Blood Picnic and other stories takes the reader through the weird and wildly entertaining world of author Tony Noland. Each story is short enough to read in a single sitting, yet long enough to establish character interest and depth. The four sections of the book hint at the diverse range within its pages, and Mr. Noland switches between them with a dexterity that’s amazing to behold. From the oddly poetic and beautiful Romeo and Juliet are Dead to the poignant literary story of a persecuted little boy in Shirts and Skins; the horrific Simple Geometry to the super heroic woes of Grey Ghost Gone, the reader will be swept away by each narrative.
I switched between reading this book on my original Nook device and the Nook app on my Android phone, and was pleased with the ease of the transition. All the chapter/short story links worked beautifully; the text was crisp, easy to read, and flowed smoothly. Overall, this was one of my most enjoyable reading experiences. With the small caveat that many tales may not be suitable for younger audiences due to subject matter, I highly recommend this book.
This flash fiction anthology can be purchased for just $2.99 at Smashwords and Amazon. You won’t regret it.
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Catherine Russell also writes book reviews for The Functional Nerds website.
2 comments
Anthony Venutolo
July 1, 2011 at 4:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I know Tony’s work well. Cool review, Catherine… I’ll let you know when my own collection is up and running
admin
July 1, 2011 at 4:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Great! I’d love to read it.