Twisted Tales and Turns-Smita Das Jain

Book: Twisted Tales and Turns
Author: Smita Das Jain
Publisher: Readomania

I was provided an Advanced Reader’s Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think twists add a good flavour to short stories?

What if reality was a carefully crafted illusion, and every truth you thought you knew was a mirage? Get ready to experience a roller coaster of emotions. Just when you think you have it figured out, the unexpected will leap at you from a page, leaving you stunned and breathless. A daughter waiting for her father to return from war. An artist struggling to create a masterpiece. A scientist having her own definition of a better world. A friend who loves without being loved back. A man who has eyes only for another woman on his wedding night. Twisted Tales and Turns is a captivating collection of short stories where nothing is as it seems. Are you prepared for the buried truths and shocking revelations that lurk beneath the surface?

There are very few short story collections that keep you hooked so much that you keep turning the pages, one story after the other. Smita’s book manages to do this with each story that this book has. Divided into 4 sections with 5 stories each, the author explores 4 distinct genres through her stories. Switching comfortably from paranormal to science fiction to melancholy and finally to love, Smita’s stories touch the various emotions that a person feels. What I loved about the book were the twists that are a part of each tale and how they are presented to you at the most unexpected moments. Keeping the stories crisp, yet delivering the message she wants to send across is truly the mark of a good storyteller and that is what we get in the book. The storytelling is simple and effective and keeps you wanting more as you move ahead. One thing that stands out about the book is the fact that Smita has used contemporary themes in her stories touching base with some of the very crucial questions that we are facing today as well as exploring some important subjects as well.

My favorites from the book would be “The Figure in the Charpoy”, “Guided Missiles, Misguided Men”, “My Knight in White” and “The Wedding Dance”. These stories stood out for me because of the emotions each of them bring out and how Smita presents a commentary on the present times through these, specially with “Guided Missiles, Misguided Men” and how fact, fiction and fantasy can blend together to weave such a wonderful story.

A highly recommended read which gives you a taste of various ways in which a story can go. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me!

Get a copy of the book on Amazon or your nearest bookstore!