Book Review: Wreath and Other Stories

Book: Wreath and Other Stories

Author: Sangeeta Mahapatra

Publisher: Notion Press

Genre: Fiction| Horror/Suspense

Price: 250 INR

Pages: 215

Blurb: What is it that we fear? An evil presence around us, watching and waiting for a small slip, or the realisation that the malevolence is within us and has already made its move? 

Wreath and Other Stories will take you into a world that is slightly off its hinges- a bizarre, eerie realm. In short, a world much like our own, if only we would notice it. 

A dangerous obsession of an artist, a broken childhood promise, a birthday gift gone horribly wrong, a soldier trapped in a nightmare, a warning from beyond the grave, a writer's new lease of life in a "suicide central", a patient's struggle with insanity, a terrible crime in an idyllic artists' town, a man's record of his last moments, a bride haunted by her past... 

With grey characters, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist at the end, it will ensure that you go to bed satisfied, having had your fill of a world of wickedness and terror... until that world engulfs you in your dreams. 

This book will enthral lovers of horror and suspense.

My Rating:

Plot: 5/5

Narration: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

My review:

Let me first make an honest confession. I loved reading this book. The stories bewitched me, thrilled me and took me to a different world.

Now coming back to the review, "Wreath and Other Stories" is a collection of 10 short stories based on the theme of horror and suspense. The cover of the book definitely attracted me and so I applied for reviewing it on Writers Melon, but I was not expecting to have a great reading experience. I had read quite a few anthologies (based on horror and suspense) in the recent past and didn't enjoy them. 

The first story of this book "Red Moon" is about a broken childhood promise. After I completed reading it, I got totally hooked to the book. The best thing about the stories of this book is that you cannot guess the ending accurately. The author manages to surprise the readers 10 times in the book.

You are introduced to a character or a beautiful place in the starting of each story. You are then pulled into the world created by the author and then at the end of the story, you are surprised and shocked by the revelation.

Each story is very different from the other one. The author has experimented so much with the plots. She has woven a story based on a remarkable case of past life regression that enchants you totally. You also get to read a story about an artist's obsession on an advanced actroid. The writing is powerful and witty. The author has used different types of writing style in the book.

For example, in the story "Tick tock", she has used first person narration because it was necessary for the readers to understand a person's struggle with insanity. In the story "Deja vu", she has used third person narration so that the readers can empathize with all the characters in the story. 

I enjoyed reading all the stories, but my favorites from this collection are "Deja vu", "Red Moon" and "Malevolent". I couldn't find any such drawback in the book. So I would like to rate it 5 out of 5 especially for the author's storytelling skills and at the same time congratulate Sangeeta Mahapatra for writing this book. 

If you love reading tales of horror and suspense, then this is the perfect book for you. Get ready to be enthralled and bewitched by the ten tales.

'I received a free copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'