THE SEA CRYSTAL and Other Weird Tales

One of the best things about short stories is how easy they are to get immersed in. You can start from any part of the book, and there's just as much to enjoy. It does, however, take a particular talent to be able to write really vivid story in such a short amount of pages. There is a limited amount of time to build a setting, characters, and just enough tension for a twist. Susan Berliner easily shows that she has the ability to do just that. Her stories in this book vary in tone and content, but they're all rather solidly written and a ton of fun to read! This is a great way to spend a few hours.

I have to say, although I'm partial to the ones that are a bit on the scarier side, every story in this book has its own distinct brand of whimsy or terror. From chilling mirror images, to fairy tale lives, to a world of dark dreams that comes to life, there is so much to explore in Berliner's world. There was a little taste of each kind of story, which really showcased the author's writing ability. The fact that each story, despite the topic, was just as solidly written was really impressive.

In fact, it was wholly impressive that all of the characters were so well written. Despite the short amount of time I had to get to know each of them, I really did feel like I knew just who they were. It was a lot of fun to try to figure out where the twist in each of these stories would be. Honestly, most of the time I was completely wrong about where I thought they were going. Which, of course, made it that much more fun! It's always fantastic to be a little blindsided, especially when the story ends with a moment that makes your jaw drop a bit.

If you're looking for a short story compilation with a little bit of everything, this is one that you need to add to your reading list.