Short Stories & Drabbles: Collection 1 by R.E. Shambrook

Gore, Violence and blood-soaked revenge

This collection is filled with violence, revenge and blood-soaked goodness. I have to admit for someone who self-edited the stories, he did a really great job. I can’t edit for sausage, so I was very jealous of how well he did. I enjoyed the note before each story; these little notes from the author help you get inside their head as a reader. I love these personal looks into the details behind the process of how he created the story. Make a wish was an intense revenge story, with an awesome twist. He leads you to believe this 15-year-old boy would wish for something ordinary. We don’t get that. Instead, we get to see a very sadistic side of Teddy that’s very unexpected. Delving into his mind and seeing his revenge fantasy was scary but also intriguing. It makes you question the human psyche and wonder what a person is truly capable of when they are put at death’s door. I’ve never had a chance to look into Pentadrabbles, so this was my first experience of one. I enjoyed it because, as a victim of bullying I really related to the character, and we all know Jake. For a drabble, it was intense and well planned for a short story filled with rage. Twisted Cricket is both an interesting and again amazing look at human obsession. Looking at the lengths groupies will go to meet their idols and how meeting your heroes can’t always be a good thing. How young impressionable minds can be twisted and manipulated. The whole collection takes a deep look into the human mind how far a person can be pushed before they finally snap. My favourite has to be The Day in The Life; this spoke to me as someone with similar mental health issues. To hear someone else take on anxiety was both relatable and heartbreaking. We all have our demons, and to listen to the author’s take on each subject matter was both revealing and relatable in certain aspects. I love how well crafted the stories were for short tales, he really knew how to pack a punch. The detail put into the assaults and kills makes you both uncomfortable but intrigued by the character’s thought patterns in individual stories. The last story has a level of vulnerability and explores mental health issues in everyday life. I connected with that story the most, and believe the writing style and structure pulls you in. Shambrook has a way of making you read between the lines and is a very intense read. The trigger warning at the beginning of the book is very considerate of the author, and shows he has a lot of consideration for his readers.