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A review by katherineshawwrites
When Your Heart is a Broken Thing by Helen Whistberry
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Well, Helen Whistberry has done it again! I had high hopes when I purchased this stunning book, and I was not disappointed.
Helen is a master storyteller, and this is shown again with a collection of short stories across three broad themes - horror/paranormal, fairytale and sci-fi/dystopian - with each one being executed brilliantly. Very few authors are so versatile in their repertoire, but Helen masters each genre like a pro, and although each section is very different, they all have their signature mixture of eeriness and optimism.
I must admit, it was the sci-fi section that I enjoyed the most (being a dystopia nut myself), with New Life, The Creaking and The Guard being my absolute favourite stories in the collection. Beyond the terrific writing, Helen has also paired each tale with a fantastic illustration containing a quote from the story, which sets each one up very well, and gives a little peek into what's coming up.
I could read Helen's work all day every day, and I'm sure this is a collection I'll come back to again. Truly outstanding work
Helen is a master storyteller, and this is shown again with a collection of short stories across three broad themes - horror/paranormal, fairytale and sci-fi/dystopian - with each one being executed brilliantly. Very few authors are so versatile in their repertoire, but Helen masters each genre like a pro, and although each section is very different, they all have their signature mixture of eeriness and optimism.
I must admit, it was the sci-fi section that I enjoyed the most (being a dystopia nut myself), with New Life, The Creaking and The Guard being my absolute favourite stories in the collection. Beyond the terrific writing, Helen has also paired each tale with a fantastic illustration containing a quote from the story, which sets each one up very well, and gives a little peek into what's coming up.
I could read Helen's work all day every day, and I'm sure this is a collection I'll come back to again. Truly outstanding work