Saturday Short Story Review: Strungballs by Mike Russell

Hello everyone! Today’s Saturday short story is very strange science-fiction story- Strungballs by Mike Russell.

Published: October 31st 2016 by StrangeBooks

Read Date: July 28th 2017

Stars: 2.5/5

Blurb (in my words)-

Strungballs Rule: Once a Strungballs is inserted it must never be removed.
Everyone in the city are like- talk Strungballs , hear Strungballs, think Strungballs and work Strungball. When 10-year-old Sydney receives his first Strungball after a cube of his flesh is removed from his body, his father explained him that it is for the good. Donating flesh is good which helps to make a ‘Sphere of Flesh’ and protects them. But curious Sydney, starts questioning everything and goes beyond all the rules and limits to discover the truth about the Strungballs.
What is Strungball? Will Sydney get his all answers?

My view:

 
My favorite line from the book:

“Numbers are important in our city because they are certain and definite. They can be understood; they can be contained. But infinity contains all numbers. Infinity is bigger than the largest number and it doesn’t stop.”

This is very strange and weird book. Honestly, I couldn’t get the main concept of the book, Strungballs. It just raised lot of questions after I finished the book.
Characters: Well, only Syndney and Albert were little likable characters in the book because of their uniqueness and ability to think out of box and they made little sense. Everyone else were weird and stereotypical and made no sense, sounded like all were under hypnosis.
What I liked? Beginning of the book was interesting. I was hooked to book till first half of the book. I loved the way author built the world in the book. It gave a good dystopian science-fiction look. All the numerical in the book, the rooms and the time was interesting. I liked the infinity concept in the book it made book very interesting. Second thing I liked was the rebellious nature of Sydney, his ability to oppose what was taught, I mean fighting stereotypical thoughts and rules, and his ability of thinking out of sphere and Strungballs. It taught to think about the greater good and the not the good that was told and accepted by everyone. Even the Anatomy part of the book was fine, it was strange but was okay. I could understand little. What I understood from the whole Anatomy part was- I could guess that this whole city and people were kind of living in cell or something or was like two identical pairs of DNA. But I’m not totally sure. I like author’s strange imagination, I haven’t come across this kind of strange books.
All stars for these points and author’s imagination and writing.
Why 2.5? Mostly I cut stars because I couldn’t grasp this following points, it all confused me a lot. May be my imagination is working properly for this book. I don’t know!

So, what I didn’t understand was- the second half of the book. That white sand part outside the sphere, exactly what place it was! I could understood two person, or whatever it was, produced the new person. But that baby part and baby eating Strungballs! I was lost at this point, and the end of the book, doesn’t make any sense. And at the end of everything, it all takes me back to the question I had at the starting of the book, what the Strungballs was and why people had that at the first place and what just happened at the end! I was thinking and thinking after I finished the book but I couldn’t get anything. Book started with very much potential but these things just gave me brain attack. I guess if there was more clarity of all these I could have enjoyed the book.
Overall, it was strange read, unique imagination, but unfortunately not for me.
Who should read it? Those who likes strange books.

Author: Mike Russell

To know more about author click⇒ HERE.

*** Note: I received a review copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. I am glad I got a chance to read this book. ***

What do you think about the book and my review? Share your thoughts in the comment-box below.
Happy Reading! Have a cheerful weekend! 🙂

BT&R