Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal Shusterman Book Reviews

What works: Haunting, mind-twisting, short stories from Neal Shusterman. There’s sure to be a story for everyone! The stories are grouped into sections. Forces of Nature, Angels, Demons, Monsters, and a Tree, The Wheel of Destiny, Attics, Basements, Windows, and Walls, The Living, The Dead, and the Undecided, I’m not Myself Today, and finally, The World of Scythe.

I’m a huge fan of Neal Shusterman. Every time I drive by El Toro High School in SoCal and see the school pool, images from his chilling dystopian novel DRY resurface. Yes, he’s that good!

Short story anthologies are perfect for those who don’t have time for long novels and just want to savor a short tale. Most of these stories are fast-paced. All are thought-provoking.

Some of my favorites:

Presumed Destroyed is told from the point of view of a gun and all its handlers, with a chilling ending.

Smells Like Kafka where a girl’s parents’ guilt parenting gift of a bear turns into something none of them expected.

Resurrection Bay, where a glacier brings a whole new meaning to resurrection.

Deadliner. After the summer of death, a surviving carnie plays the ultimate carnival attraction.

Loveless. A young woman searches for a psychic with a chilling message.

And of course, None More Beautiful Than I. A Scythe Story. Readers follow Rasmus and his grandmother to a shelter from the Scythe purge, only it’s not what they expected.

Black Mirror meets YA. There’s zombies, time-travel, Sci-Fi, and dystopian backdrops in this engaging collection of short stories. A must-read for Shusterman fans and those who love short stories.