More Unfairy Tales by TF Carthick- Book Review

Who doesn’t love fairy tales? The popularity of these age-old tales is evident in the numerous retellings that are being read, appreciated, and bashed all over the world. From high fantasy to erotica to horror, writers retold the tales in various genres.

More Unfairy Tales is no different. Yet, it is super fun and interesting. Five of the famous fairy tales have been turned into ‘unfairy’ tales. Now, it doesn’t mean there are no fairies. The title has been selected with a deeper meaning. These tales show how life can be unfair, and we can do nothing much about it. Or, maybe we can do something. But the course of action we decide finalizes our fate and others.

Don’t jump to conclusions and call this a serious book. I did say it was fun, didn’t I? The stories happen to have an underlying hint of how a single thought and action can cause a huge impact. The writing suits the genre and with subtle humor and mild satire that highlights particular traits of the characters. This adds multiple layers to the unidimensional original witches, fairies, and princesses.

While we see the Point of View of the dwarfs about Snow White, we also see how humans can be stupid, vain, and dangerous.

Have you ever thought why the witch turned the Prince into a Beast? Did you wonder what would have happened if the Beauty said no to the Beast? Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore.

What if Little Red Riding Hood found out that grandma was indeed a wolf? What if the villagers actually hated her because of her red hair?

Did anybody bother to see the evil witch from her perspective in Rapunzel? Why can’t a witch be a good mother? Maybe, she can. Maybe, she is.

Was there a single thing the elves did that did not create a mess? Nope, we know. It’s the same thing all over again. They never seem to learn, do they? To be (un) fair, if they did learn, we wouldn’t have these stories to read.

Overall, more Unfairy Tales is a clean, engaging, and humorous read. Kids, teens, and adults can read and enjoy the book.

I received the book as a gift for winning 'Not a Fairy Tale' contest hosted by Beyond the Box. 

Death at Midnight by Manoj Paprikar- Book Review

Death At Midnight by Manoj Paprikar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*4.5 stars*

Death at Midnight is a small, yet packed thriller that deals with the psychology of people. It's not a psychopath thriller. I'm done with those for a while. This book is about the people around us. The kind we know, see on the telly, or gossip about. I'm going to try and avoid spoilers, so the review will be a bit vague.

One theme that stands out is the pressure on doctors to save a life and the repercussions they face when things go out of their hands. We've seen many instances in the news about families destroying hospitals because their dear ones weren't saved. People are always ready to destroy things that don't belong to them.

Many times, as audiences, we wonder and pass judgment on either party with little or no information. But do we really know what had happened? Do we know what each of them, on either side goes through? No.

This book deals with how one decision, one incident, and one action change the lives of the people connected to it. The writing is neat, clean, and straightforward. You won't find any drama, and that makes this book a hit in my view. When the reader is left to feel the pain of the characters in a simple and no-nonsense manner, it creates more impact.

Visualizing the characters is easy. I could see each one of them talk, move, cry, and think as I read page after page. The first few chapters deal with introducing the characters and establishing their traits. By the time the story is at a high point, we know how they'll react. The author doesn't plan any surprises to throw us off balance. Another plus.

So is there anything I wanted more from the book? Yes. One character I thought would play a prominent role wasn't utilized to her full potential. I wished she was more involved during the later stages of the story. It doesn't take anything away from the story, though.

The ending is positive, assertive, hopeful, and leaves you feeling satisfied. Exactly, the kind of books I like to read. Considering that the author is a doctor himself, it's not surprising that he handled the theme with ease. I finished the book in less than 2 hours.

View all my reviews

If you are looking for a quick weekend read that'll make you think, Death at Midnight by Manoj Paprikar is your book.

Grab your copy here: https://artoonsinn.com/product/death-at-midnight/

Nothing Has Changed

Source: Pixabay. 

She sat, limbs frozen in the serene snow

Words broke her once and for all

Nothing changed, life stood still.