strangebookssecretary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
strangebookssecretary's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
emilysherr's review against another edition
3.0
definitely a weird book but i don’t expect anything less from mike russell, even if it’s been ages since i last read one of his books. aside from the strangeness of this novelette, i did connect some parts of it with the oppression of society but i still can’t wrap my mind around the ending. at 3 in the morning, maybe it’s best to leave it before i start spiraling
katieejayne's review against another edition
4.0
**I received this book from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review**
The only way I can describe this novel is gloriously weird. Think Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman weird.
This book follows Sydney, a young boy living in a dystopian/futuristic community where they donate flesh. Yep. Donate flesh. Every so often these robots appear and harvest a chunk of flesh from a persons body. Cauterising it as they do so. Said people are then presented with a red ball with a string attached known as Strungballs, that they pop into the fleshless hole they've just acquired. Similar to Divergent in the sense that this community is also very regimented, to speak out against something or someone is to make oneself an 'other'.
After Sydney acquires his first Strungball he starts to question what and why. Why do they donate flesh? What is the purpose of it?
Considering the novel is only sixty-four pages long it certainly packed a lot into the novel. The description was minimal but it felt like an intentional move on Mike's part. It made the novel seem very clinical and sterile, that they only focus was the Strungballs and their purpose. In fact the most notable part of the description was the part that numbers played. The dimensions of the room, the time spent doing a certain task was described down to the seconds. I actually loved this aspect.
If you get a chance, give this a read. I promise you, it's unlike anything you've ever read before.
www.a-novel-idea.co.uk
The only way I can describe this novel is gloriously weird. Think Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman weird.
This book follows Sydney, a young boy living in a dystopian/futuristic community where they donate flesh. Yep. Donate flesh. Every so often these robots appear and harvest a chunk of flesh from a persons body. Cauterising it as they do so. Said people are then presented with a red ball with a string attached known as Strungballs, that they pop into the fleshless hole they've just acquired. Similar to Divergent in the sense that this community is also very regimented, to speak out against something or someone is to make oneself an 'other'.
After Sydney acquires his first Strungball he starts to question what and why. Why do they donate flesh? What is the purpose of it?
Considering the novel is only sixty-four pages long it certainly packed a lot into the novel. The description was minimal but it felt like an intentional move on Mike's part. It made the novel seem very clinical and sterile, that they only focus was the Strungballs and their purpose. In fact the most notable part of the description was the part that numbers played. The dimensions of the room, the time spent doing a certain task was described down to the seconds. I actually loved this aspect.
If you get a chance, give this a read. I promise you, it's unlike anything you've ever read before.
www.a-novel-idea.co.uk
mastermomin's review against another edition
3.0
"Once a Strungball is inserted it must never be removed."
Strungballs is a strange and surreal read but at 66 pages it is just the right length to get you thinking. We are introduced to strungballs through 10 year old Sydney as he has his first cube of flesh removed from his chest to make way for his first strungball - a red ball attached to the end of a white string. His cube of flesh is taken to be attached to the skin barrier which protects his city from "the Others". After a chance encounter Sydney is put on a path of questioning his life and the reasons behind it.
The writing style is clear and engaging but as the story progresses we are introduced to stranger descriptions and events which were a bit hard to follow at times. I enjoyed the numerical references to the dimensions of rooms and objects which enhanced the white, sterile feel of the environment. The concept of infinity was the most intriguing and it forms the overarching backbone of the novella.
One question permeates throughout, which is "why?" Why are things done the way they are do they hide a greater purpose? As Sydney unravels the why of strungballs, we unravel the why of our lives. Just like the giants in the story, readers are encouraged to look within themselves and turn their notions of the world inside out. There is a lot of symbolism throughout which lends itself well to multiple readings.
Recommended for fans of strange fiction.
Strungballs is a strange and surreal read but at 66 pages it is just the right length to get you thinking. We are introduced to strungballs through 10 year old Sydney as he has his first cube of flesh removed from his chest to make way for his first strungball - a red ball attached to the end of a white string. His cube of flesh is taken to be attached to the skin barrier which protects his city from "the Others". After a chance encounter Sydney is put on a path of questioning his life and the reasons behind it.
The writing style is clear and engaging but as the story progresses we are introduced to stranger descriptions and events which were a bit hard to follow at times. I enjoyed the numerical references to the dimensions of rooms and objects which enhanced the white, sterile feel of the environment. The concept of infinity was the most intriguing and it forms the overarching backbone of the novella.
One question permeates throughout, which is "why?" Why are things done the way they are do they hide a greater purpose? As Sydney unravels the why of strungballs, we unravel the why of our lives. Just like the giants in the story, readers are encouraged to look within themselves and turn their notions of the world inside out. There is a lot of symbolism throughout which lends itself well to multiple readings.
Recommended for fans of strange fiction.
blattzirkus's review against another edition
4.0
Read the full review on my blog Blattzirkus
Plot
10-year old Sydney awakes in a 4x4x4m room on a 2x1x1m bed, awaiting for an event yet unknown to the reader. Suddenly a machine appears, cutting out a flesh cube out of his chest and puts in a Strungball into the now existing hole.
The reader learns that Sydney lives in a city, which is made of one corridor and 999 rooms, full of people who dedicated their lives to donating flesh cubes to their protecting city wall, a skin made of the population’s flesh. These people, Sydney’s father and mother included, act like smiling robots that do everything for the greater good.
But when two boys from Sydney’s school beat him up because he doesn’t have the newest Strungball anymore (since apparently a strungball gets renewed every five days or such), Sydney gets to know Albert, the doctor of the city.
Albert asks him weird and doubtful questions about the being of serving for the city and the greater good of Strungballs. With this doubt planted into Sydney’s mind, the young boy starts to look beyond his current life and notices that there is far more to archive than being a Strungball advertiser.
Cover
Personally I think the cover needs some more work because it leaves an impression of some cheap novella story, which is not the case with this one. A change of typography would help already. It is a rather funny, strange font in which the cover would fit the publisher, yet not so much the story. Yes, the story is strange on its own, but still. I would have preferred a more dystopian approach.
Opinion
If you approach this novella with the thought that it is from a publisher called StrangeBooks you will be better prepared for what is going to happen within the next pages. The whole world around Sydney is a very weird one with parents you would love to punch because they love to repeatetly say “good” in as many occasions as possible, considering every single action of their beings towards the greater good, the Skin outsider of their city, protecting them from the Others. More or less the Others are people that live without a cube cut out of their body and a Strungball stuck in it.
My main question has been for a while: How do they cut a cube-hole into you and putting a ball in it? I mean, that had to bleed a lot, right? Maybe the cube in my imagination was far too big to be logical, but it bothered me. Anyways, thank everyone in the Strungball universe for making us meet Sydney at a point in his life where he was already doubting this whole Strungball business. That made him a good guy. Also the story had enough time to introduce us to the world the boy was living it.
Yet I felt like the story was a bit weirdly paced. It felt like a good while (and needed time) to introduce the reader to Sydney and the world. Then the point came where Sydney realized all kind of things (I don’t want to spoil) and suddenly action happens speed-as-lightning fast. I had to repeatedly read same paragraphs to recognize and process in my brain what was actually going on (oh dear, it’s not a kids novel, aboard ship!). It gets abstract and confusing and I think I have to re-read it to actually get it. If there is a way to actually get it and the author just doesn’t want to mess with our brains.
These things said, Strungballs could have been a nice full novel with a better world building and explainations. Maybe there’s an after story to that ending? Maybe another twisted sidestory than Sydney’s? On the other side, it had characteristics of The Giver, but that’s easy to say with an novella.
Conclusion
I give Strungballs by Mike Russell 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a rather 3.5 star but since it turned out better than expected, yet it has been a little bit too strange for me, I’ll leave it with 4 stars. I embraced the strangeness.
—–
I have given an honest review in exchange for this novella. Thank you StrangeBooks for that!
Plot
10-year old Sydney awakes in a 4x4x4m room on a 2x1x1m bed, awaiting for an event yet unknown to the reader. Suddenly a machine appears, cutting out a flesh cube out of his chest and puts in a Strungball into the now existing hole.
The reader learns that Sydney lives in a city, which is made of one corridor and 999 rooms, full of people who dedicated their lives to donating flesh cubes to their protecting city wall, a skin made of the population’s flesh. These people, Sydney’s father and mother included, act like smiling robots that do everything for the greater good.
But when two boys from Sydney’s school beat him up because he doesn’t have the newest Strungball anymore (since apparently a strungball gets renewed every five days or such), Sydney gets to know Albert, the doctor of the city.
Albert asks him weird and doubtful questions about the being of serving for the city and the greater good of Strungballs. With this doubt planted into Sydney’s mind, the young boy starts to look beyond his current life and notices that there is far more to archive than being a Strungball advertiser.
Cover
Personally I think the cover needs some more work because it leaves an impression of some cheap novella story, which is not the case with this one. A change of typography would help already. It is a rather funny, strange font in which the cover would fit the publisher, yet not so much the story. Yes, the story is strange on its own, but still. I would have preferred a more dystopian approach.
Opinion
If you approach this novella with the thought that it is from a publisher called StrangeBooks you will be better prepared for what is going to happen within the next pages. The whole world around Sydney is a very weird one with parents you would love to punch because they love to repeatetly say “good” in as many occasions as possible, considering every single action of their beings towards the greater good, the Skin outsider of their city, protecting them from the Others. More or less the Others are people that live without a cube cut out of their body and a Strungball stuck in it.
My main question has been for a while: How do they cut a cube-hole into you and putting a ball in it? I mean, that had to bleed a lot, right? Maybe the cube in my imagination was far too big to be logical, but it bothered me. Anyways, thank everyone in the Strungball universe for making us meet Sydney at a point in his life where he was already doubting this whole Strungball business. That made him a good guy. Also the story had enough time to introduce us to the world the boy was living it.
Yet I felt like the story was a bit weirdly paced. It felt like a good while (and needed time) to introduce the reader to Sydney and the world. Then the point came where Sydney realized all kind of things (I don’t want to spoil) and suddenly action happens speed-as-lightning fast. I had to repeatedly read same paragraphs to recognize and process in my brain what was actually going on (oh dear, it’s not a kids novel, aboard ship!). It gets abstract and confusing and I think I have to re-read it to actually get it. If there is a way to actually get it and the author just doesn’t want to mess with our brains.
These things said, Strungballs could have been a nice full novel with a better world building and explainations. Maybe there’s an after story to that ending? Maybe another twisted sidestory than Sydney’s? On the other side, it had characteristics of The Giver, but that’s easy to say with an novella.
Conclusion
I give Strungballs by Mike Russell 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a rather 3.5 star but since it turned out better than expected, yet it has been a little bit too strange for me, I’ll leave it with 4 stars. I embraced the strangeness.
—–
I have given an honest review in exchange for this novella. Thank you StrangeBooks for that!
briarsreviews's review against another edition
5.0
Strungballs by Mike Russell
This book by Mike Russell is another short story. It's a great read for those who want a short, exciting read (and for those like me who didn't want to commit to another Games of Thrones book right away...).
This book is weird, if I put it lightly. The thought of a strungball was not something I have ever dreamed up in my life, but Mike Russell somehow thought this up and created a story about it! It's unique and enticing to me when someone can create such interesting thoughts, which is why I enjoyed this book.
Getting to see this unique and different world through out main character's eyes was great! It's kind of sci-fi/dystopian-esque, which would be great for readers who are interested in those topics! It's such a utopia that it's a dystopia...those books are always interesting!
The book is so precise, and so fantastical, it's hard to explain it in my own wording without ruining it. This utopia, perfect world that is so perfect that it's not is probably the best way I can word it. I love how Mike made this world so perfect, because it makes you feel uneasy and thrilled by each turn this short story takes.
Our main character seems to be the only person questioning or going against the true perfection in this novel. While this has been done a hundred times over, it's very fitting in this novel. Normally I would be annoyed and disgusted by seeing this trend over and over, but I liked it here. Mike makes it fit just well enough that I'm not questioning it.
Like Mike's other books, you will begin questioning reality and life itself. It raises so many thought provoking questions in such little space, but that's why I found it to intriguing. I have to say this is definitely my favourite book by him and I want to come back to it at a later date to see if my feelings change on this novel or not.
Overall, this maddening book will drive you over the edge with peculiarity! It's a great read!
Five out of five!
This book by Mike Russell is another short story. It's a great read for those who want a short, exciting read (and for those like me who didn't want to commit to another Games of Thrones book right away...).
This book is weird, if I put it lightly. The thought of a strungball was not something I have ever dreamed up in my life, but Mike Russell somehow thought this up and created a story about it! It's unique and enticing to me when someone can create such interesting thoughts, which is why I enjoyed this book.
Getting to see this unique and different world through out main character's eyes was great! It's kind of sci-fi/dystopian-esque, which would be great for readers who are interested in those topics! It's such a utopia that it's a dystopia...those books are always interesting!
The book is so precise, and so fantastical, it's hard to explain it in my own wording without ruining it. This utopia, perfect world that is so perfect that it's not is probably the best way I can word it. I love how Mike made this world so perfect, because it makes you feel uneasy and thrilled by each turn this short story takes.
Our main character seems to be the only person questioning or going against the true perfection in this novel. While this has been done a hundred times over, it's very fitting in this novel. Normally I would be annoyed and disgusted by seeing this trend over and over, but I liked it here. Mike makes it fit just well enough that I'm not questioning it.
Like Mike's other books, you will begin questioning reality and life itself. It raises so many thought provoking questions in such little space, but that's why I found it to intriguing. I have to say this is definitely my favourite book by him and I want to come back to it at a later date to see if my feelings change on this novel or not.
Overall, this maddening book will drive you over the edge with peculiarity! It's a great read!
Five out of five!
bookishjade's review
4.0
After reading Strungballs I have come to the conclusion that Mike Russell has created his own area of fiction, and he is right to call them strange.
Strange, surreal, odd, but absolutely immersive is how I’d describe his writing style and the narrative that is born from it.
I read this novella in just one day. I began by reading it on the bus to uni, and when I got to uni I sat in the library and read some more. My day was happily punctuated by the thought of being able to steal little moments to read more Strungballs.
It’s as though somebody gave me an addictive substance at the start of the day, and by the end of it I’d consumed the lot and wanted more. That substance can only be fiction done Mike Russell-style.
At first, the book reads like a children’s story, or the beginning of a YA book. There is a clear element of Sydney, our 10 year old protagonist, going through a rite of passage. But it is no ordinary ritual…he must have a chunk of his flesh taken from his literally white body, and have the gap filled by what I imagine to look like a toy from a joke shop – a Strungball.
A Strungball is simply a ball attached to a bit of string. That’s it. But society revolves around it. The more you have, the higher you are in status and good-ness. There are different ‘models’ and posters to advertise the importance of Strungballs.
Never has something so simple as a ball on a bit of string become so unsettling while still managing to make me curious in a way I’ve never experienced before with a book.
The addictiveness came mostly from how bizarre the story was, and also from the fact that I couldn’t tell where the narrative was going. I didn’t know what Sydney was going to do after having his Strungball for the first time, I didn’t know what the time frame for the narrative was going to be…and this just made me read on.
I think there’s a lot of symbolism and deeper meaning in this book, and I’m not quite sure that I understand it all completely. I’m pretty sure Russell is sending out messages about gender, society, family, sex and relationships…but also about what it means to be human. There’s a bit of everything in it, merged together like cubes of flesh to form one big meaningful message.
But because of how surreal the story is, the message sort of gets lost, but that might just be my mind.
The ending is like an hallucination. It’s like one of those weird dreams that you still remember when you wake up and you wonder how on earth your imagination could come up with something so surreal. It’s heavy on the symbolism and you’d be forgiven for not understanding what it all means. Just read it and enjoy every single strange second.
To sum up: Strungballs was like walking into a surrealist art exhibition. You are surrounded by things you don’t quite understand but that are still oddly familiar. You think it can’t get weirder, and then it does. You wonder if it’s art, and decide that it’s blown your mind too much for it not to be art.
Note: This is an honest review given in exchange for the book.
Strange, surreal, odd, but absolutely immersive is how I’d describe his writing style and the narrative that is born from it.
I read this novella in just one day. I began by reading it on the bus to uni, and when I got to uni I sat in the library and read some more. My day was happily punctuated by the thought of being able to steal little moments to read more Strungballs.
It’s as though somebody gave me an addictive substance at the start of the day, and by the end of it I’d consumed the lot and wanted more. That substance can only be fiction done Mike Russell-style.
At first, the book reads like a children’s story, or the beginning of a YA book. There is a clear element of Sydney, our 10 year old protagonist, going through a rite of passage. But it is no ordinary ritual…he must have a chunk of his flesh taken from his literally white body, and have the gap filled by what I imagine to look like a toy from a joke shop – a Strungball.
A Strungball is simply a ball attached to a bit of string. That’s it. But society revolves around it. The more you have, the higher you are in status and good-ness. There are different ‘models’ and posters to advertise the importance of Strungballs.
Never has something so simple as a ball on a bit of string become so unsettling while still managing to make me curious in a way I’ve never experienced before with a book.
The addictiveness came mostly from how bizarre the story was, and also from the fact that I couldn’t tell where the narrative was going. I didn’t know what Sydney was going to do after having his Strungball for the first time, I didn’t know what the time frame for the narrative was going to be…and this just made me read on.
I think there’s a lot of symbolism and deeper meaning in this book, and I’m not quite sure that I understand it all completely. I’m pretty sure Russell is sending out messages about gender, society, family, sex and relationships…but also about what it means to be human. There’s a bit of everything in it, merged together like cubes of flesh to form one big meaningful message.
But because of how surreal the story is, the message sort of gets lost, but that might just be my mind.
The ending is like an hallucination. It’s like one of those weird dreams that you still remember when you wake up and you wonder how on earth your imagination could come up with something so surreal. It’s heavy on the symbolism and you’d be forgiven for not understanding what it all means. Just read it and enjoy every single strange second.
To sum up: Strungballs was like walking into a surrealist art exhibition. You are surrounded by things you don’t quite understand but that are still oddly familiar. You think it can’t get weirder, and then it does. You wonder if it’s art, and decide that it’s blown your mind too much for it not to be art.
Note: This is an honest review given in exchange for the book.
bookiepanda's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, I like to pay attention to the writing style, but the plot is so strange that I forgot about everything else. No, seriously. Even after the end I’m still so confused about everything that happened. I get the idea and that’s why I love Mike’s books. The concept itself is simple, if you ignore this whole strangness and look deep in the story, but the strangness is what makes is so unique. I love it.
I don’t know why, but with these books I always imagine what’s happening in animated way, or like a moving drawings. Because, let’s be serious. If i realy try to imagine for real all of this, especially the building, it will turn in a bloody mess. And I guess that’s not the point here.
Welp, I’m sorry I can’t wrtie more about this book. But I can’t do it without mentioning every single thing in this book. What can I say is – read Mike Russel’s books. You won’t regret it.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Weird Fiction, Dystopian
Recommended Age: 18+. Sex is mentioned and described a bit, so if you're allowed to read that then go ahead, but if not then don't please.
Favorite Quote: "I will never wear one again."
I was requested to read and review this book by Strangebooks Publishing Company. This did not influence my opinions.
Ever since the dawn of man there have been rites of ppassages that help transition young boys and girls into adulthood. Ten-year-old Sydney is about to experience his own rite of passage. He will be receiving his first Strungball. This will be his first of many Strungballs in his lifetime. To receive his Strungball though he must have a cube of flesh removed from his chest. The cube of flesh will travel and become apart of the wall that surrounds his city. When the procedure is over Sydney is supposed to be happy and good, but he can't stop but wonder about why we need Strungballs and what happens if we pull them out of the Strungball recesses in our bodies. It is then Sydney discovers a deeper reason for needing them than could ever be imagined.
Can you fault a book that's marketed as being strange? In my opinion, you can't. While this little novella (66 pages in length) was a bit odd, it had a decent story to it. The overall story was very good. It was your average dystopian novel for the most part and it would have been a good introductory story for beginning dystopian readers had it not had some mature scenes in it towards the end. The quality of writing and plot development, although it got outlandish at the end, was very well done and it made the story enjoyable for the most part and the story was a very easy read. The story also seemed to be conveying a deeper meaning about how to remain true to oneself and to question everyday life.
However, this book had some issues in my opinion. I feel that whatever message the author was trying to convey became lost in the strangeness of the story. While I generally enjoyed it, towards the end I was wondering what the author could possibly be trying to say with the scenes. There were also some unnecessary scenes that, without them, would have made the story better. Some of the more mature scenes could have been left out and the book would have been adequate for younger audiences. In fact, for the first half of the book, I was thinking the book would have been marvelous for a high school or college English class. I could tell the author was trying to send some message and I believe the book to not only be of weird fiction but also a dystopian. If the book was just a bit clearer in the meaning I think it would have met it's mark. The book also had some issues with pacing and characters. The pacing was very fast, even for a novella. I believe the author had more than enough material to slow down the scenes and have a full length novel if he wanted. I also think the characters needed a bit more explanation and back story. I kept wondering if I would get an explanation for how the city came to be and what motivated the characters to act as they did, but the explanations fell short in my opinion. I also had an issue with one of the scenes where there is bullying. If the characters have this idea of doing good, then why does bullying exist?
I'd recommend this book for any adults or children who are allowed to read mature material to read it. It's a quick read and it was a decent book all in all.
Genre: Weird Fiction, Dystopian
Recommended Age: 18+. Sex is mentioned and described a bit, so if you're allowed to read that then go ahead, but if not then don't please.
Favorite Quote: "I will never wear one again."
I was requested to read and review this book by Strangebooks Publishing Company. This did not influence my opinions.
Ever since the dawn of man there have been rites of ppassages that help transition young boys and girls into adulthood. Ten-year-old Sydney is about to experience his own rite of passage. He will be receiving his first Strungball. This will be his first of many Strungballs in his lifetime. To receive his Strungball though he must have a cube of flesh removed from his chest. The cube of flesh will travel and become apart of the wall that surrounds his city. When the procedure is over Sydney is supposed to be happy and good, but he can't stop but wonder about why we need Strungballs and what happens if we pull them out of the Strungball recesses in our bodies. It is then Sydney discovers a deeper reason for needing them than could ever be imagined.
Can you fault a book that's marketed as being strange? In my opinion, you can't. While this little novella (66 pages in length) was a bit odd, it had a decent story to it. The overall story was very good. It was your average dystopian novel for the most part and it would have been a good introductory story for beginning dystopian readers had it not had some mature scenes in it towards the end. The quality of writing and plot development, although it got outlandish at the end, was very well done and it made the story enjoyable for the most part and the story was a very easy read. The story also seemed to be conveying a deeper meaning about how to remain true to oneself and to question everyday life.
However, this book had some issues in my opinion. I feel that whatever message the author was trying to convey became lost in the strangeness of the story. While I generally enjoyed it, towards the end I was wondering what the author could possibly be trying to say with the scenes. There were also some unnecessary scenes that, without them, would have made the story better. Some of the more mature scenes could have been left out and the book would have been adequate for younger audiences. In fact, for the first half of the book, I was thinking the book would have been marvelous for a high school or college English class. I could tell the author was trying to send some message and I believe the book to not only be of weird fiction but also a dystopian. If the book was just a bit clearer in the meaning I think it would have met it's mark. The book also had some issues with pacing and characters. The pacing was very fast, even for a novella. I believe the author had more than enough material to slow down the scenes and have a full length novel if he wanted. I also think the characters needed a bit more explanation and back story. I kept wondering if I would get an explanation for how the city came to be and what motivated the characters to act as they did, but the explanations fell short in my opinion. I also had an issue with one of the scenes where there is bullying. If the characters have this idea of doing good, then why does bullying exist?
I'd recommend this book for any adults or children who are allowed to read mature material to read it. It's a quick read and it was a decent book all in all.