at what expense? And many more!
Anthology I The Other Side Hamidah Gul 9781105520273 Books
Anthology I: The Other Side by Hamidah GulPage Count: 121
Release Date: 9 August 2012
Publisher: Lulu (self-published)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)
Gul creatively captures the importance of perspective in fiction and in reality because, as we all know: there are two sides to every story... oftentimes, there are even more. It's difficult to sympathize with the enemy, the side we never consider, or the random passersby in a catastrophic incident, but in the balance of things, their stories matter just as much as the main point of view does. In The Other Side, readers delve into the minds of murderers, residents of nature, suicide victims, monsters, aliens, ghosts, both predator and prey, as well as destruction incarnate; the minds of the inanimate and insane that we'd never, ever imagine on our own.
The blurry issue of perception intrigues me greatly, which is why I think Gul hit home with the concept of writing from the ill-exposed "other side." However, there are many areas where this book is lacking, one being the grammar. I can excuse typography errors in a book (even big-house publishers' editors slip past a few misspellings and punctuation mistakes here and there), but poor grammar--especially when it's recurring--docks points overall because it detracts from reading flow as a whole. Gul seems to have trouble distinguishing between the past and present tenses, as well as between active and passive verbs. I expect these writing conventions to be followed in a published work; even if the author's first language is not English, there should have been an editor involved before marketing The Other Side. Overall, it made the voice very stiff and awkward. The anthology itself is very short, with easily manageable short stories, but because of the poor diction, I had some difficulty with it.
Here are my mini reviews for each of the stories in order of which they appear in the collection:
"Come Home With Me": Short and sweet story about soul-stealing spirits, their lure, and their resulting destruction. Chilling, deeply disturbing, and only lasts for a flash before it's over. One of my favorites!
"The Other Side": The human perspective of the apocalypse. Interesting idea, but unnecessarily lengthy and detailed. I had trouble following after the first few pages, but do understand the overall plot thanks to the followup story from a different point of view...
"Mission of Mercy": Fabulous retelling of "The Other Side" but from the aliens' point of view. Raises the perpetually spine-tingling question of what if? and will make readers double-take on the implications of unknown sides of a story. Moving, well-written, and much clearer in structure than the previous story.
"The Best Friend": A brief, surprising, and cheeky piece of flash fiction. I loved the twist in the end, as well as the author's amusing insinuations regarding a man's best friend.
"The Lonely Heart": Rich in language and poignant in message, this story details on a neglected son's unwillingness to hold on and his hardworking mother's misunderstanding of the world. Depressing tone with literary merit.
"Mary Had a Little Lamb": One of the more gruesome, more horrific stories in the collection. Very intense, up to the point where I thought it was rather melodramatic, but it's still an eerie read that teaches you never to forget those you love... because they just might kill you in the end.
"Mother and the Birds": The shortest, but most powerful story in the book that places readers in the minds and hearts of a particular animal of nature. We as humans may not understand nature, but this extended metaphor will tragically demonstrate what it is that sets us apart from it.
"Children of the Mist": Another compelling idea for a story, involving another hypothetical situation that constantly asks what if? We all have wishes, but what if they actually came true? "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it"--this lesson, our protagonists painfully and devastatingly learn.
"The Suicide Case": I didn't really like this one because I don't fully understand it. It has shifting perspectives involving a several deaths and a resonating message about the importance of life, but it just didn't stick with me.
Pros: Fascinating concept regarding perspective play // Straightforward voice // Spine-chilling // Variety of stories // Short, quick reads // Pocket-sized book
Cons: Grammar errors, rather than typos; in desperate need of revision and editing // Some stories difficult to make sense of // Overall awkward in tone
Verdict: The Other Side is a groundbreaking, spellbinding collection of short stories that goes where no book has gone before by probing the darkest recesses of the "other" minds. While I didn't care for the frequent grammatical errors because they made the narrative tone choppy and awkward, the concept is novel, invigorating, and refreshing, so I do recommend you give it a try.
6 hearts: Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.
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Anthology I The Other Side Hamidah Gul 9781105520273 Books Reviews
I started reading this book with interest, as I love a well-written short stories anthology, especially if it's about horror and scary stuff. However, the moment I set my eyes on the first page, I knew I was in for a challenge. The writer seems bent on making us read stuff that seems way too experimental and that will scare away any casual reader. Not me; I like to use my brain to figure out things in complex albeit short stories... but this one was a bit too much.
The first story was an absolute mess told from varying viewpoints, with almost no well developed characterization... Sometimes an author can get way too clever for his own good. The second story about inviting Death was more coherent and enjoyable, but it still had too much fragmentary writing to completely fulfill its potential. Do not let this dismal start discourage you... the following tales, regarding "The Other Side" are quite good and the story telling improves as you progress along the book. I'd recommend this author to just change the order in which she introduces the tales in the book, putting the more traditional ones at the front of the book and place the weird, experimental stuff near the end of the book or maybe in an Appendix there.
Note I got a review copy through the folks of GMTA (Great Minds Think Aloud) Group
Life is precious and how we view it depends on our own perspective and how we think others view us. One three voices are heard in this first story titled The Suicide Case in this Anthology called The Other Side beginning with one young man who feels despondent, alone and has decided that his life is worthless. The second faces his feelings about a woman and why he feels he would like to end her life the final about a coma patient. The Walking Dead is how the author refers to our first character that feels his life is not worth living, he has done nothing noteworthy and the only way to create some type of legacy or importance is to end his life. Next, we hear the voice of someone referred to as The Dead Soul an evil man with wicked thoughts describing his hate and feelings for another human being that he hopes will not live and whose eyes he wants to remain closed. Next, we meet the final character called the Living Dead who appears to be in a coma and whose memories flood, a voice that she fears and her thoughts about what would happen if she finally opens her eyes. All three lies held in the balance and each about to meet a different fate. Walking Dead hates life, sits on his car, thinks about how to end it all and then the Dead Soul follows. Each in their cars, each one has their own destination but what will happen will definitely change things for both of them. As the two men are driving and both are in traffic and horns are blaring they each wonder what is holding up the traffic. The Walking Dead steers his car, the honking fades and what happens to him will change the fate of another. The Dead Soul is angry and sees what happens to the Walking Dead but the earth begins to shake, the movement so great and you can predict the rest. Finally, the Living Dead, the woman in a coma opens her eyes, learns the fate of her husband and the voice that she feared coming to see her. What the doctor reveals to her about what would have happened at he arrived will change her perspective on everything, create some fear in her heart and the rest and what happens you will have to read in story one The Suicide Case.
Story Two is called Come Home With Me, which will teach you never to talk to strangers, listen to your mother and be careful for what you wish for. As we meet the main character of the story that was waiting for someone to arrive but instead his mother does. The eerie feeling you get from the mother's voice, her statements will let you know that they are not alone. The spirit that arrives wants to take the life of another person. The dread you can hear in his mother's voice as she warns him that she is there. His mother leaves the room and what happens will give you chills all over. A shrill of laughter and the knowledge that death is just a day away as one 15-year-old boy named Jimmy sees a vision and what happens you won't believe. Sometimes taking someone home with you might be your end. The Other Side is really quite scary as we hear the voice of someone who thinks he has died saving a child. Describing as most might say a Near Death Experience he begins to recount all of the mistakes he made in life with his parents, his sister and brother. The remorse he feels is evident as he meets an angel named Maia and learns the true meaning of love , forgiveness and family while witnessing the end of the world or did he? Floating on a star he sees and envisions many things as he travels to Pluto and meets some other species whose goal it is to destroy human life. Just why you have to read for yourself when you read part one of The Other Side. Does he live, does he open his eyes and what happens that changes him you won't believe. The Artist is coming to take over and it's time for him to go he says. The angel was it real? The adventure was it real? Did he really visit Pluto? What really happened? Where did the smell of roses come from?
Mission of Mercy is next which is part two of The Other Side. You see he did witness the world coming to an end and the earth burned up. Seeing the final moments of his planet from his own ship. He calls himself Darshanas and he claims to be the leader of his nation. Decribing his high command, where they live and he tells about the world that they would inhabit. The author gives the reader much pause for thought in this story as you wonder what is real, whether they really crossed the barrier and were in a universe floating through the Milky Way. Razanash was the high command and he was in charge. Describing the planets, its appearance and where they were headed will surprise the reader. Would the technology be new or will be it old? Are they the only race on this earth or are their others more advanced? Will they present a threat? Are they human? Can different races live together? What really happened and where they wind up you have to read for yourself? Do you care about your planet? Do you really want life to survive? Are they really destroying it? Find out when you read Mission of Mercy and learn the truth.
The next story is The Best Friend. Sometimes your best friend might be someone who is your worst nightmare. Can you hear the voice of this person? What is this person really thinking about you? What would you do if this person was watching your every move? What happens when she opens her eyes? You need to learn just who or what she sees and what is real or not? The next story is the Lonely Heart about a son who feels unwanted and neglected and has decided to end his life. As in the first story we meet another character similar to that of The Walking Dead who feels his life does not matter, feels alone and hates his life. Of course he blames himself for the bad things that happened to his mother, wondered if she would have been better off without them. Sounds like a lot of self -pity. A mother he states that showed him no affection and a girl named Mary Sue did the same. Each story is sad, each story deals with death and how many view it from their different perspectives.
As the young man in question decides on his own fate, what he is going to do and how to do it, will he leave a note for his mother where would he go to do it and why? But, when his mother comes home and sees the note the author allows the reader to realize more about her than Daniel her son did. Parents need to express their feelings for their children before it's too late and giving up is never the answer. Where would she go and what happens? Read it to find out.
Mary Had A Little Lamb is next followed by Mother and her Birds. Who is Lucy and what does she do? Read Mary Had A Little Lamb to find out. Next a mother who wants to teach her son a lesson that no mother should ever teach a child followed by The Death Star. Imagine a star that is called Einde 2012. Imagine a star that is born of hope, mystery and innocence. Hear the words directly from the star as she is born and describes her life. From being a baby star that burned so bright and then had no idea what to do or where to go. Passing over the big stars she felt so small and wanted to feel important. Light-years passed and the little star waited like most children do for the guidance of her parent to tell her where to go and what was next. But, it never came until one day the Journey An explosion that separated her from her mother sending her to a new home. Where she winds up you have to learn for yourself but first she sees a beautiful planet and hears whispers. For five years that is all she hears. Somewhere within this planet but what was her destiny and what happened at the end? Find out when you read The Death Star and understand its name.
Finally the last story is Children of the Mist. What if your past was a blank and was about to come back to you? What if you were invited to a reunion but received a strange call to attend? What if you were given Joe Cross would enter what some might think is the Twilight Zone and the events that unfold will shake you to the core and bring chills down your spine. Five friends recounting their lives. Why were they there? What really happened to them? A mist surrounds the shed where they wind up and Joe's memory is not fully restored. But, when they each remember something that happened what would happen when they confess the truth? Running from their pasts could they really hide? The pain they felt inside and the mist that surrounded them giving each one a wish in exchange for their memories. Would you give up you thoughts to forget something you have done? What if it meant giving up your entire past?
What happens and the decisions each of the five make will definitely make you ask this question Would you want your past back and your memories if you knew the outcome? Ten stories about death, ten stories that make you appreciate life. This is one book that will definitely haunt you for a very long time. Death if final the author makes you value life and brings to light the importance of embracing it.
The author loved this review and was pleased that I spotlighted each story.
Anthology I The Other Side by Hamidah Gul
Page Count 121
Release Date 9 August 2012
Publisher Lulu (self-published)
Source Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)
Gul creatively captures the importance of perspective in fiction and in reality because, as we all know there are two sides to every story... oftentimes, there are even more. It's difficult to sympathize with the enemy, the side we never consider, or the random passersby in a catastrophic incident, but in the balance of things, their stories matter just as much as the main point of view does. In The Other Side, readers delve into the minds of murderers, residents of nature, suicide victims, monsters, aliens, ghosts, both predator and prey, as well as destruction incarnate; the minds of the inanimate and insane that we'd never, ever imagine on our own.
The blurry issue of perception intrigues me greatly, which is why I think Gul hit home with the concept of writing from the ill-exposed "other side." However, there are many areas where this book is lacking, one being the grammar. I can excuse typography errors in a book (even big-house publishers' editors slip past a few misspellings and punctuation mistakes here and there), but poor grammar--especially when it's recurring--docks points overall because it detracts from reading flow as a whole. Gul seems to have trouble distinguishing between the past and present tenses, as well as between active and passive verbs. I expect these writing conventions to be followed in a published work; even if the author's first language is not English, there should have been an editor involved before marketing The Other Side. Overall, it made the voice very stiff and awkward. The anthology itself is very short, with easily manageable short stories, but because of the poor diction, I had some difficulty with it.
Here are my mini reviews for each of the stories in order of which they appear in the collection
"Come Home With Me" Short and sweet story about soul-stealing spirits, their lure, and their resulting destruction. Chilling, deeply disturbing, and only lasts for a flash before it's over. One of my favorites!
"The Other Side" The human perspective of the apocalypse. Interesting idea, but unnecessarily lengthy and detailed. I had trouble following after the first few pages, but do understand the overall plot thanks to the followup story from a different point of view...
"Mission of Mercy" Fabulous retelling of "The Other Side" but from the aliens' point of view. Raises the perpetually spine-tingling question of what if? and will make readers double-take on the implications of unknown sides of a story. Moving, well-written, and much clearer in structure than the previous story.
"The Best Friend" A brief, surprising, and cheeky piece of flash fiction. I loved the twist in the end, as well as the author's amusing insinuations regarding a man's best friend.
"The Lonely Heart" Rich in language and poignant in message, this story details on a neglected son's unwillingness to hold on and his hardworking mother's misunderstanding of the world. Depressing tone with literary merit.
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" One of the more gruesome, more horrific stories in the collection. Very intense, up to the point where I thought it was rather melodramatic, but it's still an eerie read that teaches you never to forget those you love... because they just might kill you in the end.
"Mother and the Birds" The shortest, but most powerful story in the book that places readers in the minds and hearts of a particular animal of nature. We as humans may not understand nature, but this extended metaphor will tragically demonstrate what it is that sets us apart from it.
"Children of the Mist" Another compelling idea for a story, involving another hypothetical situation that constantly asks what if? We all have wishes, but what if they actually came true? "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it"--this lesson, our protagonists painfully and devastatingly learn.
"The Suicide Case" I didn't really like this one because I don't fully understand it. It has shifting perspectives involving a several deaths and a resonating message about the importance of life, but it just didn't stick with me.
Pros Fascinating concept regarding perspective play // Straightforward voice // Spine-chilling // Variety of stories // Short, quick reads // Pocket-sized book
Cons Grammar errors, rather than typos; in desperate need of revision and editing // Some stories difficult to make sense of // Overall awkward in tone
Verdict The Other Side is a groundbreaking, spellbinding collection of short stories that goes where no book has gone before by probing the darkest recesses of the "other" minds. While I didn't care for the frequent grammatical errors because they made the narrative tone choppy and awkward, the concept is novel, invigorating, and refreshing, so I do recommend you give it a try.
6 hearts Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.
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