Braid: Three Twisted Stories

by S.G. Redling

Three deliciously twisted tales of darkness.Three very different short stories take the reader on a trip through shadows and madness. In ‘Cora Lee is Stupid’ a young girl takes vengeance on an abusive older sister. In ‘Dead Weight’ three bank robbers get more than they bargained for during their getaway. In ‘Rosetta Stone’ a bitter young man comes face to face with the end of the world.

Genres: Fiction

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

S.G. Redling, a graduate of Georgetown University, has spent fifteen years waking up the good folks of Huntington WV and its environs on the WKEE-FM morning radio show. She recently wound up her headphones for the last time and is focusing on thrillers, mysteries and urban fantasy. When S.G. isn't writing, she loves to paint, travel and embarrass herself by speaking wretched Italian.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Dark and Twisted Stories.

This book of short stories will take the average reader about 30/40 minutes to read. The first story is predictable. The first and second stories are very short but the third story is a bit longer and I enjoyed the last one more. Overall a good read.

[Micah Brunty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best last line in a book I have ever read.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if it was worth the price tag, but I'll admit to liking it all the same.

1. Cora Lee is Stupid. Short and creepy, sneaks up on you. 5/5

2. Dead Weight. Short and a tad predictable. 3/5

3. Rosetta Stone. Love. This is the closest in tone to Flowertown, and features a plot near and dear to my heart, virus apocalypse. It's snarky and self-aware, lamp-shading in the best of ways, and still tapping one of humanity's most enduring traits. 5/5.

I take that back. I'd probably pay $2 read Rosetta Stone and a fifty cents for Cora Lee, so if it's not completely worth it, it's close. :)

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book a bit more than I did. I liked the author's other work (Flowertown), especially for the character development and dialogue.

Given that I am a problem-solver by nature, I wasn't surprised by the endings of two stories ... I'd already guessed them by the clues planted in the story. But one of them did play out differently than anticipated.

With another author, I'd perhaps give 3 stars, but I am hoping this author continues to build on her excellent work. I consider this collection part of the writing process.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drei Kurzgschichten, gut geschrieben, aber dann nicht ganz so überraschend wie vielleicht von der Autorin intendiert.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very very short stories. Whole book took maybe 30 minutes to read, if that.. These stories are for much younger readers and the endings were pretty much predictable.

[Daphelba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just finished Flowertown, Kindle recommended other books by this author. Braid was 99¢ and short and therefore pretty appealing for a check on good-writing-consistency.

These stories were very short. The first one was predictable, but I agree that the end does sneak up on you. Cora Lee is stupid almost read as a quick-writing assignment for a workshop. It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the word, but it wasn't long enough to allow any strong feelings of attachment to form.

The middle story was also very short, and did not interest me. Perhaps with no time to invest in characters, i just don't latch on to a storyline.

The final story was longer and better than the others. This author is good at capturing devastation and bleakness and releasing it all over the page. But like with Flowertown I was hoping for a particular twist that never showed.

From what I've read, S. G. Redling is an author to watch. I'll happily check out more of her work in the future, but I might steer clear of her short stories, which in my opinion do not showcase her real talent and that is character writing.

[Jennifer Meierotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good short read that takes under an hour for all three stories. The first story, Cora Lee is Stupid, was my favorite of the three. I actually read it twice. The second story had a few typographical errors, but had an interesting twist at the end. The final story was about a mass infection and subsequent isolation of those not infected. It is a good narrative from the view of someone who is somewhat an outcast in the isolation area. I like SG Redling's writing style and I have yet to be disappointed by one of her stories. I used this to kill some time while in a waiting room. Worth it.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three short stories, in order of interest and quality. The final story is worth the price of admission: "Rosetta Stone" starts inside the bunker at the end of the world, with a bunch of irritating strangers...but not so many as before.

[M. Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three twisted tales...indeed. Short, and they make you think!! Enjoy when you have a few minutes!

[ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

They were good stories. I read them and liked them so, I had my 17 year old who doesn't like to read read them and she liked them as well.

[doris garritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

this is Great short read. I would recommend this short ,concise group of stories to any Poe aficionado.Wish there were more. Don't read after dark

[Susan Crowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1- 5*s
#2- 4*s
#3- 1* (couldn't finish)