Ishavasyam Dash
Eleven stories that take you on a rollercoaster ride of myriad emotions. As the blurb promises, the stories provoke and entertain.
The subjects range from mythology, fantasy and social media influencers to murder, sexuality and horror. That last one (The Itch), I thought, had the potential to spin off into a standalone book/series. There’s also a mix of narrative styles – first person, letters, a YouTube monologue. What this achieves for each story is a character, flavour, and mood that is uniquely its own. What also stands out is the complete lack of a pattern, including the pace of the narrative. Some proceed at a leisurely pace, while others pack a lot in within a few pages.
In just around 150 pages, there are worlds and corners that you will discover. I have at least five that I liked a lot. Smoke & Mirrors and The Herpetologist for the insight into the human condition and the empathy, Mariam’s Tears for the absolutely bizarre pop in the middle of the book, The Price of Apples for its innocence and sensitivity, and Kalika for the smart dose of philosophy. Pick it up to find your favourite. 🙂
(I know the author, but though I feel really happy for her, I can safely say there is very little bias in the review)
