Title: Fourth Degree Freedom
Author: Libby Heily
Review: I enjoyed this work of short-stories, it didn’t bother me at all that some seemed to start in the middle of the story. Each was unique and gave me something to think about. The stories were varied in all ways and some of the ideas were way out there and yet not all at the same time.
I’ve worked in a call center….enough said if you have worked in one also. Population explosion? Is this the way we would handle that if it happened? I sure hope not since every day I get older and not younger. Some children are less attractive than others, but a real monster? Hummmmm……I have known people who have tied to find happiness at the bottom of the ice cream pail…I really enjoyed the ending to this one. The last was interesting to say the least.
I believe that everyone can find a story in this short collection that they could enjoy and maybe even identify in a very small way. Libby has done an excellent job of taking the reader to a place they don’t usually go and making them think outside of the literary box. This collection is short and can be read in a small amount of time and yet enjoyed much longer. Give it a try I don’t think you will be disappointed. Short stories make a nice break in a long list of must-read novels.
ISBN: B005H8M9MM
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 36 56KB
Quick Review: 5 stars (out of 5)
Where I Obtained the Book: Sent by the author for review.
Synopsis: Fourth Degree Freedom explores the best of humanity and the worst. The stories range from hopeful realism to the dystopian side of speculative fiction. Each story twists and turns through darkness and light, settling somewhere in the shadowy area of day to day life.
Thank You For Calling - A young woman fights to keep her sanity, her marriage and her hope while working in a call center.
The Event - Do the youth decide to go along with the government's plan to rid the population of the elderly, or will they fight back?
Fourth Degree Freedom - A family, shunned by neighbors and friends, struggles with their youngest son, a boy that was literally born a monster.
The Last Six Miles - Samantha has hit rock bottom. Her husband has left her and her only source of comfort is junk food. Her slip into depression seems inevitable until she discovers running. Samantha begins the long journey from barely being able to jog a minute to completing her first marathon.
She Floats - If you woke up and didn't know where you were, would you panic? What if you were trapped in a giant aquarium?
Author Biography: When asked why I write, I usually stutter out a made up answer that I can't remember three seconds later. I can't remember the very first time I decided I wanted to write, it's just something I kind of always did. I wrote really bad poems as a kid, then horrible short stories as a teenager and then passable plays in college. I'm an adult now (and nothing you can say can make me change my mind about that) and hopefully my writing has progressed with my age. When I'm not spending my time with made up people in made up places doing made up things - some would call it lying- I'm generally reading, running, watching sports, drinking good beers and eating too much food with the hubby. I'd love to tell you I'm a mountain climber or an astronomer or something cool like that, but I'm not that cool. In truth, some would say I'm nerdy. But the Dr. Who poster above my computer would beg to differ.
Other Reviews:
Thank you for the review!
ReplyDelete