Story #0.8 - Included in SHIFTING GROUND: A SHORT STORY COLLECTION
When the police come to Craig's apartment to let him know his parents died in a car accident, Craig is confused and furious. Lower-class members don't own cars. How could his parents be caught in an accident? Was it pure bad luck or some sort of orchestrated murder?
1 - UNDER GROUND - BOOK 1 2 - LOSING GROUND: A Stephen Richards Novella 3- STANDING GROUND - BOOK 2 4 - HOLDING GROUND: A Stephen Richards Novella 2 5 - COMMON GROUND: Kayla and Taylor's Story 6 - SHIFTING GROUND: A Short Story Collection 7 - DANGEROUS GROUND: Tina and Chase's Story (Out in October 2018) 8- BREAKING GROUND - BOOK 3 (Out in 2019)
High Ground- Craig: A Short Story is a novella in the Under Ground Series (#0.8) by Alice Rachel. The story is a YA, Dystopian story that will captivate you. I recommend reading the entire series, in the correct sequence, to fully appreciate the story. This book gives us more of an insight into Craig. We find out what has happened in his life that has shaped him into the person we know. Some of the information is quite revealing and surprising and I couldn’t help but feel for him, and came away with a much better understanding of his character. Craig loses his parent in a suspicious accident which leaves him as a ward of the state. The story flashes back to give us his back story, we discover how he suffered as a child and his fears for what would become of him after his parent’s death. We see how his experiences have influenced his personality. Ms. Rachel also lets us see the society he lives in, in more detail. She reveals things that help us see a much bigger picture. There were twists and surprises that I didn’t expect, that added an extra element of interest to the whole story. This is a very quick and easy read, that has a lot going on in a small space. It doesn’t feel rushed or cut short in any way. Another superb addition to the series.
High Ground - Craig: A Short Story (UNDER GROUND #0.8) by Alice Rachel
5 Out of 5 stars I simply love this series. Ms. Rachel’s has not disappointed me with her short stories in the Under Ground Series and I think I’ve read all of the Under Ground books. I simply love her work. She has this unique way of telling her story that has you stepping into her world and the characters are well developed. The characters are amazing and the story line is so realistic. When the police come to Craig's apartment to let him know his parents died in a car accident, Craig is confused and furious. How did this happen? Lower-class members don't own cars. How could his parents be caught in an accident? Was it pure bad luck or some sort of orchestrated murder? I always thought of Craig as the bad guy but this short story shows Craig as a real person who suffered as a child and his life experiences will helped to shape the adult that he eventually became. We also get a glimpse of another character or a few in this short story. So I guess you will need to read this shorty story to find out…. I highly recommend that you read the full series in order for you to get the real feel of this storyline and it characters. By Tracy
I found this to be an interesting futuristic novella that was easy to read in one go.
While futuristic, the story is not far fetched or incomprehensible. The story focuses on the characters and their story rather than technological advancements which can sometimes hinder the grit of the story.
I enjoyed this read and the message that came across is one that seems to me to be not too far in the distant future so it made me think a bit.
As with any short story it is difficult to get completely involved in the characters but their morals, value and feeling come through very well and are what make the story.
There were some elements to this story that could've been covered further and more in depth and deserved that bit more (class issues, homosexuality) as they only got brief coverage but an all round good read.
Alice Rachel concocts a gripping story about lower class people struggling to live in a futuristic version of New York. Craig Owens works a steady job until the police arrive at his door to tell him his parents have died in a car crash. However, in this society, cars are only allowed for members of higher society, so all is not as it seems. Using flashbacks, Alice Rachel goes back to one day in Mrs Owen's life at Mr Fox's house where everything went wrong. Here, his mother has been sleeping with her boss Mr Fox to keep her job for years but tearing her family apart. Even though Chase can prove Mr Fox was behind the death of Craig's parents, nothing can be done as he is upper class and Craig is sent to serve in the army anyway. A compelling story with a set of well developed and pitiable characters. The divide between the rich and the poor was staggering and perfectly written. I also adored the fact that when he was told his parents were dead, in shock the sentence was split up one word per line which was effective and emotive. I felt sorry for all the characters as they were stuck in inescapable situations which created a powerful narrative. The detail of Mr Fox's house and the busy tube was excellently written. Lovely exampleof world building with its futuristic laws and rules. Overall, a compelling read and I would give it four stars
Although some may not like this book because they don't care for Craig, I loved it as I do all the novellas that delve into these characters' backgrounds. It really adds a fullness to the novels that we wouldn't be otherwise treated to. This shows Craig as a real person who suffered as a child. It also gives us a glimpse of young William which I found fascinating. I guess all children are born good and but their life experiences will help to shape the adult they'll eventually become. If you're a fan of the Underground series (which I am) don't miss this one.
Alice Rachel does it again! I just LOVE this series. Though many might think about skipping some of the novellas, they would be missing out. Each short story helps us gain even more insight into these characters that we all know and love (or hate)! You can really understand them and why they act the way that they do. I can never wait til her next book comes out so I can learn even more about these characters.
Craig's story is no different. Losing his parents and worrying about his future lead him to where he is now. You have to read this series and then you will never stop.
This is one of those stories that gives you a lot of details in a short story. I really liked how the author did the writing of this story and how much detail the characters had. It was great.
I couldn't put this book down it was a surprising read that I did enjoy and I did like Craig you learn about him alot. The writing was great you can definitely feel there emotions through the story.
If you like young adult novels this would be for you. You should definitely give this book a go. I am looking forward to reading more from Alice.
High Ground by Alice Rachel is a sci-fi fantasy short story set in what appears to be the future. This story is more of a novella length then full book. Though I do hope the author continues the story it will be interesting to see where it goes. My only issue with the story was the flashbacks they made the story too choppy and made you feel as though you missed something prior to the flashback. Overall this story was a solid read and I hope the author continues her work in this genre.
In High Ground by Alice Rachel, we get to see more of Craig. We learn about him and his younger days. The sadness is inevitable and I can't help but feel sad for him. We learn that he as lost his parents and is now a ward of the state. We also get to see a bit more of the rest of the characters, and how they were good and life's events caused a change in their lives. Great story!!
High Ground / Craig: A Short Story (Under Ground #0.9) by Alice Rachel is part of her Under Ground series. This story can be read as a standalone but I highly suggest you go back and read the previous books. They are just as awesome and one of the things I love most about this author is that even though these books are standalones they are still connected in some type of way. You get to see a little bit of everyone. This is one of my favorite series. They are engaging, they pull you in from the first word and you won't be able to put them down. I love this author's writing style. When she does the flashbacks, they are easy to follow and not confusing. Her attention to details are such that you will feel like you are right there in the middle of the action. Her characters are lovable and connectable. They are true to life and will take you on a journey that you won't soon forget. This book is the story of Craig. He finds out that his parents has been killed in an accident. This confuses him because his parents are lower class and they don't own a car. Because he is not quite of age, he has become part of the state. What will happen to him? Craig lives in a time when there a couple of new laws being put in place for the lower class. How will they effect him? Is he safe or is there a danger lurking after him. Craig is a character that thinks for himself, he is strong and independent. He knows what he wants and how to get it. He is not afraid to push limits to get what he needs. The secondary characters in this story are just as strong as he is. I can't wait to see if they get their own books! They are supportive to him for the most part but of course you always have some you don't really care for. There a couple you will question what they really want and where their morals are but it is what makes the story what it is. I highly recommend this story. I know you will want to see what happens in this next installment of Under Ground. Find out what Craig's story is!
High Ground: Craig’s story (a short story) by Alice Rachel is book number 0.9 and is part of the Underground series. The short stories take a character from the main books and elaborate on that character giving important background information that sheds light on how or why the character acts the way they do. It is recommended that you read them in between the main books according to their numbers. Craig’s story begins the moment the police arrive to let him know of his parents deaths in a car accident. As Craig and his parents are lower class and are restricted by laws governing their everyday life, he is concerned not only about the fact that his parents are dead (and in very suspicious circumstances) but also about his own welfare. He doesn’t know or understand what is going to happen to him now. The story then backtracks to elaborate on how he grew up and details the trials and tribulations of his childhood. It helps you as a reader to understand why Craig is like he is: what makes Craig, Craig. As with all Alice Rachel’s short stories this one also gives a greater insight into the troubled Dystopian World in which these characters live. What starts out as a tragic accident ends up being investigated by the police. How Alice Rachel manages to get so many twists and uncovers so many secrets in such a short story is amazing. I enjoyed reading Craig’s story, it didn’t disappoint.
High Ground/Craig is number 0.9 in Alice Rachel’s Under Ground series of short stories and novellas which explore the lives of a variety of connected characters in a dystopian American setting. It’s the second I’ve read, having initially been drawn to the series by its focus in other books on LGBT+ issues. High Ground/Craig focuses more on other issues – primarily class, alcoholism and corrupt power. While I enjoy short stories, I think I prefer them when they can fully stand alone. I felt a lot of the time that I was missing out on things that were discussed more fully in other books (such as the deviance and sterilization acts which are mentioned but not in great detail) and also that not a lot was resolved by the end. Indeed, I was not expecting the book to end when it did as there was a preview of another book at the end so I thought I still had several pages to go! That said, I love the world that Rachel has created. It’s a fascinating setting to explore prejudices and corrupt society. Although the format isn’t really my thing, I do enjoy reencountering characters I’ve come across in other books and gradually building up a more detailed image of the world they inhabit. I give this book four out of five stars. I would recommend it to dystopia fans who are looking for a quick but interesting read.
High Ground – Craig: A Short Story is another novella in Alice Rachel’s Under Ground series where she graces us with a deeper insight into some of the main or remarkable characters we meet in her main books. I just realized, I have read every single one of her books and novellas that have been published so far, I guess that should already tell you what I think of her writing. Alice Rachel has created this incredible dystopian world that in some ways is starting too much liken to the world we are living in currently. I would love to spend a day in her head to see how on Earth does she come up with these characters and how she ‘links’ them. Craig is obviously the story of Craig Owens, we hear how he loses his parents, what he worries about, his childhood encounter with William and the impact of the Fox family on his destiny. You need to read the main books and other novellas to get the full picture and I am sure if you start with this one, it will whet your appetite and you will read the rest. The novella depicts clearly the divided world that Craig lives in, the discrepancy between the rich and the poor, the laws that govern the poor, the power the rich have, the privileges and advantages and … Thank you Alice Rachel for painting the picture of what might wait for us if we do not fight for what is right! Looking forward to the third book!
*****5 stars***** High Ground - Craig: A short story by Alice Rachel
I give 5 stars to this short story that allows us to learn more about Craig’s background and what he went through in his childhood. The connection between Craig’s mother and Mr. Fox was something that added to his anger. This story also gave a glimpse into William Fox as a child, which I found kind of nice. Seeing him as a young lonely kid was almost refreshing.
I've been reading all of the books in the Under Ground series and the short stories that go along with it are an added bonus. Knowing the background of the characters and more about what made them who they are now is great. These all seem to add so much to the depth and fullness of the story overall. I've always loved learning more about what leads to a person's anger and feelings of hurt. Seeing what motivates Craig just makes me like his character more. If you are reading or are interested in the Under Ground series, you MUST read these short stories! You'll definitely be glad you did.
High Ground / Craig: A Short Story (UNDER GROUND #0.9) by Alice Rachel
5 Stars
I have read a few of the short stories from this series and each one leaves me wanting more. This author has a way of grabbing a hold of you on page 1 and not letting go. This was an extremely quick read full of so much content that you feel like you've read a full length novel, well without an ending of course lol. I'm thinking it's time for me to just put this series together on my kindle and set in reading it from start to finish. I love this style of writing and how smooth the words move along, each one with so much meaning. What's funny is, I don't ever choose this genre, but I guess in this case this genre chose me because I'm hooked, at least where this author is concerned.
Craig was a great character, I felt like I was in his mind the whole time and could picture everything he thought and looked at, and felt. I have to know what happens to Craig, and Chase, is he able to keep his secret hidden?
High Ground is a short story by Alice Rachel in her anthology called “Ever in the After”. Craig’s story is the 9th part of this anthology, and the story was very interesting to say the least. While I did not take the time to read the first 8 parts of this anthology, I can say that the world that Rachel has created was well developed, the characters were very well done, and the overall theme of the story carried out well throughout the entire piece. Because this is considered a sci-fi book, I was reticent to get into it as that is not a genre that I usually enjoy reading. But what I found was that with the right author the book can flow really well. I would have liked to see better transitions between the past and present in this story, because the constant transition really made the story hard to follow. Otherwise this was an interesting foray into a new genre for myself. It is a benefit that the Ever in the After series was written to benefit Lift4Autism.
Craig is a short story that ties into the Underground series by Alice Rachel. I’ve read another short story from this series called Terrance which I also have posted a review for. I was interested in reading the rest of the Underground stories after I read Terrance and I’m even more eager to read it now that I’ve finished this one. This story kind of does a Tarantino and puts you right in the middle of something happening and then flashing back for almost the entire rest of the story. I don’t really get why authors don’t just start at the beginning and then continue but my big problem is that I know something is going to happen and I NEED to know what happens next but I have to wade through a bunch of backstory to get to where the story started. Craig’s story what still extremely compelling and I want to know how all of this folds into the rest of this world. The short stories give a lot of background and I would definitely recommend reading them before diving into the full story.
Book Review: High Ground: Craig's Story Author: Alice Rachel FOUR STARS Craig's story starts just before Craig turns 18 and there is the "altering" that is taking place among all lower class kids as they become adults to keep them from bearing offspring. This is a companion book to the Underground Series of books by author Alice Rachel. This is a short read that gives you some of the detail about what occurred in Craig's life after he discovers they have been killed in an automobile accident. Alice Rachel is very good at describing emotions and detail about surrounds. Good read and this contains part one and part two of Craig's story. It is hard to get into much discussion in a review of one of Alice Rachels short storys because they are to intensely focus on that person and the events that lead up to "why" they are the way they are. Kelli Harper
High Ground-Craig A short story was a great short Story. I was unaware of Alice Rachel's other books when I read this one, and I am most certainly interested in purchasing the rest.
There was so much detail and mystery in such a quick read, I was sad that it had to end. Rachel's created a great dystopian world, one I can't wait to learn more about. The character progression of Craig in such a short read was great.
The story line is not told in a linear fashion, although it was a thrilling to read in such fashion, at first it took a little while for me to catch up and I did have to go back just to figure it out. it transitioned much smoother as the story went along.
I give Rachel's High Ground - Craig A short story 4 stars, simply because of the confusion with the timeline when I first started reading.
Although I read as a stand alone, I do suggest picking up UnderGround as well
I am really starting to enjoy these short stories by Alice Rachel and I have to say I think that this one was my favourite so far. I can see the stories all starting to link up now which is great. The one thing I have found with these books is how good the author is at cramming so much story into such a short read. They always leave me wanting more but also I don’t feel like I have missed anything. There was a nice little mysterious twist to this story as well with regards to what actually happened to Craig’s parents! I really felt for Craig and what he went through in his childhood. I thought he was a genuinely nice person just unfortunate to live in a world with such divided social classes. Another enjoyable read from this author and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Please read this series in the order suggested by the author. This is a short story that actually reads like a full length novel (I was super surprised to see that it only had 69 pages when I went to write this review). I don’t think Craig’s story in High Ground can really be appreciated unless you know the society and life as it is “now” vs how he was “then”.
There is so much I want to tell you about this story, but I’m afraid it would just be me reciting the story in its entirety.
There is honestly nothing I don’t like about this series. The covers are drawn to perfection, the blurbs describe the books perfectly, and the writing is multi-layered / at times multi-generational and written in a very visually appealing way. I haven’t been disappointed in Alice Rachel’s story telling.
High Ground by Alice Rachel is a short story based on Craig growing up. Ok I will admit that I may need to go back and read some of the books before this one because I couldn't remember who Craig was. But as always Alice Rachel is an amazing writer who sucked me in once again!!! I loved “seeing” William so young and innocent and my anger grew more for his mother and father! Mr and Mrs Fox are horrid people!! Craig was Chase’s best friend until he was hauled off by the authorities. It seems Chase has always had a gift of making others fall in love with him even as a teen! Craig's life was never easy but the Fox family made it almost unbearable. I can't wait to read the next book from this EPIC series!!!
High Ground by Alice Rachel is a quick by gripping read set in the dystopian future she has imagine in her incredible Under Ground series.
The novella follows the story of Craig and the unimaginable loss of his parents. Unimaginable because they died in a car accident. Unimaginable because no one in the lower class drives a car. Clueless as to what could have really happened the life Craig knew it about to be irrevocably changed.
A quick snap shot into the world the author has created High Ground shows all the great writing seen in book one. The author knows exactly how much to write to leave you wanting more, desperate to find out how the series ends. Definitely worth adding to your reading list.
Craig: A Short Story is part of the Under Ground Series #0.9 by Alice Rachel. This set of short stories are small snapshots, most less than 50 pages, and written in different points of view. Therefore, they should be read in order to get the whole picture of this story.
This is a Craig’s story. Craig is part of the underprivileged, so when the police come to tell him that his parents were killed in a car accident he doesn't understand because they don't own a car. This leads to Craig being hauled away by the police because he is underage.
That is the thing about this series each little chunk is a block of time that you get with from each character's point of the same period. They make for very interesting chunks of the big picture.
I give High Ground (UNDER GROUND #0.9) by Alice Rachel 4 stars.
I have read a few short stories in this series and they have all been enjoyable. As with the rest of the books, there is tragedy at the heart of this book. There is much that Craig has had to deal with in his life. He is just fumbling through. He thinks nothing worse can happen. But then it does.
This book is not all sunshine and flowers. But really, none of them are. It was very well written and shows so much more about Craig. If you have read any of the stories on this series, I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful addition to the series.
High Ground: Craig is another short story to supplement Alice Rachel's Under Ground Series. I LOVE this series, as it is very creative and engaging. I love the short stories that accompany it, as they let us get to know each individual character. I love how she gives each character a full backstory. We can see why they are the way they are, and what hardships they have dealt with due to their society and its rules. While this story is short, it packs so much information and background. We not only see Craig's history but also get a little more insight into the laws and workings of the society in which he lives. Another amazing story, earning a 5 star review. Keep them coming Rachel!
I loved the idea of this book, despite the fact that it ended abruptly and I really wanted to know what happened. This left me wanting to read the other books by Alice Rachel. What will happen to Craig? What will Mr. Davis find out about why Craig is missing and will he tell Craig's best friend Chase. Cannot wait to read more from this fast paced writer who quickly grips you and keeps you coming back for more.
This is an enjoyable short story where we get a look at things from an oppressed point of view. I enjoyed, how the author gives us the characters feelings regarding what could happen to him and would much enjoy really knowing what happen to his parents and maybe a bit more about Craig. It is a nice short story that can get you thinking.
HIGH GROUND is the first story by this author that I've read, and I really liked it. From other reviews, I gather that Craig is the antagonist in Alice Rachel's other books, and I really liked how this story created so much depth for a character (and in such a short piece too). I was able to follow it all really well, even with no prior knowledge. And, in a way, it was nice to start here with no background knowledge.
Right from the very first page, we're thrown into action and intrigue, amid a dark dystopian world. The writing is strong and the characterisation is great. And I really loved how this story evolved into a murder mystery. The non-linear narrative structure was also very effective, and I'm now intrigued about the author's other books.