Review: As Mad as a Hatter by Catherine Stovall

Title: As Mad as a Hatter: A Short Story Collection
Author: Catherine Stovall
Format: E-book
Pages: 144
Dates Read: November 29-December 1, 2015
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: Madness is a state of frenzied or chaotic activity.  Twelve short stories.  Six poems.  We are given a delightfully chaotic and frenzied view beneath the top hat that the Hatter wears.  Catherine Stovall's delightfully mad muse. 

Review: 
I was gifted a copy of this short story collection by the author in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for the opportunity Catherine! 

Where in the hell do I start with this fantastic collection of short stories and poems?  I have absolutely no idea.  Let's see if I can do this collection justice with my review or if I will fall short because I cannot properly find the words to express the nostalgia and reminder of Stephen King and other authors ability to capture and hold my attention with their twisted, beautiful, and insane ideas.  

The narrative is fantastic, the description is picturesque in its quality.  The mental imagery is a kaleidoscope of perfection from the crispness of her descriptive passages.  I greatly enjoy delving into the Hatter's madness every now and then and find myself fancying a trip again soon.  

"Drift Back Home," is one that will forever strike me to the core.  The experiences are known to adults, as well as couples with children, or anyone who has been cracking under the pressure.  The sadness in this tale of hopeful coincidence is what continually draws me back to it.  

"Independence Day," is quite sinister and is decidedly one of my favorites!  Though, "Room Number Four," and "The Queen's Art," will definitely make one a bit more wary of staying in seedy motels, or betraying a person's trust.  

All in all, this collection is one of my favorites and I will perpetually be re-reading it.