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When Disconnected
What connects you to reality, culture, time, and yourself?
This eclectic collection of eight short stories explores disconnect across an interesting range of scenerios and genres. These "tales to tug at the readers' hearts and broaden their minds" will give you a glimpse "under the surface of normality".
This eclectic collection of eight short stories explores disconnect across an interesting range of scenerios and genres. These "tales to tug at the readers' hearts and broaden their minds" will give you a glimpse "under the surface of normality".
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2015
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Christine Jayne Vann
8 books55 followersChristine Jayne Vann was born in the Outer Hebrides and is a multi-genre author.
Christine works as a web developer, and lives in Oxfordshire with her family, hedgehog and various squirrels. She runs the exotic pet resource website Crittery, and also enjoys geocaching.
Christine works as a web developer, and lives in Oxfordshire with her family, hedgehog and various squirrels. She runs the exotic pet resource website Crittery, and also enjoys geocaching.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 30, 2015
An interesting collection of poetry and stories that make you feel like you're in a dream-like state. This is exactly how I felt when watching the movie Spirited Away. I think certain books need a re-read and this is certainly one of them, because the work created here is multi-layered, you will literally need to read between the lines. Recommended.
May 3, 2015
I took this short story collection on a long journey with me this weekend, and it seemed entirely fitting, especially when sitting on a train reading ‘Timely Journey’ - one of my personal favourites, which had me absolutely gripped, and afterwards left me uneasily pondering. This was perhaps for me one of the most original in a collection of quite unique stories. The early stories are quite lyrical and self-focused, and although skilfully drawn, I found them less absorbing than the depiction of the lone character’s struggle to survive in the post-apocalyptic world in ‘Left for Dust’, for instance, and the strangely moving essay on grief in ‘Shaded’. There are recognisable themes in this cross-genre collection: alienation, personal survival, the quest to connect – and the reason for the choice of title is made abundantly clear. I was at times moved, horrified, shocked, and forced into self-reflection. This gifted and imaginative author is intent on exploring the extremes of human emotion, showing us what we are made of, under the surface of normality. I would like to see more of her work.
June 23, 2015
I'm not usually a fan of short stories, because by the time you've really immersed yourself in the plot and characters, it's over. I wasn't sure what I was going to get with "When Disconnected," but there were parts that I enjoyed very much.
Most of the stories are light on dialogue, using visual imagery to pain worlds as varied and disparate as a dystopian wasteland, an alien world, a commuter train or a school field trip. Christine Vann does an excellent job painting these portraits, telling stories that tug at the readers' hearts and broaden their minds.
Though I did find some of the stories a little befuddling (but that's on me), I really enjoyed "Shaded," "Startorn," "Timely Journey," and "Mingle." My favorite was definitely "Left For Dust."
I would recommend When Disconnected for fans of short stories.
Most of the stories are light on dialogue, using visual imagery to pain worlds as varied and disparate as a dystopian wasteland, an alien world, a commuter train or a school field trip. Christine Vann does an excellent job painting these portraits, telling stories that tug at the readers' hearts and broaden their minds.
Though I did find some of the stories a little befuddling (but that's on me), I really enjoyed "Shaded," "Startorn," "Timely Journey," and "Mingle." My favorite was definitely "Left For Dust."
I would recommend When Disconnected for fans of short stories.
April 26, 2015
‘When Disconnected’ by Christine Vann is a unique collection of short stories that really get the reader thinking.
I have never really read short stories before, but I found this collection compelling. Whilst they span several different genres, they each present a fascinating look at human reactions to startling scenarios. After each one, I found myself pausing to think, ‘what would I do, if it were me?’ These are stories which prompt daydreams and musings.
The collection begins with ‘Emotion’, an original exploration of the personification of inner demons. This contrasts sharply with the fairy tale-like atmosphere in ‘Shill and Shadows’ (one of my favourite). From there, the author explores the challenge of survival in a post-apocalyptic world in ‘Left for Dust’, with graphic descriptions of Harren’s struggle to find life. ‘Shaded’ – another personal favourite – touches on the paranormal to look at how we deal with grief. Next, ‘Affinities’ is a coming of age story, following Kainen’s attempts to fit in and find his place in life. ‘Timely Journey’ was the one that made think the most. The characters in this short story find themselves in a unique position and realise that one person’s dream could be another person’s nightmare. The premise is completely original and had me pondering my own response to such a situation for quite a while. ‘Mingle’ touches again on the theme of ‘fitting in’ with a modern school setting, and finally, ‘Startorn’ has more of a sci-fi feel, but is still rooted in human responses and human emotions.
Overall, this is an extremely intelligent collection which has something to appeal to everyone. Read it when you have a little time to stop and reflect.
I have never really read short stories before, but I found this collection compelling. Whilst they span several different genres, they each present a fascinating look at human reactions to startling scenarios. After each one, I found myself pausing to think, ‘what would I do, if it were me?’ These are stories which prompt daydreams and musings.
The collection begins with ‘Emotion’, an original exploration of the personification of inner demons. This contrasts sharply with the fairy tale-like atmosphere in ‘Shill and Shadows’ (one of my favourite). From there, the author explores the challenge of survival in a post-apocalyptic world in ‘Left for Dust’, with graphic descriptions of Harren’s struggle to find life. ‘Shaded’ – another personal favourite – touches on the paranormal to look at how we deal with grief. Next, ‘Affinities’ is a coming of age story, following Kainen’s attempts to fit in and find his place in life. ‘Timely Journey’ was the one that made think the most. The characters in this short story find themselves in a unique position and realise that one person’s dream could be another person’s nightmare. The premise is completely original and had me pondering my own response to such a situation for quite a while. ‘Mingle’ touches again on the theme of ‘fitting in’ with a modern school setting, and finally, ‘Startorn’ has more of a sci-fi feel, but is still rooted in human responses and human emotions.
Overall, this is an extremely intelligent collection which has something to appeal to everyone. Read it when you have a little time to stop and reflect.
April 27, 2015
Christine Vann’s When Disconnected explores the emotional landscape of humanity at its extremes and in its essentials. This is the work of a talented author who employs a balanced style, and careful use of perspective in each story to evoke in the reader both a personal reaction and raise perceptual questions. The challenge this work faces is category. Authors who explore the human landscape in this manner are often placed in speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction and literature. Often to the detriment of the author and their work. For those who enjoy the works of Franz Kafka or Haruki Murakami, this is a good choice for a shorter read that shares common elements with those author’s works. I look forward to seeing what this author will do in a longer work.
May 13, 2015
Highly recommend to readers who enjoy literary fiction in bite sized pieces.
I often struggle to rate short story collections for 2 reasons, a, the quality varies and b, I often feel I want more depth. Neither applied in these stories, the quality of each story is high (no fillers here) and within each story the author touched a deep nerve of human nature. The collection runs smoothly and each story complements the others.
Thoughts that ran through my mind when reading - unique, imaginative, passionate, intense and at times quite dark. The stories touched on many emotions but I felt feelings of anger and regret were very strong.
Very well written, a little dark and heavy for my taste but thought provoking and interesting.
I often struggle to rate short story collections for 2 reasons, a, the quality varies and b, I often feel I want more depth. Neither applied in these stories, the quality of each story is high (no fillers here) and within each story the author touched a deep nerve of human nature. The collection runs smoothly and each story complements the others.
Thoughts that ran through my mind when reading - unique, imaginative, passionate, intense and at times quite dark. The stories touched on many emotions but I felt feelings of anger and regret were very strong.
Very well written, a little dark and heavy for my taste but thought provoking and interesting.
May 5, 2015
Rhoda D'Ettore's Reviews - I borrowed this on Kindle Unlimited.
Hold on to your kindle as you take a journey through various tales, each unique in story and message. This short story collection has something to entertain everyone, and will push the boundaries of your imagination. From a forest of shadows to a passenger train, the settings are diverse.As one reviewer rightly described Shill and Shadows to portray a fairy tale like quality, I found Timely Journey to be a homage to Twilight Zone and stories of that nature. Although some stories are fantasy, it is easy to relate to the characters and situations which gives the stories and the author a great deal of credibility.
The style, descriptions and dialogue are well written and realistic. The great thing about such a collection is that if one story line is not for you, there are plenty more in which to immerse yourself. This book is indeed short, as another reviewer stated, however, it gives us a sampling of what is to come from a promising new author. It is also a great choice for those who may commute or travel, as the pages will fly by quickly.So turn off your computer and check out "When Disconnected" for yourself today.
Hold on to your kindle as you take a journey through various tales, each unique in story and message. This short story collection has something to entertain everyone, and will push the boundaries of your imagination. From a forest of shadows to a passenger train, the settings are diverse.As one reviewer rightly described Shill and Shadows to portray a fairy tale like quality, I found Timely Journey to be a homage to Twilight Zone and stories of that nature. Although some stories are fantasy, it is easy to relate to the characters and situations which gives the stories and the author a great deal of credibility.
The style, descriptions and dialogue are well written and realistic. The great thing about such a collection is that if one story line is not for you, there are plenty more in which to immerse yourself. This book is indeed short, as another reviewer stated, however, it gives us a sampling of what is to come from a promising new author. It is also a great choice for those who may commute or travel, as the pages will fly by quickly.So turn off your computer and check out "When Disconnected" for yourself today.
August 20, 2015
Most of these tales take place in a mildly fantastical universe, although a couple keep their feet on the ground for a more ‘normal’ feel. One story has some odd sort of aliens. Another involves a sort of end of the world scenario seen through the eyes of a woman who has outlived her peers. There’s a method of not quite time traveling that de-ages a small group of people. There’s also a mostly normal school field trip that ends in an oddly bizarre way–it felt a little out of place to me.
When Disconnected is a thoughtful collection of tales. I think anyone who’s felt disconnected from their peers or their families will find something in here to relate to. These are relatively short stories, often a small enclosed tale or a slice of life. The book has an introspective tone to it, which worked for me. I found one story ending to be a bit confusing, but I think maybe it was supposed to be confusing. I think. Possibly.
When Disconnected doesn’t take a lot of time to read, but it did succeed in drawing me into those short tales.
For a longer review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/08/r...
When Disconnected is a thoughtful collection of tales. I think anyone who’s felt disconnected from their peers or their families will find something in here to relate to. These are relatively short stories, often a small enclosed tale or a slice of life. The book has an introspective tone to it, which worked for me. I found one story ending to be a bit confusing, but I think maybe it was supposed to be confusing. I think. Possibly.
When Disconnected doesn’t take a lot of time to read, but it did succeed in drawing me into those short tales.
For a longer review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/08/r...
June 4, 2015
Disconnected is an excellent title for this collection of short stories, which has been written in a series of different genres. There is a common theme of alienation, but in an interesting variety of settings; A boy not quite fitting in at school, a girl trying to survive in an hostile environment or a woman looking for her cat in the wonderfully Gothic ‘Shill and Shadows’. The author has used a number of different genres like futurism, realism and quite dream like narrative, but they all feel like they belong together because of Ms. Vann’s atmospheric story telling. At times disconcerting and maybe a little scary, I was totally griped by the stories and read it in a few sessions. Highly recommended, if you like your stories a bit more challenging.
May 3, 2015
Each story has its own voice and spins its own yarn. Each story is well written and imaginative. Somehow each story felt connected to the next, which is odd taking the book’s title into consideration.
When Disconnected is a wonderful collection of short stories that does a great job delving deep into the human psyche. My biggest complain about this book is that it was a little too short. I would have loved to read more of these thought-provoking stories, but it’s definitely a great read for a rainy afternoon, to go with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
When Disconnected is a wonderful collection of short stories that does a great job delving deep into the human psyche. My biggest complain about this book is that it was a little too short. I would have loved to read more of these thought-provoking stories, but it’s definitely a great read for a rainy afternoon, to go with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
August 23, 2015
This set of short stories is quite diverse, but each tale makes you think. I’m not sure that I got the right answer or the correct revelation in every case, but maybe that was the point. Definitely a book with a difference.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews