Location: United States
Member Since:
Nov. 01, 2010
Kelsey Opsahl
Smashwords book reviews by Kelsey Opsahl
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Sink or Swim
on March 03, 2011
Cassidy has come in second on the reality t.v. show Sink or Swim. Now she is stuck going back to her old job and her dreams of owning her own gym are out of her reach. Once back home, she has become somewhat like a celebrity and the local paper wants to have a reporter and a cute photographer, Zach, follow her around. Cassidy thinks it is a good idea until she starts receiving love notes from "Miles". She definitely does not want anyone to know about this and blow it out of proportion. After two of her former castmates are found dead, Cassidy reconsiders and goes to the police. Now she is looking around every corner wondering who this stalker is and what is he going to do next. Love, love Cassidy! She is a very believable character. Juba has done a great job making this book seem like something that had actually happened. I never knew who the actually stalker was (which is a HUGE plus in my book). Cassidy also never made those irritating classic air-headed decisions that really annoy me. The book has a few twists and turns that keep it interesting and builds up to a great conclusion. I definitely recommend this book...:)
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Mental Shrillness
on May 11, 2011
Russell offers us a glimpse into what he calls the Mental Shrillness ward. He has spun six eerie tales that really give your mind a workout and sends tingles up your spine. Memorial Day Descent a soldier is promised that all his demons will be vanquished if he descends the basement stairs of a vacant mansion. This all but screams as not the thing to do! But for a soldier struggling to live with memories of war, he will do anything to exorcise them. Pains in the Glass was my favorite. Russell crafts an intriguing tale of how betrayal is like shards of glass piercing the victim. Only this glass is real and has a tragic consequence to which the abuser will see. Dead Warmed Over was creepy. Necrophilia in its prime is prominent in this chilling story. Falling the Bobbitt Way is classic! Sometimes loving someone to death is not a good thing. The title says it all! Dueling Eyes is well written but I didn’t find it as creepy as the others. If you have a fear of glass eyes then Dueling Eyes will creep you out. The Illusion is the last story of the collection and the longest. The moral is that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. All in all, I enjoyed these six short stories. Russell does have a knack for writing in a creative way and spins such tale that your mind reels with hidden meanings. I will be sharing these while we are camping this summer. Perfect for the traditional storytelling over the campfire!