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A review by alina_leonova
Derecho Rising by David Phillips
4.0
Most of the stories in this book are flash fiction, which means they are very short. There is also one slightly longer story and a novella at the end. All of the stories involve death and violence, either happening within the story itself or hinted at, and they are often disturbing. Some involve gore and body horror. Most of them end with a twist. Sometimes I could see it coming, which made the resolution underwhelming, but some of them were unexpected and fresh. The stories represent different genres, but the majority can be classified as thriller or horror, with quite a few paranormal themes.
I personally prefer longer reads with in-depth character development and world-building, an exploration of the intricacies of the events and motivations that lead to whatever happens in the story. The nature of flash fiction doesn't allow for any of that, and the stories often ended right where they piqued my interest. I like to know not only what happens, but also why it happens, and that question was never answered leaving me underwhelmed. I don't think it's a failure on the author's part, it's just the way flash fiction is, and other readers might enjoy it. It also explains why I liked the longer story and the novella more - they gave me the answers I was looking for. I don't think they are objectively better, it's rather a matter of personal preference.
Because there are many different stories, it's natural that I liked some of them more than others, but all in all, I think they are quite decent.
You might enjoy the book if you like flash fiction, are looking for something to pick up once in a while without committing to it, or enjoy violent and disturbing thrillers and horror stories with gore and death in them.
I personally prefer longer reads with in-depth character development and world-building, an exploration of the intricacies of the events and motivations that lead to whatever happens in the story. The nature of flash fiction doesn't allow for any of that, and the stories often ended right where they piqued my interest. I like to know not only what happens, but also why it happens, and that question was never answered leaving me underwhelmed. I don't think it's a failure on the author's part, it's just the way flash fiction is, and other readers might enjoy it. It also explains why I liked the longer story and the novella more - they gave me the answers I was looking for. I don't think they are objectively better, it's rather a matter of personal preference.
Because there are many different stories, it's natural that I liked some of them more than others, but all in all, I think they are quite decent.
You might enjoy the book if you like flash fiction, are looking for something to pick up once in a while without committing to it, or enjoy violent and disturbing thrillers and horror stories with gore and death in them.