J. S. BreukelaarCritiques

A very strange but compelling multi-layered story. Rather dark in tone, it is highly visceral without descending to schlock.

On one level, it’s about surviving a misogynistic cult that makes android women via genetic engineering and computer implantation. On another level, it’s a campus serial killer story. On yet another level it’s about the twin-bond colliding with witchcraft colliding with mythology. It’s about revenge and remaking yourself.

Recommended.

Although I usually enjoy science fiction, fantasy, horror and weird stories, the stories in this collection (with a couple of exceptions) didn't appeal to me and I found myself loosing interest in the middle of most of them.½

Publisher’s synopsis:
Meera and her twin sister Kai are Mades—part human and part not—bred in the Blood Temple cult, which only the teenage Meera will survive. Racked with grief and guilt, she lives in hiding with her mysterious rescuer, Narn—part witch and part not—who has lost a sister too, a connection that follows them to Meera’s enrolment years later in a college Redress Program. There she is recruited by Regulars for a starring role in a notorious reading series and is soon the darling of the lit set, finally whole, finally free of the idea that she should have died so Kai could have lived. Maybe Meera can be re-made after all, her life redressed. But the Regulars are not all they seem and there is a price to pay for belonging to something that you don’t understand. Time is closing in on all Meera holds dear—she stands afraid, not just for but of herself, on the bridge between worlds—fearful of what waits on the other side and of the cost of knowing what she truly is.

“I was raised by three sisters – one a witch, one an assassin and the third just batshit crazy.” Whilst I found this opening sentence immediately intriguing, it didn’t prepare me for the convoluted world I was about to be drawn into as I accompanied nineteen-year-old Meera on her journey to unravel the past and to uncover the memories and secrets which will, she hopes, allow her to discover who she truly is. Her narrative begins soon after Narn, the eldest sister, has enrolled her on the Redress Programme at Wellsburg College … “ten thousand miles away and on the other side of the planet. To the ends of the earth may as well have been.” … a reflection which immediately captures Meera’s visceral sense of dislocation; it then moves backwards and forwards in time as she attempts to make sense of her feelings and experiences, both past and present.
It feels impossible to attempt to précis this dark, disturbing and complex story without removing the elements of surprise which emerge through the author’s masterly-controlled switches in time, shifts which provide bridges between past and present and which also incorporate an initially rather unsettling, but ultimately very effective, change of tense. Instead I’ll focus on the many aspects of the author’s story-telling which made this such a compelling read for me.
The story encompasses an impressively wide range of themes – loss, grief, forgiveness, survivor’s guilt, reparation, redemption, coercion, abuse of power, how it feels to be different, to be an outsider, the desire to fit in, to belong without sacrificing personal integrity – to name just a few. It also incorporated some of the myths surrounding twins, as well as the mythical ‘charm’ of three. All of these themes are explored via a cast of memorable, well-drawn characters, each of whom, whether likeable or loathsome, is multi-layered and usually not quite what they appear to be.
I found the science-fiction element of the story particularly chilling, with its premise of a misogynist ‘Father’ having the power to not only create his Mades, but then to ‘unmake’ them – it felt like such a disturbing metaphor for women being seen as somehow dangerous and in need of controlling, objects to be used, abused and disposed of. It was a relief to discover that the story did also include examples of women finding the strength to take back control!
I loved the fact that stories and story-telling were at the heart of the novel: how stories can be passed on, how they can provide a safe space, have the power to stop time and can give ‘both teller and listener a place to imagine one another’ and how we need to remember that, however disturbing the story ‘If someone lived it we should at least be able to listen to it.’ Meera believes that in order to survive at college, to be accepted by the ‘Regulars’ at the ‘Fearsome Gatherum’, she needs excel at telling fearful stories and to do this, she needs to persuade Narn to keep on sharing her stories, in return promising that she will try to find Narn’s missing sister. There were moments when I found that some of the decidedly gory, graphic imagery instilled a real sense of fear and apprehension – I felt I wanted to do a reading equivalent of peering through my fingers whilst hiding behind the sofa!
When I reviewed Collision, the author’s collection of short stories (Meerkat Press 2019) I reflected on her skill at drawing me into the worlds she was describing which, although fantastical, ‘were all too easily recognisable, possibly because there is always an element of people struggling to make sense of, and adjust to, the world they are inhabiting.’ This skill is, if anything, even more apparent in this full length novel because, from start to finish, what underpins all the magic, mythology, supernatural elements and science fiction is a credible psychological exploration of the wide-ranging themes the story encompasses. I became enthralled by this spellbinding, beautifully written novel and recommend it without hesitation.
I received a copy of this book from Meerkat Press in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book in return for a review.
Dark horror is not exactly my genre, but I did enjoy it very much.
Things keep getting creepier. I loved it.
I liked the fact that the 'present' was written in the past, and the flashbacks were written in present tense. That confuses the reader, which is good.
I am used to reading books set in Europe or North America. I had trouble realizing part of the book was located in an Australian setting.
The ending was unexpected, that is a good thing to me.
I had tweeted before that I wanted a part 2 and a part 3. It is clear to me that the writer will not do that.
All the same, I have had 'fun' reading this book.

When I started this collection, I was initially drawn in by the first several stories and was highly enthusiastic about this great new collection but at about the halfway point, the steam faded and the last half was actually a chore to get through. Not that the stories weren’t good or well written, they just didn’t appeal to me. A few of these I was just totally lost on the direction or even what was transpiring at times. Perhaps it was just me being too dense, or loss of focus, but I struggled through the end of it but I did owe the author a review. If you like a mix of horror, sci-fi, and some just plain weird, I would recommend you try this collection even though about half of it it didn’t particularly appeal to my tastes.

These stories are dark and strange, each in a slightly different way. Some dabble in the supernatural while others are almost mythological. And J.S. seems to have an interest in missing limbs. Of course some of the stories hit me stronger than others, but they're all well written with unique characters.

One of my favorite things about the book are the brief descriptions at the end of each story, explaining where the inspiration for that story came from. We get a rare look into the writer's mind. I wish more writers did this.

Collision by JS Breukelaar.

These intelligent stories are energetic and original. You must not trust the narrator in these craftily told metaphors, however. Reality serves to emphasize the anguish, loss and despair of our mostly young protagonists. The title story is a standout and the young woman, full of determination, tries her best to negotiate the Mobius strip of circumstance, only to find herself arriving back at her satisfied point of origin. If that's not enough to entice you, how about the author's own words, "The tongue is not just a muscle in our species, but the primary inceptor organ." A minor peeve is a slight feeling of heavy handedness; but, that’s what authors do! So, don’t sweat the details, just enjoy the ride.

If you are looking for a delightfully, unique collection of horror and weird (in a good way) stories, than, you should check out this anthology. Each story was something that I can't recall having ever read before; despite the fact that some of my favorite stories, Lion Man, Fairy Tale, and The Box were previously published. Another story that I really liked was Ava Rune.

Although, I will say that while, I was not over the moon with all of the stories in this anthology; there was about half to a little more than half of the stories that I did enjoy. Some of the characters were like "carnies" types from a carnival. These stories might be things of nightmares but not all nightmares are bad. I do suggest you check out this collection of stories.

Received as a free early reviewer book.
I'm not a huge fan of short stories but I love Sci-Fi but to be honest the stories were at best OK,

I'm not a huge fan of short story collections, but I'm always willing to give them a try. This collection was strange. Sort of a dark menacing vibe to it. It's interesting to note that the author gives a brief explanation of each story which I found appealing and refreshing. These stories are well written and engaging. Overall, I liked the collection more than anticipated.

I thought this collection was okay. A couple of good stories, most of them a bit too abstract for my liking.

I have read a lot of short stories in the weird, fantasy, sci-fi category over the past few years and by and large they are quite satisfying. There are number of practitioners in the field who can handle the short form really well but this collection, in addition to being all over the place in terms of sub-genre seemed overwritten and yet underdeveloped. Ambition is not this author's problem but direction probably is - for now at least.½

J. R. Breukelaar’s anthology Collision: Stories was disappointing overall; though I am heavily into weird fiction, the author's writing style falls well outside my comfort zone. These stories are generally written in a choppy and jagged style that I found distracting rather than intriguing. I suppose that it's meant to be jarring and disorienting to evoke unease within the reader, but I found most of these stories difficult to get through, as I prefer narratives with a smoother flow. The author does, however, convey themes of otherness and loss in a heartfelt manner, and I did enjoy a few of the stories: "Union Falls", "Ava Rune", and "War Wounds".½

To me this collection falls into the category of "okay." The writing is solid enough, but I found that the genre appeal that I was looking for felt absent, or not there enough to really speak to me in a way I was hoping. That is likely my problem rather than the book's.

I had varying opinions of the stories and, naturally, some I liked better than others. (I will remember Gloria.) On the whole though, I felt that this was riding much closer to general fiction with some subtle oddities going on than something solidly "weird" but again, that varies story to story.

The author adds a short paragraph about the inspiration or thought process behind each story, which I rather like, and I liked the variety in settings and characters, but it did feel a little shy of what I was hoping for. That said, I wouldn't knock this author off of further reading, just perhaps not this collection here.½

I’m frequently disappointed with short stories because all too often they can feel unfinished in one way or another, leaving me feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. However, as this collection is being published by Meerkat Press, and as I have never yet been disappointed with anything from publisher Tricia Reeks, I was encouraged to feel optimistic that I would be in for a treat. To my delight, as soon as I read the first story, “Union Falls” (about an armless piano player and full of humour, pathos and a touch of magical “other-worldliness”) I knew that my optimism would be rewarded!
I immediately felt captivated by J.S. Breukelaar’s evocatively descriptive style, her convincing observations of human behaviour and the incisive quality of her dialogue. At times it felt as though her characters, and the worlds they inhabited, were leaping off the page, demanding my full attention. Although each of the stories is very different, what remains constant throughout the collection is the author’s skill in drawing her readers into the fantastical worlds she is describing. Yet these are worlds which, albeit in slightly distorted ways, are often all too easily recognisable, possibly because there is always an element of people struggling to make sense of, and adjust to, the world they are inhabiting. Although there were themes of violence, horror, terror, cruelty and pain, these were offset by unexpected moments of humanity, delight, love and hope. For me, one of the most satisfying aspects of reading these stories was this “unexpected” quality; reading them felt akin to going on a voyage of discovery, with surprises around every corner.
At the end of each story the author adds notes to explain what had inspired it. I really appreciated this because it added a very welcome extra dimension to my reading, allowing an intimate glimpse into her creative thought-processes. Her writing is both bold and elegant, quite an unusual combination but one which she manages with impressive, and enviable, style.
Keith Rosson, the supremely talented illustrator and author, designed the eye-catching cover, which evocatively captures something of the energy and unexpected twists and turns which run through the stories. In addition, his dramatic black and white illustrations, which appear throughout the book, add yet another rich dimension to the power of these stories.
Whatever your favourite fantasy genre – horror, mystical, gothic, magical, science-fiction, dystopian – you will be sure to find it in this remarkable collection, sometimes even merged in one story! Without writing a separate review of each of these tales it’s difficult to do full justice to the quality of this author’s writing, but what it is very easy to do is to urge you to read these haunting, disturbing and thought-provoking stories for yourself. If you enjoy the weird, the quirky and the unexpected, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
With thanks to Meerkat Press for an ARC of this book.

I thought this collection of macabre short stories would be very fitting for Halloween so I was very pumped to try this author out. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of every story in the collection and I thought some were much stronger than others. I was however a huge fan of the afterword following each short story, which outlined the author's inspiration for each tale. It made me appreciate the stories a little more, even if I didn't love them all. From amputees to aliens to ghostly dogs and vile, monstrous acts; this collection really is all over the place. The writing is unique, lush, and dark; very fitting for all the stories. These aren't tales with happy endings where everything gets wrapped up neatly with a bow at the end. The final and longest story, was definitely my favorite. It felt the most complete and visceral for me; and I could absolutely see it being a movie or season of American Horror Story. It was very chilling and very well written. J.S. Breukelaar is definitely an author to watch out for!

I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books published by Meerkat Press, so when LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program noted that there was an ARC available for a new book from that publisher, I leapt at the chance. "Collision: Stories," by J. S. Breukelaar, is a collection of short stories by this very talented young writer; her fiction is difficult to categorize as there are often elements of science fiction, horror, fantasy, urban legend and, well, ordinary life all mixed into one tale. What *is* easy to state is that her prose style is quite visceral at times and quite elegant at other times; she strikes me as a very versatile stylist, which is not as common as one might think. Over the years, I have lost much of my taste for horror, so some of the stories in this volume (“Lion Man,” “War Wounds”) were not fun for me to read, but others, particularly the title novella, “Fairy Tale” (based on a Ray Bradbury story) and “Union Falls” (which features an armless piano player) were quite a joy to read. Another very nice touch to this volume is that the author follows each story with a brief paragraph describing her inspirations for the tale; it’s always nice to get a glimpse into the creative process in that way! I’m not sure when the book is coming out, but it’s definitely worth a read, especially if you’re a lover of “weird” fiction - recommended!

Read for judging in Australian Shadows Awards

Little Ridge is an odd little town, there is an island somewhere off the coast but no one seems to remember where it is. It all started when a couple of the town’s residents started to disappear. One day Thettie Harper and her family discover one of the missing people it causes problems within the whole town. Thettie’s one ally is Lee and it’s up to them to find answers.

What really might be causing the problems in the town is the lake itself. There is something evil in that lake below the island that is haunting Little Ridge This is a book about the horror of losing your memory, what we leave behind and terror itself.

Aletheia by J.S. Breukelaar is about the damage that has been done and the damage that will happen. The story has elements of the supernatural and a love story to it. This is a complex character driven novel that you really have to pay attention to in order to get all the details right. Most of all I loved the mood of the story and the fact that it has to deal with how choices we made in the past change how thing will be in the present. Aletheia is a book that builds slowly to a good ending and if you like a well thought out ghost story you will like it.