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189 Public Reviews Given
189 Total Reviews Given
Public Reviews
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Review of The Cafeteria Kid  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
A tender, quietly luminous vignette. Its charm lies in its restraint and emotional authenticity. The grandmother-child dynamic is vivid, joyful, and subtly poignant. Minor clichés aside, it resonates like a well-remembered moment of grace — brief, ordinary, and unforgettable. A small triumph of simple, observational storytelling.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Sharp, satisfying role reversal. The buildup of class tension is skillfully rendered, culminating in a quiet but devastating twist. Evelyn’s smugness collapses in a single line. The story excels in tone, irony, and subtext, though the dialogue could be trimmed for tautness. Still, a gratifying punch in under 300 words.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
A clever, satirical piece blending technophobia with existential fatigue. The robot’s overfamiliarity grates perfectly, and the gem’s synthetic cheeriness mirrors corporate intrusion into personal peace. Strong tone and pacing. Could benefit from trimming some dialogue repetition, but the ending lands with sardonic impact. Funny, eerie, relevant.
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Review of Midnight  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Simple, sweet slice-of-life story with gentle pacing and natural buildup. The twist is comforting rather than shocking. The moonlight detail adds atmosphere. Emotionally rewarding, especially for cat lovers. Not innovative, but warm and satisfying. A quiet midnight memory that purrs instead of roars.
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Review of Mistress Mary  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Tightly crafted supernatural tale. Atmosphere builds subtly from casual to eerie. Dialogue feels natural, with convincing pacing and dread. “Mary of the cool green swale” sticks in memory. Nice Southern Gothic flavor without excess. Strong closing image. Could be a classic campfire ghost story. Economic and effective.
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Review of The New Dress  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Charming, well-paced, and humorous. The twist with the gift card saves the story from becoming predictable or sentimental. The tone balances tween awkwardness and familial affection. Some clichés in phrasing, but forgivable given the genre. Sweet without being saccharine.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Clever, absurd, and charmingly self-aware. A tall tale in the tradition of Mark Twain or Douglas Adams, delivered with comedic bravado. Characters are vivid, pacing is strong, and the gator-catapult twist lands perfectly. Needs slight tightening, but the wit and tone are consistently delightful.
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Review of Unusual  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Dark, sharp, and cinematic. The voice is compellingly cold and brutal, laced with a noir edge. But the ending’s sudden shift into poetic sensuality weakens impact. Execution-style closure is shocking yet predictable. Still, strong atmosphere and well-crafted menace.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (3.5)
"I Called Him Kicky" is emotionally powerful, raw and deeply human. A piece that devastates with moral clarity and restrained fury. Some prose borders on purple, but its sincerity crushes any pretense. A brutal indictment of humanitarian apathy—personal, political, and global. Could be stronger structurally, but emotionally, it hits like a brick, yet it would hit even harder with:

Stripped-down prose.

Sharper character focus.

More trust in the reader to feel without being told what to feel.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Witty, offbeat, and delightfully absurd. This story plays paranoia for laughs while cleverly twisting expectations with the reveal of tiny, mischievous creatures as true saboteurs. Strong pacing, a clear structure, and excellent tonal balance between delusion and comedy. Memorable and original — flash fiction that knows exactly what it’s doing.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Born Again  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
Light, whimsical, and cleverly circular, this piece plays with transformation, miscommunication, and absurdity. Though structurally thin, it captures a surreal fairy-tale tone with minimal exposition. Its humor stems from childish logic and magical cause-effect, echoing a Roald Dahl-esque mischief. Charming but not profound — its brevity is both asset and limit.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of HARDLY HEATHENS  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Powerful, thought-provoking narrative on spiritual identity, hypocrisy, and cultural pride. The protagonist’s quiet defiance contrasts masterfully with religious dogma. Dense but lyrically rich. The ending strikes hard. Slight over-description in places, but the depth of theme and character insight is exceptional.
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (1.5)
Overlong, exposition-heavy, and tonally inconsistent. Fetishistic core undermines any thematic or emotional depth. Characters are cardboard cutouts serving an implausible fantasy. The story treats death and trauma flippantly. Needs drastic pruning, tonal control, and emotional stakes. As it stands, it reads more like softcore fetish fanfic than a narrative.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
A compact crime vignette with a satisfying twist. The narrative voice is clean but a bit dry. The tension escalates effectively, though character motivations could use more depth. The final reveal lands well, giving it procedural flair. Strong concept, but would shine with tighter pacing and more nuanced dialogue.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
A sharp, revenge-fueled tale with a tight arc and vivid voice. Strong moral inversion and poetic justice. Could benefit from a more nuanced buildup of dread and mystery, but the payoff is satisfying. Excellent twist, solid pacing, and the tone walks a fine line between gothic and empowering.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Wonderfully whimsical. A classic horror setup subverted with humor and myth. Nessie is reimagined brilliantly—cheeky, charming, legendary. The pacing is cinematic; the tonal shift from fear to farce is daring and well-executed. Could use minor trimming, but overall: a delightful twist on the monster tale.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Road Trip  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Brutal and cinematic. The story is a slow crescendo of pain and defiance, building to a tragic release. The contrast between the polished plan and the raw emotional collapse hits hard. A tragic spiral, fuelled by music, memory, and rage. Powerful flash fiction.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of The Beach  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Τhis piece balances poetic imagery with noir fatalism. The prose is rich, if slightly overripe in moments. The daisy motif and circular structure ("In my beginning is my end") lend mythic gravity. Ultimately, it’s a meditation on guilt, memory, and the futility of escape—hauntingly effective.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Pinky  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
A whimsical, imaginative twist on the “genie in a box” trope. Strong pacing and tonal balance between humor and menace. Arabella is subtly drawn, while Pinky subverts expectations delightfully. Ending hints at further mischief. Slightly overlong in parts, but the payoff justifies the length. A polished piece with charm.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Mulberry  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Charming neo-noir vignette with flair and humor. Jake’s world is well-drawn in few strokes, and Mulberry adds absurdity and depth. The dialogue crackles. The twist is soft but satisfying. It’s lightweight, but tight. Style-wise, it’s pulp done right. Not profound—but it knows exactly what it is.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Frank's Companion  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Cleverly executed psychological ghost story. The twist—that Frank’s companion is imaginary—hits hard, especially when his voice is heard post-mortem. The pacing is atmospheric, though the repetition sometimes drags. Excellent use of unreliable narration and auditory hallucinations. A sad, eerie, well-earned ending that lingers


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Metal Rain  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Tense, cinematic, emotionally charged. Clear stakes, solid pacing, with excellent human-versus-machine metaphor. Lucy’s transformation is effective, and Stark’s last act hits hard. Slight clichés in AI uprising tropes, but redeemed by sharp dialogue and earned sentiment. Brutal yet tender — war told through fatherhood. Strong


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of October 7, 2060  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (2.5)
"No Restrictions", yet this story contains overtly racist content, generalizations against specific groups, dehumanization, disinformation, and depictions that promote hatred. Transposing the Israel–Palestine conflict into a futuristic, space-based setting does not make it more neutral or acceptable; on the contrary, it preserves and amplifies real, highly sensitive political tensions, using charged imagery in ways that may incite violence or offend identifiable communities. 2.5 stars for the effort only.



(35 years before... https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/234... )



*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review of Sounds Good  Open in new Window.
Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Light and charming slice-of-life piece. Realistic dialogue and childlike logic create warmth and humor. The repetition theme subtly explores parenting habits. Slightly predictable but effective. The ending ties it up neatly with a feel-good resolution. Nothing groundbreaking, but it delivers exactly what it promises—with sincerity and heart.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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Review by Raskolnick Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
A surreal, verbose narrative blending theology, satire, and existential musings. Father Satan and Baby Jesus clash in a bookstore and bar, with Beeratrice as a pivotal figure. Rich in dialogue and metaphor, it critiques modern culture but meanders, lacking a cohesive plot. Intriguing yet overly dense.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
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