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Pieces of a Rainbow
'Pieces of a Rainbow' is a collection of seven short stories, each one based on a different colour of the rainbow. You will find a full spectrum of emotions within the stories. Some are sad, some uplifting. There are not always happy endings, but the tales reflect the real world, and the forces of nature at work in our lives; sometimes beyond our control. The stories are diverse in style, and the characters, although fictional, are true-to-life. There is something for everyone in this inspired collection.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
150 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2009
About the author
Maria Savva
48 books521 followersWriter of novels and short stories, multi-genre. Maria's short stories have appeared in the BestsellerBound anthologies and the Mind's Eye Series of books, as well as the online magazine The Write Launch: http://thewritelaunch.com/
Maria is also a music blogger at the Real Rock And Roll blog: https://realrockandroll.wordpress.com/
Look out for current news about her writing on her website: http://www.mariasavva.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 2, 2009
This is my new short story collection. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
November 12, 2009
Two young girls poison their souls for life by keeping the secret of how they accidentally burned down a house, with its occupants (a mother and baby) disappearing in the fire. A single mom struggles to raise her two children, a boy and a girl, in a neighborhood rampant with gang violence. A romantic encounter at a beautiful seaside resort between two hurt and lonely people almost happens, but doesn’t. A woman tries to trick her girlfriend by bribing her fortuneteller, but is it she or the fortuneteller who has the “last laugh”? A mother who becomes a criminal due to her own husband’s influence, goes to jail while he squeaks by without breaking any laws. What happens when her time is up in a world where criminals run free while the results of their “lawful” activities get locked away? A girl’s jealousy for her best friend not only hurts their friendship, but ruins her own chance for happiness with the boy whom she loves. A mother loses the confidence of everyone, even her husband, when her baby is kidnapped while under her care. He divorces her, taking the children with him, only to run into his own problems. She eventually recovers all her children, and finds true happiness with another man, one who will stand by her through thick and thin.
This is a collection of truly fresh, remarkable and even haunting stories, any one of which would make an excellent TV drama (or movie). There is a memorable intensity to all of them, a few of which I can’t get out of my head. Each story is varied and unique, and I must say I admire Maria Savva’s writing ability as expressed in the diversity of her characters. For instance, the character, Savannah, in “Seeing Red” (the woman criminal) is incredibly realistic in both the limitations of her intellect (to fully understand what’s going on around her), and in the depth of her needs and her craving to be loved.
Reading this collection of short stories was a real treat!
This is a collection of truly fresh, remarkable and even haunting stories, any one of which would make an excellent TV drama (or movie). There is a memorable intensity to all of them, a few of which I can’t get out of my head. Each story is varied and unique, and I must say I admire Maria Savva’s writing ability as expressed in the diversity of her characters. For instance, the character, Savannah, in “Seeing Red” (the woman criminal) is incredibly realistic in both the limitations of her intellect (to fully understand what’s going on around her), and in the depth of her needs and her craving to be loved.
Reading this collection of short stories was a real treat!
July 15, 2011
Pieces of a Rainbow (maria Savva)
A book of short stories that reflect the colors of the rainbow, emotional hues, of life.
The characters are true to life, each individual facing their emotions, and dealing with life in these modern times. Some have happy endings, some unsure, and some not so fortunate.
Ms. Savva writes with emotion, bringing the reader in touch with each (character) on a personal level. Their thoughts, feelings, emotions come to life on every page, as if (you) were spying a personal journal or peeking silently through a window watching and awaiting the next step he/she will make on their journey through life. A memorable read that left me satisfied.
I will definitely be reading her next book of short stories:Love and Loyalty
A book of short stories that reflect the colors of the rainbow, emotional hues, of life.
The characters are true to life, each individual facing their emotions, and dealing with life in these modern times. Some have happy endings, some unsure, and some not so fortunate.
Ms. Savva writes with emotion, bringing the reader in touch with each (character) on a personal level. Their thoughts, feelings, emotions come to life on every page, as if (you) were spying a personal journal or peeking silently through a window watching and awaiting the next step he/she will make on their journey through life. A memorable read that left me satisfied.
I will definitely be reading her next book of short stories:Love and Loyalty
November 10, 2009
"Wonderful"
What a fabulous analogy for the range of emotions that drive us humans. Loved the easy to follow style and the relationships to which we can all relate, this in addition to the realistic characters, it can only be a success.
I loved the lines, '...a blank canvas on which to build her dreams...' and '...he was a tattoo on her heart that could not be removed...' from Seeing Red, the first story, and '...leaving a hole the size of a watermelon in Sally's soul...' from, Envy (story four), where irony is particularly relevant.
All the stories draw you in and I, for one, couldn't wait to see what happened. There were many twists and turns and certainly unexpected events where the themes of responsibility, the ups and downs of relationships, and parental dilemmas are unmistakeable.
I would have to say that Mystic Purple was my favourite story, where I thoroughly enjoyed the comedy of small talk between Jen and Amy - the whole story bringing a smile though leaving a question as to whether we make our own fate.
This is not the first book by Maria Savva, and Pieces of a Rainbow is not a disappointment...I really enjoyed it...and I can honestly recommend that all are worth a look.
Clever, interesting and extremely good...great writing.
Julie Elizabeth Powell, author of Gone, Slings & Arrows, Knowing Jack, The Star Realm and Invasion
What a fabulous analogy for the range of emotions that drive us humans. Loved the easy to follow style and the relationships to which we can all relate, this in addition to the realistic characters, it can only be a success.
I loved the lines, '...a blank canvas on which to build her dreams...' and '...he was a tattoo on her heart that could not be removed...' from Seeing Red, the first story, and '...leaving a hole the size of a watermelon in Sally's soul...' from, Envy (story four), where irony is particularly relevant.
All the stories draw you in and I, for one, couldn't wait to see what happened. There were many twists and turns and certainly unexpected events where the themes of responsibility, the ups and downs of relationships, and parental dilemmas are unmistakeable.
I would have to say that Mystic Purple was my favourite story, where I thoroughly enjoyed the comedy of small talk between Jen and Amy - the whole story bringing a smile though leaving a question as to whether we make our own fate.
This is not the first book by Maria Savva, and Pieces of a Rainbow is not a disappointment...I really enjoyed it...and I can honestly recommend that all are worth a look.
Clever, interesting and extremely good...great writing.
Julie Elizabeth Powell, author of Gone, Slings & Arrows, Knowing Jack, The Star Realm and Invasion
December 29, 2011
I finished this book in less than a day, it was such an easy read. That's not to say that it was the best book I've read, just that the stories were simple and easy to read.
Personally for me, each time I started a story I would think "I am not sure if I like this or not." Then the story would turn in some way I would be left thinking "I still am not sure if I like this or not."
Almost every story had to do with someone getting a divorce, being divorced, getting cheated on, or having kids & the kids having problems.
Out of all the stories, my favorite one was the "Blue" chapter; it was short, it was funny (because people are probably really thinking those things and they are really happening) and the "Rainbow's end" chapter because at one point I was just blown away by what happened (the story after that part was just mediocre)
The premise of the whole book, all stories combined, is to say that even though there are regret nothing, every choice and everything that happens is for a reason; good or bad. So I guess I shouldn't regret that I read this book. I don't regret it, I just think I didn't know what to expect and I don't know if I was fulfilled enough by it.
Personally for me, each time I started a story I would think "I am not sure if I like this or not." Then the story would turn in some way I would be left thinking "I still am not sure if I like this or not."
Almost every story had to do with someone getting a divorce, being divorced, getting cheated on, or having kids & the kids having problems.
Out of all the stories, my favorite one was the "Blue" chapter; it was short, it was funny (because people are probably really thinking those things and they are really happening) and the "Rainbow's end" chapter because at one point I was just blown away by what happened (the story after that part was just mediocre)
The premise of the whole book, all stories combined, is to say that even though there are regret nothing, every choice and everything that happens is for a reason; good or bad. So I guess I shouldn't regret that I read this book. I don't regret it, I just think I didn't know what to expect and I don't know if I was fulfilled enough by it.
August 27, 2010
First of all, I really like the cover--it just matches up so well with the concept of the collection which is based upon each 'color' in the rainbow. How cool is that!
I particularly enjoyed 'Envy', 'Mystic Purple', and 'Rainbow's End', though all of the stories were succinct. They weren't succinct in a lazy sense either--characterization was good in the sense that I actually cared and was interested in the characters' sentiments and situations (which is quite hard to do when you have a "limited amount of space" to do so when writing in the "short story" form).
I greatly appreciated the sense of realism and depth/insight to the characters and storyline too. I enjoy this sort of material much more than the over-hyped material the mainstream media seems incapable of *not* producing and *not* shoving down everybody's throats. The stories here are about important things/real values in life, and using the rainbow as a symbol and/or concept to illustrate this was a choice pick and very-well executed by a person who's both a fantastic woman as well as writer.
I particularly enjoyed 'Envy', 'Mystic Purple', and 'Rainbow's End', though all of the stories were succinct. They weren't succinct in a lazy sense either--characterization was good in the sense that I actually cared and was interested in the characters' sentiments and situations (which is quite hard to do when you have a "limited amount of space" to do so when writing in the "short story" form).
I greatly appreciated the sense of realism and depth/insight to the characters and storyline too. I enjoy this sort of material much more than the over-hyped material the mainstream media seems incapable of *not* producing and *not* shoving down everybody's throats. The stories here are about important things/real values in life, and using the rainbow as a symbol and/or concept to illustrate this was a choice pick and very-well executed by a person who's both a fantastic woman as well as writer.
January 7, 2012
One of the things I love most about Maria Savva's writing is that readers can expect the unexpected. This anthology is no exception.
"Pieces of a Rainbow" is a collection of seven tales, each featuring a color found along the classic ROYGBIV spectrum. Sometimes it's a flower. Sometimes it's flame. Sometimes it's a character's name. The references tie the very different tales together.
My favorite of the lot was "Envy," the green story in the set. It's a tale about differing perspectives of two people examining the same events.
As always with Savva, the characters are well-drawn and the plots are compact. You get a full tale in a Maria Savva short story, with thought-provoking incidents and satisfying (if not always happy) conclusions.
Also contains samples from Savva's novel, "The Dream," and a short story found in another anthology, "Fusion."
"Pieces of a Rainbow" is a collection of seven tales, each featuring a color found along the classic ROYGBIV spectrum. Sometimes it's a flower. Sometimes it's flame. Sometimes it's a character's name. The references tie the very different tales together.
My favorite of the lot was "Envy," the green story in the set. It's a tale about differing perspectives of two people examining the same events.
As always with Savva, the characters are well-drawn and the plots are compact. You get a full tale in a Maria Savva short story, with thought-provoking incidents and satisfying (if not always happy) conclusions.
Also contains samples from Savva's novel, "The Dream," and a short story found in another anthology, "Fusion."
August 12, 2010
I have already read and enjoyed Maria Savva's first two novels'A Time to Tell' and 'Coincidences'. This new book 'Pieces of a Rainbow' is an excellent collection of seven short stories in which each story is based on one of the colours that make up a rainbow.Within Maria Savva's written work you will always find emotional stories that reflect the realities of life and the world that we find ourselves living in. Each story within this book is very different in style with some stories being sad and others inspiring.I am not usually a reader of short story collections but this particular book is well worth reading.
January 22, 2012
This anthology was a well-written and compelling glimpse into the lives of some very interesting characters. I loved the use and symbolism of color, and looked forward to seeing how the author would carry on that theme in each story. It takes a special knack to write short stories and Maria Savva is very skilled in this genres as well as with writing novels. Her characters are full of emotion and her stories take unexpected turns. I'm glad there are so many colors in the rainbow as each story in this collection was a treat. Even though I have chores to do around the house, Maria Savva's books have a tendency to keep me on the couch turning the pages and this collection was no different.
August 22, 2012
Simple, beautiful and a light reading book, didn't rise to my expectations though. Her stories were so predictable and I personally love a story to be surprising or at least with a breath-taking sequence of events. I loved the idea of the rainbow colors, that each color is relevant to each story.
September 23, 2010
This is the kindle version of my collection of short stories. Enjoy!
October 10, 2012
Excellent, will write reveiw shortly
February 13, 2017
UPDATE: 1.5 stars. Would not recommend this.
// I really don't know about this one. I didn't like it that much, but if it's a 1 star rating - I'm not sure just yet. So, I'll settle for 2 stars for now.
The stories just weren't that great in my opinion - some of them made no sense at all, and others were extremely predictable - and I didn't like the writing either. Both the writing and the stories felt so incredibly childish - like something I myself as a 13-year-old could write.
I don't know. I really think the cover is pretty and simple, and I really liked the concept - but the stories and the writing in itself were just OK. Maybe even a little but under OK.
But it was fast-paced, at least - so it didn't feel like I wasted too much time.
// I really don't know about this one. I didn't like it that much, but if it's a 1 star rating - I'm not sure just yet. So, I'll settle for 2 stars for now.
The stories just weren't that great in my opinion - some of them made no sense at all, and others were extremely predictable - and I didn't like the writing either. Both the writing and the stories felt so incredibly childish - like something I myself as a 13-year-old could write.
I don't know. I really think the cover is pretty and simple, and I really liked the concept - but the stories and the writing in itself were just OK. Maybe even a little but under OK.
But it was fast-paced, at least - so it didn't feel like I wasted too much time.
August 11, 2016
Maria Savva writes with striking realism. The characters feel like everyday people whose stories could be playing out right now with neighbors, friends, or the strangers you see around you.
I love the concept tying this collection together. The stories reflect the array of colors they encompass, giving us a rainbow of emotions.
I love the concept tying this collection together. The stories reflect the array of colors they encompass, giving us a rainbow of emotions.
September 22, 2011
Oddly, a bit fast-paced. The color idea was a little trite. And the connections between stories were just okay. Sorry, Maria.
January 25, 2011
Nice idea, but I don't think short stories are for me. Not enough time for character development. At times, the stories felt slightly too cliched.
April 10, 2016
Read April 2011
Re-read April 2016
Re-read April 2016
November 12, 2011
This book was awful. I don't understand how it has so many rave reviews. The writing style gives the vibe that a 13 year old wrote the book.
May 27, 2011
The writing was juvenile and the stories felt uninspired.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews