Title: Twisted Tales
Author: AadritaSrivastava
Genre/Subgenre: short story

Blurb:
This is a book of short stories. According to the title, all will twist like a hurricane, grasping everything in, and all will involve a gripping storyline, grasping the readers' attention. Suspense is the main theme, but the stories may include some comedy and adventure too.
Most of them are one-part stories, though some are two, or three part too.

All suggestions and requests are welcome! If you want me to write on a specific topic, then I will do so too.

I hope you guys will enjoy reading!

Reviewer: 🌹Siluri

Review:

Title: 3/5
The alliteration is fun and creative, and I like that it suggests the idea of plot twists in the short stories. However, "twisted" could also suggest horror or thriller genres instead, which might be confusing for potential readers.

Cover: 3/5
The color scheme is nice and mysterious, but the topmost tagline is a little difficult to read in that color and font. I suggest limiting it to one tagline, and I think the one beneath the title is sufficient in serving as a hint of what's to come inside the book.

Blurb: 2/5
I suggest offering a small description of each short story inside the book or even mentioning the premise because it's difficult to convince someone to try the story when they're going in blind. I do like that the second line explains the meaning of the title!

Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar, and Vocabulary: 9/15
There were a few hiccups in the grammar and punctuation that detracted from the stories. The prolific use of italics in dialogue was also distracting, and I would suggest easing up on the bolding as well.

World-building and Descriptions: 9/10
There are some particular descriptive phrases that stood out to me as very original and entirely appropriate for the scene. The descriptions feel full enough to satiate but simultaneously whet my appetite for more, and I think this is one of the strongest qualities in the prose. The world-building is a little lacking, but this is likely due to how short the stories are. They're well-developed, but I could definitely go for a little more (like sensory or environmental details to flesh out the world).

Character Development: 17/20
Some of the characters felt oddly flat, and I think this is related to the pacing because the reader simply isn't allowed the time to spend with the characters. They're still quite interesting regardless, but I think there's still potential to flesh out the characters further.

Plot Development/Pacing/Chapter Structure: 15/20
The pacing of the stories are very quick. I couldn't feel the passing of time because of how light the narration was, and I suggest slowing down, even briefly, to linger on a scene and let the reader immerse themself in the story alongside the character.

Originality: 9/10
All three stories were unique and fun!

Enjoyment/Hook: 10/10
The short stories are as advertised: "unexpected direction, unexpected thrill." I definitely enjoyed all of them and was hooked from the start.

Total: 77/100

Overall Impressions:
I had a lot of fun reading these short stories! The plot twists are certainly interesting and are something to look forward to in each chapter. I also like the variety of plotlines and themes; it makes the reading feel fresh and keeps the twists from getting predictable as they tend to if you stick to one genre. Overall, I recommend checking it out since it's a quick and fun read.

Detailed Impressions:

In the Blink of an Eye
This short story had a fascinating concept! I can't say much without spoiling it, but even though I guessed at the twist, it still was enjoyable to read. This one felt a little jarring, almost as if it was composed of several different vignettes glued together because the scenes were short and changed so rapidly. However, the characters—especially the main ones—were quite fun and interesting!

The Consuming Curse (Part-1)
I enjoyed this short story the most out of the three! The suspense was palpable from the get-go, and my growing curiosity made me breeze through this chapter as mystery upon mystery kept popping up. The cliffhanger at the end felt well-timed, an appropriate length of text and place in the narrative to end the chapter while leaving room to continue from.

Layers and Boundaries
The conclusion of this short story was immensely satisfying. I think the beginning was a bit rocky and unrealistic and it broke the immersion for me, which was hard to return to. I was, however, caught by surprise because the explanation of the twist at the end was something I didn't anticipate. The development of character relationship was also unique to this story.