Around the World in Twenty-Seven Tales

This was a great read and I really enjoyed the vivid imagery of different locations. Great to be able to explore different locations whilst reading.

Sakura (4 stars)
Our protagonist made some decisions in their life based on their role in it, and on retrospection, the road not taken was almost a fantasy. I expected the twist but enjoyed the way the author put it across. I had to rewrite this paragraph to ensure I did not unintentionally give away the main point of the story.

Precipice (4 stars)
The story is borderline psychotic, and I shudder at the plot itself. That said, the author wrote it so well that I was hooked till the terrible ending.

Central Reservation (4 stars)
This was another terrifying concept that made sense in its own twisted way. Short stories are usually told with some form of shock value, and this world where you literally live in borrowed/stolen time is almost believable.

Sweet Dreams (5 stars)
The daughter of the baker was not allowed to take a place in her own father’s kitchen, and she decides to circumvent her father’s plan with surprising results. It was a short and sweet piece, especially after the last stories!

Stalker (4 stars)
Another story that builds gradually and introduces an ageing music star who seems to be hiding from something. Its the writing and not the ending that made me like this book.

Maybe (4 stars)
The author’s tribute to Rebecca almost follows the original with a few key twists that make it different from the original.

Huge (4 stars)
This could have been slightly shorter but the multiple ups nd downs in the life of our protagonist is well documented.

Umami (5 stars)
The story begins with a woman taking her partner to visit her substitute mother. The twist here is almost out of the blue (especially as we cannot have all the facts beforehand), but overall was a very dark tale.

Losing it (4 stars)
This is a story based in India. It’s a standard tale of a teenager learning about his body and other hurdles. What I liked best was the ending. It brought reality into focus and centre stage.

The Dentist (3 stars)
A hired contract killer collects teeth, and even after the ending, I could not tell if I understood what happened the way the author wanted me to.

Someone Like You (4 stars)
A friendship torn by miscommunication and feelings of insecurity. It has a surprising ending, which almost doubled as a memoir.

Rearview (3 stars)
I liked the writing in this one and the implications of the twist, but overall, it was a little abrupt.

Zumba (5 stars)
A widower takes one class in his gym that leads to a whole other life. The time jump helps wrap up a cute story.

I like the author’s writing, as the reviews of the other two books imply. The twelve of this one plus the others adds up to the twenty-seven of the title (a fact I did not register earlier).
The Butterfly Effect: The first story is of an Argentinian girl who has been labelled by her town as the ‘poor’ one. Not monetarily, but the one who has very little going well for her. This is further cemented by one major accident. Dance and the attraction/distaste to it are the main undercurrents dealt with. It was an interesting start to the story, although I did not like this as much as some of the others.
Osterhase: This is based in Germany, with one boy running into the Easter Bunny (not the cuddly version) when he visited his grandparents. This event occurs at various stages of his life, questioning his choices in life. It is also a good vehicle for us to follow his entire life from his childhood. I found it more intriguing than the previous one, the magical part slightly darker, as are the thoughts processed here.
The Invisible Suitcase: This instalment was a lot like Chocolat or other similar stories with slightly varying magic. I would have not enjoyed it as much if not for the central love story. It carries the story by itself, even without the help of the ‘helpers’.
New Year, New You: This story was nothing like I expected, which made me enjoy it a lot more. It is much darker than any of the previous narrations and is based out of Egypt. I will not talk about the plot since the revelations during the initial pages were probably the most startling, and that might be the main reason I liked it!
Idol: This was probably the story I liked least (even though it had some pretty good moments). It focuses on a girl who is part of the K-Pop auditions talking to another who once was part of them. She starts to question everything around her, and she assumes certain things about her roommates and co-participants. I found the characters opening up to be the highlight here since it is always easy to assume one knows how people are going to behave and then realise they were completely wrong.
The Perfect Wife: This was more Sci-Fi than anything else. A rich Chinese man has had two wives and has had a brilliant idea. He decides to do something about his loneliness. I did not enjoy the actual ‘twist’ as much as the differing viewpoints. He talks about his previous wives – then we get to meet them as well. This helps provide perspective and rounds of the story in a better fashion.
Lala Lakshmi: I do not just like this story because it is the Indian story of the lot. I liked it best also because it was a well-done take on the Christmas Carol. It was cute in that sense. I always like redemption arcs and this was a pretty reliable and believable one. We have a rich Sweet Shop owner who has started cutting corners in the name of making more money. The heartlessness obviously becomes clear to him by the end.
A Thank You Would Be Nice: I felt like I have read this type of story before. A disgruntled and slightly older air hostess is taking a form of revenge on ill-mannered people.
The stories may not be completely unique, but the writing is pretty fluid and was a breeze to read. I would definitely recommend the author to others and would pick up another book by her.

This particular collection (another for my short story reads for the year! It has been something of a revelation, with more to come) has six stories, as opposed to the eight in the other collection I have read by the author. Although the stories continue to be based in different countries with some common topics of interest. In this case, it is the emotional bond between people, and not necessarily the romantic kind.

Hair(India) – We are hearing the story of a girl and her relationship with her mother, the overpowering nature of her aunt’s intrusion into their little circle and finally the possible interpretation based purely on emotional recollection. I have found people generally tend to colour their past with the feelings they had, and even real facts do not necessarily shake the foundation. I found it a little abrupt, although well written. (3 stars)

The Fake Rolex(Italy)– This is a dysfunctional relationship built on interdependence. It may not have had the happy ending I desired for it, but the overall twists felt more realistic in their sad narration. (4 stars)

Karolina(USA)- A woman is kind to the people she sees living on the street. It is only when things start to go wrong for her that she reaps the benefit of her earlier almost altruistic actions. (4 stars)

The Purple Ribbon(Mexico) – A documentary film writer is asked to focus on a different ghost and island than he originally planned to. What he finds surprises both him and the person who originally suggests it as well. (3 stars)

A New Place (Scotland) – A woman introspects as she waits beside a hospital bed. It is heart-wrenching in its complication, but the ending helps produce the hope. (4 stars)

La Dolorosa (Spain)- A woman is with a man younger than herself in a field where looks hold a powerful position. Her understanding of relationships is based on the flawed and troubled ones she has seen before hers and this colours the way she examines her own. It is only the final thought process that sets her mind at ease.

The book is short, and this works in its favour, by being easy but satisfying to read. Each chapter is different, and the people become quite real for the brief time we have with them. I would highly recommend this author to anyone looking for a good read. I have been enjoying her writing style a lot.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my reading of this and the author’s previous collections.