The Contest and Other Stories


Fiction - New Adult
248 Pages
Reviewed on 08/24/2018
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Contest and Other Stories by Joe DiBuduo and Kate Robinson is a beautiful collection of stories that are exquisitely written, stories that deal with art, love, family, and other themes that readers can easily relate to. What makes this collection an exceptional one is the compelling cast of characters, the realism infused into the plot lines, and the plot structure that makes each story a must-read. The conflict is handled with skill. The writing is stellar, the stories awesome, real, and captivating. The stories in this collection are well-crafted and the authors have mastered the art of making each story into a sumptuous dessert for the reader. They are short and characterized by an emotional and psychological intensity that make them hard to put down. “The Impostor,” “A Twisted Garden,” “Alone,” and “Success” were my best stories in this collection, and I enjoyed these tales for their existential themes and the philosophical questions they ask.

You’ll move from one story to the next without noticing it, each delivered through masterful hands, transporting the reader into the minds of the compelling characters, making the reader relive their dilemmas and allowing the reader to feel their excitement or their pain. With realistic themes of love, success, pain, life, solitude, and death written into the stories, readers will not be able to miss the connection that makes these stories relevant. The Contest and Other Stories by Joe DiBuduo and Kate Robinson is a gorgeous treat for short story buffs and the diversity in style, plot, and themes makes this a book that will appeal to a wide audience.