Scraps is a collection of five stories, in the literary fiction genre.

With the topic and style of the stories varying widely, this is an interesting collection to read. The first story is an analogy dedicated to a friend of his, called Sam. With talking animals, and a clear point it is an interesting read if not truly engaging. There are a few shorter pieces following it, stories of a few hundred words only, but the last two stories in the book are the strongest. Retribution for a forgotten killing and a veteran’s relationship with his family are not new themes, but they are handled well here, and the stories keep you reading to find out the truth.

The writing style is descriptive, verging on florid in places, but it works for the type of story. With no typos or spelling errors and generally good grammar, this is a well-presented collection with the only real flaw being a few oddly placed page breaks. There is no Table of Contents, but it is a short enough book one really isn’t needed. There is a short prologue, but no front or back matter, adverts for other books or even contact details for the author, focusing purely on the stories.

I’d give it a three, down from four due to the odd page-breaks, but readers of short stories, slice of life pieces and lovers of literary fiction should check this one out. There are some entrancing ideas here, and a pleasant, if short, read.