Title – Just Another Day
Author – Piyusha Vir
Type – Collection of Short Stories
So many events can happen in one single day. Some are of insurmountable magnitude. Yet, can we dismiss them as Just Another Day? Piyusha Vir, in her debut work, dwells on this.
The book is a collection of three short stories, is just thirty-two pages long on Kindle, and can be read in less than forty-five minutes. The forewords by various authors reiterate this.
The highlights of this mini-anthology are –
- All three stories are written from the first-person point of view
- The author takes her time to introduce the narrator
- The introduction is not without a twist
- The stories are not limited to one genre
- It’s a heady mix of feel-good and slap-in-your-face
Here’s my review of the three stories individually.
Happy Birthday, Saisha
It begins with a rant. Make that a series of rants. Just when you wonder if the word feminazi (Oh yes, such a label exists) can be applied to the narrator, the author punches you in the gut. You pause and wonder. Haven’t you been in the same boat as Saisha? How unfair is life for women! This story deserves a 5-star rating for its hard-hitting narrative.
Elevator Tales
This one will make you chuckle. Haven’t we had our fair share of crushes? The narrator’s clumsy attempts, the obstinate tomatoes choosing that perfect moment to tumble out of the bag – it’s a classic case of been there, done that. But it’s that final reveal that makes you laugh out the loudest. This story, too, deserves a 5-star for the much-needed humour in these times.
Writer’s Circle
This story will resonate with the writers, wannabe or established – the struggles, the ego tussles, the snobbishness reserved for specific writers. But the story is about a murdered writer. I could guess the perpetrator, and the narrative paled slightly compared to the other two. Nevertheless, the style still held a certain wickedness in the manner Anuradha muses over past events. I give it a rating of 4.5
Overall, Just Another Day made for an immensely enjoyable read. The mood never slackened for one tiny second. I wish Piyusha Vir all the best in her future endeavours.
My overall rating – 4.7 / 5
