Book Review: Fragile Boundaries: A Flash Fiction Short Story Collection
This is my unsolicited review of
Fragile Boundaries: A Flash Fiction Short Story Collection by author RE Vaughn
It's been a while since I've read a short story collection, which when I do, I usually enjoy.
This collection, while clearly well thought out, was a wierd menagerie of bite size snippets of shitty life moments that felt like a bit too much realism. I even stopped after the second story to google flash fiction to make sure I understood what it was.
Fragile Boundaries has a good mixture of different genres.
The stories give you a very narrow glimpse of a character's life in which an action has happened or is going to happen that guides the story and how they respond. Its mostly things that could have happened to any of us. But, the author has somehow trapped you while reading. In each story you are in there with each character, feeling their very well written and developed thoughts and actions. Whether you want to be in there or not.
Some of the stories feel like hard boiled writing shoved into a flash fiction, short story compilation. The stories weren't bad, nor could I rave about the book as a whole. While I have read other works where they give you that Twilight Zone kind of lead up before the story, it just served to kind of irritate me. Like the author didn't think I would get the story. But to be honest because of the narrowness of the timeline in most of the stories, that sliver of space between the boards to look through at each take, it was admittedly useful.
I give this collection 3.5 🔎🔎🔎
buy on Amazon
This is why I gave the book 3.5 🔎🔎🔎
My two cents
I wasn't really a fan of this collection and there were a few edits needed. The last story really got under my skin because of what is going on right now IRL, but honestly I never enjoy reading stories like that, no matter what type of spin you put on it. For the bonus, some of these stories seem like they actually may have happened, which is great writing skill, when you can get your audience to believe your writing as a possibility.
There were 2 stories that I really liked. Eight Hours was my absolute favorite... mostly because of how it was written ( spoiler alert...sad) and A Dark Place in the Night. Why? You ask. Because it was unexpected and seemed satisfyingly complete. You fooled me author R.E. Vaughn...well done. I liked that the whole issue of this story was so typical of a lot of people in today's society. While the author has you looking one way....what's really going on in the other direction?
You will have to read this book for yourself. There is probably something for everyone.
If you read for escapism and HEAs, I can tell you whoshereaders...this is not it. But its worth a read for yourself.
The stories will feel familiar. Kind of mean and bitter, a little harsh, maybe make you think. They will make you a tad uncomfortable and there is an undeniable, underlying bit of sadness laced throughout the book.
This book is available on Amazon
Happy Reading and Enjoy!
