Fragments

by Akiah Watts

Perfection is a theory. A thought.
Something that is rarely attained and when it is, it is only temporary.
Ephemeral.
Autumn and I were perfect.


From the first page, Fragments draws you in, tantalizing you until the very last word. This potent novelette showcases the complexities of human connections through the balance between humor and drama. Prepare to be absorbed into this intense tale about happiness that will leave you shocked that it was only written in six days by a seventeen year old girl.

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Akiah Watts is currently an undergraduate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. She hopes to pursue a degree in psychology and microeconomics. She loves questions and discussions and looks forward to hearing your thoughts!

Follow Akiah's author page on Instagram @AkiahWatts

To find out more about Akiah Watts, visit her profile on LinkedIn.
Contact Akiah with any questions or comments regarding Fragments via LinkedIn, Goodreads or her website.

Thank you for reading!

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

"She smiled.
Watery-eyed. Quivering lip.
I was a goner."

Our narrator, a college freshman, feels alone and adrift. Going to college was his dad's biggest dream and now that our narrator made it...he just feels empty.

Well, until he meets a girl. THE girl.

Autumn Waves is unlike any girl he ever met. She's smart, kind, funny and so much more. She breaths a life into his world.

They become best friends, and he wants more than that, but she is already committed to someone else.

But, a dark secret hangs over Autumn.

One that can threaten everything our narrator has ever known.

I blinked.
"He choked you."

This was barely a novella but did contain extremely well-defined characters.

Both the dialogue and internal monologue had an easy-going natural feel:

"I liked to reread my favorite books instead of always looking for a new one."

In addition, Akiah Watts brought surprising depth with only a few succinct sentences. For example, our narrator is still grieving the loss of his mother:

"It feels like I lose more of Mom every day. In fragments. One day, there won't be any of her left."

However, as the author points out, this short story was written in six days and sometimes it shows.

I had some difficulties telling about artistic intent vs writing errors. For example, the lines would (almost?) randomly change spacing or we would have sentence fragments that I just couldn't tell whether the pacing was intentional.

"The day that my mom had

I wanted to spend it with Autumn."

In addition, I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. I think there definitely needed to be more foreshadowing or slight revisions for it to be more plausible in my eyes.

Overall, definitely an interesting read and it definitely has an ending you won't see coming. Very promising start from an up-and-coming author!!

With thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Akiah Watts, reached out to me about Fragments, a novelette she wrote in six short days as a high school student. That alone impressed and inspired me, as did her genuine and humble messages.

This is a short piece, and I don’t want to spoil any of the reading experience, but I will comment on a few things about the style. Ms. Watts writes lyrically and with intense emotion, and her immense talent is apparent early on. I’ll be watching as her star is on the rise.

Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through clipped, expressive sentences, the reader is catapulted into the deeply detached state of a broken boy. This gripping style is almost poetic in that the artfully selected words and simple design creates a natural flow that the reader can softly ease into.

One of the messages that resonated with me was that you shouldn’t rely on someone else to fuse your shards. I just imagined the narrator’s outstretched palms and bowed head cradling his broken pieces, yearning for fulfillment.

Let this work of art seep into you.

[Akiah Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Reader,

It took me six days to write Fragments. It’s the first work that I have published, but definitely not the last. Maybe I’ll publish a poem next, or venture into a full-length novel.

I don’t want to tell you too much. I think it’s better to just pick up a book with zero expectations. No teasers. Basically, I just wrote the kind of story that I would want to read.

Even though it’s designed to be read in a sitting, Fragments is meant to be read slowly.

Absorbed. Experienced. Captured.

I think that’s all you really need to know before getting into the novelette.

I would love to hear your thoughts, whether it be exposure advice, lingering questions or comments. You can either visit my website or shoot me a message here.

I hope you enjoy,
~Akiah Watts

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!
This is one of the most amazing short reads of the month!
The story talks about an adolescent boy and him falling in love; and how his dad tries to connect with him.
There's a twist at the end of the story.
I totally loved the writing style👍
The title is totally relevant.
Fragments of memories and fragments of it attaching themselves to the present.
*Recommended read👍

[AMenagerieofWords Deb Coco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently had the pleasure of reading this novelette when the author reached out to me for a review. I work with high school students who are in the process of applying to college, so I am always thrilled when I come across a person of this age with not only a passion for writing, but inherent talent. Clearly, Akiah is a fantastic combination of the two, because she herself is a college freshman. “Fragments” is a quick read and fast paced read, because of Watt’s unique and tight prose. At the heart of the story is an emotional, internal struggle for the narrator after the loss of his mother. He is also in the midst of adjusting to college and his psychological journey unfolds from there. I cannot say too much beyond that without spoiling it for other readers. I will say that the ending left me stunned, and I would love to see the author take this story line further. Watts is very talented, and I hope we will see more of her work. I know I will keep an eye out for her!

[Ron Luty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a strong story. Very short but nails it. Highly recommend.

[Kawther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbingly good.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive novelette by a 17 year old girl, who writes like a seasoned author. I can’t wait to see what else she does.

[Danielle Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing me a copy for an honest review.

Here is what I liked:
1. The story held my attention through out.
2. When I finished I literally just sat and stared at the wall, a little dumbstruck on how the story ended.
3. The writing style conveyed emotion through almost a prose that is almost poetic.

Here is what I think could be better:
1. While I liked the writing style in this short novelette, I don't know that a longer book written in this prose would have kept my interest. Some variety in sentence length and structure would create a different feel for a longer read.
2. There were a couple editing errors I found, but this does not deter from the story itself.

I still can't with the ending. This is a story that will stay with me for a while. I will also be watching this author closely, I'm sensing big things are coming.