strangely: A Collection of Short Stories

by Francisco a Ojeda

Francisco A. Ojeda brings you strange stories depicting psychology, horror, terror, human frailties and strengths, and even the possibilities of who we are for your consideration. Racing against time to understand what we see and hear, reacting to what we think, know, and believe, or trying to realize what is hiding all around us, each story has plenty of strangeness to think about.

144 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Chara Cinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all the types of thriller that makes a really good collection of stories! Williams is a psychological thriller, Jazmine is a mystery thriller, I don’t know what kind of thriller Simon is but it left me this off putting feeling and I don’t understand why. I think it’s a good story, but it makes you question yourself and the entire human race. I can’t decide if I like Simon or if I’m afraid to admit that I don’t. I’m confused. Anyway, Vegan was a good horror thriller, and A Far Cry in the Night was an action thriller. This book is definitely for all readers who love thriller short stories. 5/5 stars!

[Nicole Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since it’s hard to pick a favorite from this beautiful and thrilling collection of short stories by Francisco Ojeda, I’ll just give it a perfect overall rating of 5 twinkling stars. Every story has its unique vibe, all were highly imaginative and very entertaining, the characters were all compelling, and the plot and plot twists were intriguing. The entire book was stimulating! It made me analyze, revisit my values, and be grateful that I have a normal life. It would’ve been very difficult to be any of the characters in this anthology. The author did great in evoking a myriad of emotions and values through this book. Highly recommended!

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t pick a favorite story! I haven’t read a good collection of short stories in a while and this one was really good! I read it in one sitting! Or maybe three because of the times I needed to get to the loo but seriously, these stories are very entertaining! I thought Williams was the best, then I read Jazmine, then the next and the next one until I couldn’t decide which one I love the most. Let’s just say it’s all of them! Will definitely recommend this to readers who love short stories.

[Elisca Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Simon, I honestly had to think about what kind of person I am. Like if I’m the type who would pity a mass murderer when it’s dead. See that? I even referred to the murderer as “it” instead of “him.” I guess I can’t be like Simon at all. He is one in a million. All the stories in this short story collection made me think a lot while being highly entertained by the eerie tone and suspenseful flow. 5 out of 5 stars for me!

[Joseph Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, all these short stories put me on the edge of my seat! I think A Far Cry in the Night is my favorite because it’s an action thriller and that’s my fave kind of thriller genre. I enjoyed reading all, but A Far Cry was the most exciting for me. I think it’s the most intense story in terms of conflict, plot twist, flow, and setting. Loved how Dora just kept fighting for her life! It was so entertaining! I was just sitting while reading it, but I had all this adrenaline rush going on!

[Shey Saints · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mysterious voice, an unknown creature, a notorious mass murderer, history repeating itself, and thugs claiming lives for unpaid dues. Strangely: A Collection of Short Stories by Francisco Ojeda depicts mysterious happenings in this thrilling short story anthology. Every story has the same mysterious tone that put me on the edge of my seat, yet each story showcases a different kind of charm.

Williams, the first story, is a psychological thriller. It instantly set my mood as the character battled with schizophrenia. It’s the kind of story that I’d love to see in the big screen because of how flawlessly the flawed character was portrayed, showing symptoms of a chronic brain disorder.

Jazmine, the second story, is a mystery thriller. The main characters, a boy and a dog, gave this story an adorable charm. The kind of innocent bravery that could’ve ended up a disaster as they approached imminent danger because of an unknown creature.

Simon, the third story, is a drama thriller that inculcates humanity towards the inhumane. It’s one that made me question myself, of how I strongly didn’t want to give even a bit of sympathy towards a mass murderer, for I didn’t feel that such human can be referred to as human. This story is the kind that would spark a debate relating to human values and mythology, so if I were to recommend a short story that could be discussed in a book club, it would be Simon.

Vegan, the fourth story, is a horror thriller depicting events that led to history repeating itself. It’s my second favorite next to Williams based on the intensity level of its conflict and climax.

The fifth and last story, A Far Cry in the Night, is an action thriller. It’s my 3rd favorite short story which is again based on the intensity level of its conflict and climax. It’s also something that I want to see in the big screen because of its chase scenes. The well-depicted setting and action scenes where Dora continuously fights for her life through a grueling and nonstop attempt to escape from thugs made this such an entertaining read.

Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars for its unique style of writing and for its peculiarity. Each story was intriguing, all characters were fascinating, the setting and narrative were well depicted, and there were no dull moments. I’ve had fun reading this very entertaining collection of short stories and I highly recommend it to readers who are into all types of thriller.

[Bulletproof Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that was a quick read! I think it was more or less three hours. I read it in just one day! This book is something that’s good to read in situations where there’s a wait time. Like at the bank while waiting for your turn, or at the grocery store while waiting in line. It’s a good read to pass the time because I barely realized the time was passing then I was shocked that I actually finished it in a day! My fave is Vegan. That was really something! I was actually quite scared. I know I get scared easily but Vegan was very suspenseful. Or actually, all the stories are eerie and suspenseful but the reason I liked Vegan the most is because it’s the kind of thriller that I love to read. Something that involves a family and a very difficult situation. I highly recommend this collection of stories to all readers!

[Harmonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nice that the author already described what I was in for. I mean, not that he gave a spoiler through the preface but that he explained what the stories are about, why he wrote them, and what he thinks about them. True enough, the stories made me think and scrutinize, especially with Williams. It’s the first story in this collection of short stories and it stuck with me. I think it’s the best one and my fave because it talks about schizophrenia. It’s a very good depiction of a man with different personas. The other short stories are great too and I would most definitely recommend this book to all short story readers.

[Jiminie Mochi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon made me question myself a lot. I would never be a Simon ‘cause I would never treat a very bad person humanely. In fact, I would ignore that person like it doesn’t exist because when a person kills people, that rips that person of the right to call himself human. Any cruel acts against humans make that person inhumane, so I wouldn’t ever consider doing anything nice for someone evil like that. That being said, I don’t like the short story Simon, but I love all the other short stories in this collection. If I were to rank them from what I like the most, it would be (1) Williams, (2) Vegan, (3) Jazmine, (4) A Far Cry in the Night, and that’s it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories where animals are involved so my most favorite is Jazmine. My second fave is Williams. All the stories were great and well-depicted, so I think for readers, it’s just a matter of preference. Williams will be loved by readers who love psychological thriller, Jazmine is for readers like me, Simon will make you think a lot about your own values, Vegan and A Far Cry in the Night are very entertaining. Highly recommend this anthology to all!

[Lee Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting! The title itself already got me excited to read it and I couldn’t put the book down once I started! The author did well in starting the book with Williams because I think that’s the best one. All the stories were really good! All were well depicted with a mysterious and suspenseful tone. It’s nice to read a great collection of short stories. I haven’t done that in a long time. 5/5 stars and highly recommended!

[Lala Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

All these stories made me think! Especially Williams and Simon! Williams is very eerie and a character-driven story that really described a person with a mental disorder. Simon is something that made me rethink about my own values in life. Both are my fave but the rest of the short stories in this collection were actually good. I’ve had a very intriguing and enjoyable reading experience with this book. Highly recommended!

[Ruth Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this, I want to read all other books by Francisco Ojeda! He is such a detail-oriented writer and this collection of short stories is a great example of “show vs tell.” Loved the well-detailed surroundings, characters, gestures, and the identifiable dialogues. Also love the mysterious feel that each story gives. I can’t pick a favorite because they’re all so good and each story has its own charm. Will definitely recommend this to friends and colleagues!

[Charlie Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only have cats, but I like dogs too and Jazmine was a very intriguing story. I think all the stories in this collection were very intriguing, but Jazmine is my fave. The author has a knack for writing compelling stories. And what’s more impressive is that he said he hasn’t written short stories like this and wanted to try it. Well, he did very well!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome anthology! There was never a dull moment in reading this collection of short stories. If anything, it was hard to put down, what with all the mysterious things happening and the creepy tone. My fave are Williams and A Far Cry in the Night because I really didn’t see what was coming. 5/5 for this book!