The Young Adult Collection by Jack Karolewski is a good starting place for a prolific promising writer. However, short stories are very difficult to write.   I feel this would be better marketed as middle-grade fiction.

The challenge in short stories is to drive the narrative like a race car through tight curves. Character arc and turning point have to move quickly and close fast. It is a challenge for writers at any stage of their careers, and Karolewski gave himself a tall order. The stories are more like snapshots because the structure has not been defined, and the conclusions are left open-ended. In the story “One for Mars,” Karolewski ends the story with, “something touched his shoulder from behind.”  We never know what touched him, and yes, I understand that an argument can be made that leaving it open was purposely constructed to inspire the reader's imagination. Still, a writer is not here to force the reader to use their imagination and search for an ending.  The line “something touched his shoulder from behind” should have begun the story, not ended it. “Passenger 39-C,” has the same flaw. A passenger is seated behind a man who draws a picture of the plane crashing as the plane they are in also begins to crash.  It is inferred that the man is something otherworldly, and the author asks the questions; Who was he? Where was he from?   It is the author’s job to solve this mystery. I am a reader; I want to know those things. It is never a good idea for writers to ask readers’ questions they cannot answer.

Kaarolewski jumps from first person to third effectively in his collection.  It is risky to change narrative perspective in a novel or collections of short stories, but you can get away with it with a certain amount of skill, and Karolewski does both equally well.  The story “Florida Redemption” is first-person, and so is “Guardian,” which asks a lot of questions about a guy who hitchhikes to Florida. But after a series of odd encounters and great physical discomfort he returns home with a new perspective on life.

The story I liked the most was “Gold Mountain.” It is about a Chinese man named Wu Chen who comes to America in 1849 just in time for the Gold Rush in California. I thought Karolewski managed to capture some of the hardships, racism and horrible struggles that this population experienced. Good job! They  built the railroads, lost their lives blasting rock out of mountains, and  changed the complexion of America. A short novel could most certainly be teased out of it.

I enjoyed the pacing  in “House of Horrors,” “The Colonizers,” and “Dark Side.”

Karolwski has one of the most important things a writer can have, and that’s imagination. That is why this book is rated at a 3 as opposed to a 2. These are promising stories but badly in need of character arc. At this point, more work needs to be done. Each story could be an idea for a novel or script, and the potential is there. I felt so honored to read the work of such a committed  writer.  And if you are a reader who likes to follow new talent, Karolewski is an author with whom you can begin a journey.

Just remember… all books are good books but not all books are for all people. (Karina Holosko)