Synopsis:
“What Now?” tells eight short stories of individuals dealing with the unexpected that can seriously impact their life.
Ella Mae: the money she accidentally finds may put her in danger. Jasper: a haircut leads him to consider a new road for his future.
Caroline: a coworker is on a mission to get her fired.
Logan: as high school ends, the devil wind comes to collect his dues.
Tara: her boyfriend reveals a dark side.
Luke: what he’s been hiding hits home.
Lori: her addiction is private until her husband surprises her.
Marshall: diagnosed with a fatal disease, he is torn about his beloved Harley.
The question is: what would you do?
Favorite Lines:
As always with short story collections, rather than a favorite line, I am picking a favorite story. In this case it would have to be “Leaving Glory”. This collection mostly focuses on the dark side of life and I found “Leaving Glory” to bring reprieve to the melancholic tone with much needed lighter notes.
My Opinion:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is a collection of short stories that follow eight individuals and revolves around all things life related. Each story is unique from the last with new characters, new settings, and new challenges but a constant that remains throughout is Harrison fully committing to the perspective of the individual in the story which lends to a fully immersive experience.
Readers will get an inside look into the inner most thoughts and feelings of each character. However, I will warn that most of these stories deal with the characters experiencing issues in their lives that lead them down a path of despair which makes for some pretty dark storytelling at parts but I can appreciate this as a reality of life. Life isn’t always pretty, and there are many individuals who face challenges and dark moments that test them.
Summary:
Overall, I found this to be an interesting but bit depressing read. Harrison has fashioned a creative way to spin stories that shine light on some dark realities and despite being a fictional collection, I don’t doubt that there are those out there where this is their reality. I would recommend to anyone interested in short stories that touch on the darker realities of life related to challenges, change, and what it can mean to be human in today’s society.
Check out What Now? here!