'In Complication Pajalic uses his talents to explore the limits of everyday humanity, or the lack thereof.' GOODREADING
"Each story is raw and gritty in its own way and are full of hard hitting topics that people have to go through especially during times of hardship and suffering, but it was also full of hope and resilience. I especially loved that while all the grief, suffering and pain where happening it was the innocence of animals that shone through the light of hope and resilience. I cannot recommend this collection enough, this is possibly one of the best books I have read maybe ever, but, definitely this year, for sure." Complication: Short Stories GOODREADS
"Complication is a collection of hauntingly beautiful short stories of people down on their luck. Remarkable encounters with animals span across the stories, offering hidden messages of trials and triumph. The stories move from grittiness to glimmer, reflecting reality in a true form. These stories are versatile and can be appreciated read together or individually over time, undoubtedly harnessing different meanings each time. Within each story are experiences readers will connect with and it allows for a rich shared experiences, across cultures and generations." GOODREADS
"In this short story collection we are thrown head on into the lives of people who have escaped from the Bosnian war and are building their new life in Australia. We get to learn about different situations in their lives, all told raw and pretty uncensored as if we are seeing these scenes played out in reality. "Names Of Wildflowers" is probably the one that I liked the most; the story of how Faruk and Rick, who is three times his age, started bonding and building some mutual understanding through a loss they both experience. The moment Rick called Faruk by his truthful name finally made me smile a little." GOODREADS
"Complication is a haunting & beautifully raw collection of short stories, each story is unique focusing on different characters and situations but they are all equally heartbreaking and thought provoking. The author draws on his own experience of moving to Australia as a refugee fleeing war torn Bosnia and has created a true eye opener into what it is like to arrive & survive in another country as a refugee. This is a hard, harrowing, gritty read highlighting the absolute worst of humanity but hope does shine through." GOODREADS
"This was a brilliant, authentic collection of short stories, each following different members of the community. I liked that the stories were all different and engaging but the overall sense was one of hope and survival. Based on the author's own experiences moving to Australia from a war torn Bosnia, it was clear to see the emotion and feeling that was put into each story and each character. Many of the characters were flawed, but I think this made them more relatable and made it easy for us to connect with them better in such a short space of time. I also found them quite immersive, even though they were brief. The writing grabbed you in right from the opening sentence and the fast pace swept me through the whole book in one sitting.
I feel that some of these could even be expanded into full stories of their own? Although gritty at times, I really enjoyed this collection. It had a great realistic and down to earth feel to it and I'd be interested to read more from this author." GOODREADS
“From the title to the ending, everything about this story is executed with deliberate pacing and skill. A joy to read.” 101WORDS
“… the healer who can (view spoiler) is an old trope. What makes it new again in “Transference” is Pajalic’s highly naturalistic treatment of this character -- what would it be like to be such a person? Pajalic humanises this character to give his story real emotional punch.” GOODREADS
“Loved Dinosaur by Fikret Pajalic, great drama and dialogue inside a warehouse.” ABBIE FOXTON
“Fikret Pajalic’s ‘Oreo’ is a heart-wrenching tale of human cruelty towards animals.” CHRYSOULA AIELLO
“Fikret Pajalic’s ‘Boonie’ is captivating from the outset as it details two co-workers’ cathartic affair as they both seek something from the other that was never meant to be.” SONIA NAIR
“Fikret Pajalic’s work of fiction, ‘When I Am Dead and White,’ metaphorically explores the main character’s refugee experience through hyperactive sensory perception.” LIPMAG
"Each story is raw and gritty in its own way and are full of hard hitting topics that people have to go through especially during times of hardship and suffering, but it was also full of hope and resilience. I especially loved that while all the grief, suffering and pain where happening it was the innocence of animals that shone through the light of hope and resilience. I cannot recommend this collection enough, this is possibly one of the best books I have read maybe ever, but, definitely this year, for sure." Complication: Short Stories GOODREADS
"Complication is a collection of hauntingly beautiful short stories of people down on their luck. Remarkable encounters with animals span across the stories, offering hidden messages of trials and triumph. The stories move from grittiness to glimmer, reflecting reality in a true form. These stories are versatile and can be appreciated read together or individually over time, undoubtedly harnessing different meanings each time. Within each story are experiences readers will connect with and it allows for a rich shared experiences, across cultures and generations." GOODREADS
"In this short story collection we are thrown head on into the lives of people who have escaped from the Bosnian war and are building their new life in Australia. We get to learn about different situations in their lives, all told raw and pretty uncensored as if we are seeing these scenes played out in reality. "Names Of Wildflowers" is probably the one that I liked the most; the story of how Faruk and Rick, who is three times his age, started bonding and building some mutual understanding through a loss they both experience. The moment Rick called Faruk by his truthful name finally made me smile a little." GOODREADS
"Complication is a haunting & beautifully raw collection of short stories, each story is unique focusing on different characters and situations but they are all equally heartbreaking and thought provoking. The author draws on his own experience of moving to Australia as a refugee fleeing war torn Bosnia and has created a true eye opener into what it is like to arrive & survive in another country as a refugee. This is a hard, harrowing, gritty read highlighting the absolute worst of humanity but hope does shine through." GOODREADS
"This was a brilliant, authentic collection of short stories, each following different members of the community. I liked that the stories were all different and engaging but the overall sense was one of hope and survival. Based on the author's own experiences moving to Australia from a war torn Bosnia, it was clear to see the emotion and feeling that was put into each story and each character. Many of the characters were flawed, but I think this made them more relatable and made it easy for us to connect with them better in such a short space of time. I also found them quite immersive, even though they were brief. The writing grabbed you in right from the opening sentence and the fast pace swept me through the whole book in one sitting.
I feel that some of these could even be expanded into full stories of their own? Although gritty at times, I really enjoyed this collection. It had a great realistic and down to earth feel to it and I'd be interested to read more from this author." GOODREADS
“From the title to the ending, everything about this story is executed with deliberate pacing and skill. A joy to read.” 101WORDS
“… the healer who can (view spoiler) is an old trope. What makes it new again in “Transference” is Pajalic’s highly naturalistic treatment of this character -- what would it be like to be such a person? Pajalic humanises this character to give his story real emotional punch.” GOODREADS
“Loved Dinosaur by Fikret Pajalic, great drama and dialogue inside a warehouse.” ABBIE FOXTON
“Fikret Pajalic’s ‘Oreo’ is a heart-wrenching tale of human cruelty towards animals.” CHRYSOULA AIELLO
“Fikret Pajalic’s ‘Boonie’ is captivating from the outset as it details two co-workers’ cathartic affair as they both seek something from the other that was never meant to be.” SONIA NAIR
“Fikret Pajalic’s work of fiction, ‘When I Am Dead and White,’ metaphorically explores the main character’s refugee experience through hyperactive sensory perception.” LIPMAG