A world too different from what we once knew . . . all we hold onto now is survival.
Memories of the dead remind Annie Page of the world she'd once known. Renegade forces are closing in, seeking to command the little that remains. Yet she refuses to stand by and watch the world crumble.
Her children’s love the driving force behind the choices that she’s made, she’s determined to make their world a better place. Yet their survival comes with a price – one that she never meant to pay.
A native from New Britain, Connecticut, Lissette E. Manning has been writing since she was six-years-old. She spends most of her time placing her thoughts into order and giving life to the stories that are always brewing inside her head.
Lissette enjoys reading, listening to music, playing the occasional video game, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. She’s also a bit of a computer geek.
Her writing genres of choice are science fiction, fantasy, romance, paranormal, short stories, and poetry. Lissette is currently working on several projects, such as Initiation: The Beginning, Forbidden Desires, Closure, The Errant Princess, and many more.
30/6 - I won Stuck in a GR giveaway quite a while ago, but I missed the fact that it was more of a pamphlet than a novel. I find it hard to call this a 'book'. The story is 17 pages long with a page and a bit of acknowledgements at the beginning and seven pages of preview for her new paranormal book Haunted. In my book (which is very long and convoluted) that is unfair to the buying public (not that I'm one of them, but if I was I'd be a bit pissed). If this was a longer book with the same percentage between story and preview, say 270 pages instead of 27 (total number of pages) then the preview would be 70 pages long. There'd be anarchy in the GR streets. A large proportion of pages of preview compared to the actual story is not what the majority of the reading public want, or would accept, especially if they were paying for the book. The story itself was nothing much and I don't really understand why Manning bothered to get it published. I don't really think there's enough content to win her any fans. Maybe it was all a way of getting her Haunted preview out there (not reading or reviewing that, as that's not the book I signed up for). Also, what on earth does the front cover have to do with any part of the story? Nothing. It has nothing to do with what's written inside the cover. At no point in the story did the characters have any time to be gazing dreamily out a window in a camisole or nice dress (hard to tell due to the shadow). This is getting one and a half stars from me due to false advertising, illogical cover, and a pointless plot. It's also going to find a new home via the library.
Every writer tries to get the right hook for their book or short stories. This author nailed it on the first page. Pages fly as you want to know what happens on the other side. Getting this important part of the puzzle in writing a novel is not easy.
The main character of the story is Annie who is experiencing a post apocalyptic world. Just like the one we read and hear about in books and movies. It starts off with Annie making her way out into the chaos, destruction and ruins of her area while trying to find food for her hungry children. While it is dangerous to be out in the open her kids are starving and will die if food is not found.
The story was a quick read but in it the author managed to give out imagery that we could imagine in our head rather vividly. We felt Annie’s pain, frustration heartache as it fell of the page.
Only one complaint, I wanted to read more about Annie and was not ready for it to end when it did. But in hindsight it did finish at the right spot of the story.
A beautiful piece, Stuck is a perfect proof of concept of the work Manning is capable of. The descriptions are beautiful, intentions clear and writing poetic without ever crossing over into self-indulgent. A rare piece of work, this short piece is definitely worth the read. I only had one issue with the plot which was I couldn't understand why Annie's husband didn't go out to forage. She says at one point that he "can't" and that he "wouldn't know what to look for," but the reason for that is never explained. I thought maybe he was handicapped or something, but then at the end it's clear that isn't the case.
Honestly, my biggest issue with Stuck had nothing to do with the piece itself. It's the fact that only 1/3 of the file was the story, the rest was a lead-in to another piece. While I have no problem with authors using one book to promote another, I felt a little jipped that I had expected a piece of a certain length and ended up with something so small it would barely fill a teacup. It was a beautiful, evocative and exceptionally crafted teacup, but still, it's just a teacup.
I would like to read something longer of Manning's. She's obviously quite talented. But I'm very glad I didn't pay for this niblet. In the end, I say download it next time you see it for free, it's worth reading and pick up something else by this author when you want to invest in an ebook.
Stuck is a short story that caught my attention from the first sentence. It follows the main character Annie Page, who through a heartbreaking decision, she finds her life changed forever. You will find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world with enticing imagery to pull you into a shattered world. Annie, having to decide between taking care of her family or starvation, sets out into the ruin of the world and amidst unseen dangers, Annie finds herself in a state that has her losing her grip on the one thing that keeps her going, her family. I found this story riveting. The emotions played out through Annie’s thoughts give you a personal insight into her world and keep you along for a ride of dire consequences. You feel her fear, pain and heartbreak throughout the smooth flow of Lisette’s story telling. Excellent short story, I’m only disappointed that it ended too fast. Once you start, you have to see what happens!
Stuck was a great short novella about a woman trying to provide for her children in an apocalyptic setting. At seventeen pages, it was a quick read. The ending made me sad. It would be horrible to have that happen and not be able to tell anyone. I thought it was definitely worth the time it took to read it. I wish the novella would have been a little longer. I would have liked to know more about Annie's children. I would have also liked to know more about the post apocalyptic world. In the ending of the book, there was a preview for Haunted, the author's newest novel. It sounds really good and I can't wait to read it. I recommend this book for people to read during a bus ride, or some other short trip.
I was very impressed by this short story, not just because of the content but the flow of words and how the author weaves each word seamlessly in a tapestry before my very eyes. While I read I found questions forming in my mind and I could picture this desolate world that she describes very well.
One of the ways I measure a good story is that by the time I reach the end, I'm not wanting it to end and although I'm wanting more, I'm satisfied with what I've been given. This is exactly how I felt when I read the last word.
Lissette E. Manning has just become one of my new favorite authors!
This short story was written with such great detail. The author did a great job making me feel like I was part of the world she created. I wanted to know more and would love it if the story was longer. I had one question about the husband and why he was unable to go out into the dangerous world in his wife's place. Very quick read. Give it a try.
This 'book' is only 17 pages long so I don't feel I can really judge the author's work, however I did enjoy it and I am intrigued to read some longer work by her.
The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I recieved a copy of Stuck as free download from Smashwords.
Annie is a woman who has survived a post apocalyptic world. She is a woman who loves her family more than anything or anyone on earth. She loves them so much that she goes out into a world that has been destroyed. A world where there are not many people left and the ones that are left may kill her. She has to find food for them or they will not survive.
Stuck is a very short story that doesn't take long to read. A story that is about a mother's love for her children. A story that you want to keep reading, you want to keep turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. You could just feel Annie's energy, feel how much she loved and cared for her family. Lissette E. Manning described the destruction of the world in such a way that you could actually picture it in your mind. It felt as if you had esp.
This short storie was very well written. I was hooked in the first few lines. Mannings use of description was fantastic, using just about every sense to decribe Annie's world and how she reacts to its horrors. Annie is a strong heroine, although I did think she may have given up to easily in the end. I do think that 'Stuck' would have made a fantastic novella, spanning over a longer time span. Overall it was a great short storie.
(I recieved this for free through a 'Goodreads Firt Reads' giveaway)
Manning is a talented writer and I liked the description which she used. I wish that the story line had been a bit more developed.The story made me think about how quickly life can change!
I also enjoyed the excerpt for her book called, "Haunted." I won this book from the goodreads First Reads giveaway. Thank you!
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.
This was a great short story about a woman trying to provide for her children in a world very different from what we know. The writing was beautiful and I really enjoyed reading this. The ending is sad, as she is, like the title suggests, Stuck.
Creepy and sad. This story didn't explain itself enough. I was frustrated by the whole thing. Especially then ending. But it was not terrible. Only takes a sec to read.