Review by CJ

Page count:
432

Format:
Hardcover

ISBN:
9780062663115 

 

A collection of four short novels with different themes spanning genres that are all tied together by featuring bizarre weather occurrences.

Snapshot

A young boy tasked with caring for an elderly woman who used to care for him has a supernatural encounter with a man whose camera creates photos from the memories it erases.

An intriguing concept with the most traditionally horror aspect of the four. Snapshot is a great start to the collection.

Loaded

A mall security guard is applauded for his role in stopping a mass shooting. But the higher the media raise his pedestal, the farther he has to fall when the truth comes out.

Loaded was my favourite story of the collection. It’s a confronting and powerful look at gun violence with an ending that is devastating and all too real.

Aloft

The story of a man who goes skydiving, but instead of floating down to Earth, he lands on a UFO that attempts to grant his every wish.

This one was my least favourite of the collection, but Aloft is still a good read. An interesting take on the concept of a shipwrecked survivor on a desert island.

Rain

A young woman’s world is torn apart, literally, when the sky opens up and releases a rain of crystal needles instead of water.

This story has some really great twists. The main character is one of my favourites from the collection, sharing top spot with the reporter in Loaded.

Strange Weather Overall

The characters in all of Strange Weather’s short novels are well written with depth and and personalities that feel real. That’s not to say they’re all likeable, but I don’t know anyone who likes everyone. The villains and heroes alike feel like living, breathing people.

All of the tales are written with Hill’s no-nonsense approach to storytelling. The stories move at an addictive pace that never lets them feel overlong.

If you enjoyed collections of stories that are concise, deep and varied then look no further than Strange Weather. But don’t forget your steel umbrella.

Rating: