Retro Review: Before the Fall

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

3 stars. I'm a huge Noah Hawley fan. Fargo and Legion are so incredibly creative and engaging and strong, so obviously I opened Before the Fall with high expectations and a side-eye on the hype. And did it get there? Did it do it for me? Well, sort of.

I've been thinking a lot about Goodreads and social media and its impact on the book world, and I would agree with many that Goodreads "reviews" should really be called "reactions." If I were to "review" this book, I'd probably give it a higher score than if I simply "reacted." I mean look, critics loved this book. They raved about it. "Ingeniously nerve-racking" - New York Times. "Terrific thriller" - Washington Post. "Highly entertaining" - AP.

My purpose here is different, though. I just want to chat! I want to provide my opinion in an informal (lazy) manner without feeling the pressure to recommend or not recommend. I want to unpack and extrapolate to a certain degree but keep things firmly in the realm of "response" rather than "review."

Ugh, okay, back to the book: I just don't know. I loved the concept - I like group dissection stories in which a bunch of characters are introduced and we learn about them one-by-one. I liked the mystery and the social commentary and the insights about families and relationships. I liked that it starts with a plane crash and moves backward and forward to build the narrative. I was delighted by the cinematic details and the deep characterization for which Hawley is particularly well-known.

BUT, I didn't like the ending, so much, although it was the type of dark turn I normally really enjoy. I thought the political / entertainment industry satire fell a little flat. Overall, it lacked a spark, I think, for me. It lacked the special flavor that usually keeps me reading something like this. It just wasn't spicy enough! I'm still a huge Hawley fan (his work this season on Legion is triumphant), but as I said, this is just a solid sort of for me.

Before the Fall on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Dracula

2019 CHALLENGE: 1 RE-READ PER MONTH 04 / 12  

5 stars. Hello there! It's been awhile. Several things happened in life this month: 1. reading slump 2. puppy 3. new Kindle, which took awhile to get used to. I'm behind but I'm going with the flow. And the good news is, I really enjoyed re-reading Dracula.I wrote about 4 billion words on it in college but I hadn't read it for FUN since I was maybe ... 12? I was in the mood for something like this: long, eerie, Gothic, old school.

Three things really struck me about Dracula, this time: One - my impression of this book is really tangled with my impression of the Coppola adaptation. I actually love that film, I love the aesthetics and the performances (yes, even Keanu!), but I thought I'd be able to separate from them in reading. Not so, apparently. Which was fine; definitely made the reading experience a little unusual.

Two - this book could use some editing. I see now that The Historian felt so bogged down and slow to me because it pulled from the flavor of the original. There are parts that sing (Harker's experience in the castle; the mountain chase at the end), but there are incredibly slow parts as the characters try to figure out - ON PAPER - what the heck they are dealing with. I care about the vampire, not about his "child-brain" or whatever. I care about his demise, not which river he took to get home.

Three - OH THE MELODRAMA! I kept rolling my eyes at the extreme emotion of it all - the love for Lucy, the love for Mina, the swooning, the practically spiritual way they all worshiped and praised each other. Characters "overcome" left and right. Even for a Victorian novel, there were so many tears and promises and feelings - from men more than women, which is interesting. Obviously there are a ton of ways to interpret the role of women in this book and there are a ton of papers written about that. It's complicated. But I was really taken aback by the amount of detail dedicated to the male characters' seemingly hysterical reactions to everything.

Truly though, this is a masterpiece. It's rich and brilliant and perfect to study. There's so much to unpack about what was feared and admired in Victorian times, and how each character explores and embodies those themes. I'm fascinated by the way mental health and sanity played a part, as well as desire and religion and spirituality and old vs new. So many delicious ingredients!

I'm so happy that my reading challenge took me in this direction. My house has been chewed up by an 8-week old corgi, my new Kindle has Wi-Fi issues, I haven't "felt like reading in awhile" (which means I'm deathly ill, probably), but I really enjoyed sinking into the Carpathian mountains when I could. What can I say? Vampires interest me, and this one is the OG.

Dracula on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: The Girls

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

2 stars. This just didn't do it for me. I had really, really high expectations, and that may have been part of the problem, but ultimately it just didn't resonate. My immediate reaction: stylish but empty.

Okay, so I liked that The Girls captures a hugely important aspect of being a teenage girl. For someone so insecure and worried about being judged, Evie judges others harshly - especially men. She's hypercritical; beyond hypercritical, she's full of feral hatred and disgust. And she's struggling, flailing around, grasping at an identity that keeps slipping through her fingers. I remember that; as a teenage girl I had no idea what I was doing ... and I knew it.

And the writing is admirably grotesque, borrowing from Gillian Flynn, but the similes and metaphors are really strange and the language occasionally pretentious (sorry! I used the "p" word!). Cline's words are wild and flashy and strange and impressionistic, but they feel manipulative, like shiny wrapping paper around a mediocre gift. The purpose of this book felt murky.

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something. I wanted to like this and I do appreciate it on some level. I'm eager to see what Emma Cline paints next. But this a 2-star experience, for me.

The Girls on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: Three Dark Crowns

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

It took way too long for this story to click into place, and when it did, it was only-sorta-barely satisfying enough. I was into the premise (very, very, very Game of Thrones-ish) and the writing is ... pretty good, but I completely understand why many did not finish. The number of characters is off-putting, especially at the beginning, and the lack of action causes things to really drag. Pacing, pacing, pacing.

I don't mean to be entirely negative. Blake earns points for a fun ending and some interesting loose ends. I liked the mood, the atmosphere, and the fairy tale tone. There's a sense that we started reading this story through a magnifying lens and our view will now expand rapidly until we get some history/context. Intriguing! And the book tastes awesome - it's got that spicy fantasy flavor everyone knows and loves. At the end of the day, though, it just didn't satisfy my hunger.

I think I might read on, hoping that some of the issues resolve themselves in book 2. Oh, and I would ask for fewer empty romantic subplots but I'm not so sure that's a Blake thing. That just may be a YA fantasy thing.

Three Dark Crowns on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: The Night Manager

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

4 stars. The Night Manager tells the tale of a man named Jonathan Pine and his drive to bring down a rich criminal named Richard Roper. Pine infiltrates Roper's inner circle with the complicated support of the government, and - apologies for the old (yet appropriate) spy novel cliche - finds himself tangled in a web from which he will likely never escape.

This is one of those books that forced me to step back and say okay, regardless of how I feel about the story, it's an impressive piece of writing. Among the book's many merits, the dialogue stands out - it's perhaps the most spectacularly consistent use of colloquialism I've ever encountered (thanks to the italic emphasis on certain words, I could hear the British accents in my head). And the dedication to detail makes this book a bit of a project to get through; it required a certain amount of concentration I haven't needed since reading Shakespeare. That's not a complaint.

About the ending: I typically don't mind ambiguous endings. I really don't. Sometimes I find them to be much more satisfying than those that are wrapped up neatly in a bow. However, in this case, it felt like running a marathon for which there was no true finish line. Why dedicate so much time and energy to a story whose main plot line, ultimately, bears no real fruit?

Is that the point? That life, in the end, offers no rewards? That the bad guys go on being bad guys, and the good guys go on pretending they aren't bad guys, and the rest of us go on running in circles trying to figure out who is who? That's pretty bleak. That's a bitter piece of fruit, right there. Which is fine. But somehow it still felt like the ending diminished the story.

Maybe I'm a little unsatisfied because of something more specific. I don't mind a traditional villain's success as much as I mind a plague of unchecked office weasels taking over the earth. Like, I'll take Voldemort over Dolores Umbridge any day. The bureaucratic buttheads were simply a nightmare for someone like me, whose office is rife with tangled power plays and control for the sake of control. I wanted to see those ego-driven, political maniacs nailed to the wall for their pointless trifling. Sigh. I think this says a lot about me: that truthfully, I'm fine with Roper going free. But I'm not fine with the buttheads winning.

This was a really interesting read. It had a little bit of everything; some very, very good writing. I'm not sure I would recommend it, exactly, but I have no regrets about seeing it through.

The Night Manager on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Ghost Story

2019 CHALLENGE: 1 YOU HAVEN'T READ THAT YET?! PER MONTH 04 / 12

4 stars. As a humble student of horror, I couldn’t give this anything less, but it was hard to get through. Ghost Story is a classic, and therefore it feels like one - long, a bit meandering, successful but due for some editing. I didn't realize what a tribute this would be, full of references to the masters and their masterpieces. Hawthorne, Poe, James, Stoker, King, Bradbury … the gang’s all here!

To go into the plot would definitely unravel the experience prematurely; I suggest going in blind.

But I can’t resist giving some reactions. My thoughts:

Ricky - this adorable, cold-stricken, brave old man, I adore him.
Peter - he snuck up on me in the best way. I’m humbled by him.
The Town of Milburn - I mean Derry - I mean Milburn - I love it when the setting becomes a character.
The Sheriff’s Scene in the Prison with the Bodies - CHILLS.
The Evil with Attitude - YAAAAS!!
The Slow Tugging of Threads - masterful. The sense of dread is so important and wonderful.

I’d recommend this if you like horror tropes, like small towns, multiple points of view, evil blizzards, complicated heroes, an exploration of appearance versus reality through tingly terror. I was really intrigued by the beginning, and although the creative jazz faded a bit by the end, I was still engaged. I still cared. And loved, loved, loved the ending. Fans of King will love this book.

Warning, though: like I said, it’s a bit long - a bit superfluous. And honestly, there’s something about the way women are depicted that makes me uncomfortable. This is a real sausage fest to begin with, but something about it feels old school, in a bad way. The few female characters are either … well … the options aren’t good.

But here we are, at 4 stars, I’m so glad I read this, I feel full and productive and eager for more horror, as always. I SHOULD HAVE READ IT SOONER, but that’s why it was on my 2019 challenge list.

Ghost Story on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

I don't know how to begin, other than to say that this book is so weirdly amazing. It's so creative, so well-written, and so entertaining. I was hooked immediately, partly because I was so excited to have found an adventure fantasy with such innovative world-building. Successful, innovative world-building! So pumped! But also because it felt kind of familiar in a traditional sort of way. I don't know how specifically it compares to the Harry Potter books, but I felt that same sort of whimsy - a sort of "anything is possible with magic (but there are rules)" - tone in the writing.

Quick summary: Kell is a smuggler/magician (smagician?) who can travel between four parallel Londons. When a job goes wrong, Kell must flee for his life and face the consequences of his defiance. Loyal friends and fierce enemies both are made in this magical adventure story.

Four Londons?! Of course I'm in. London is one of my favorite places in the entire world - how could I turn down an opportunity to read about FOUR Londons? And a magical coat? Into it. Evil twins? Always a good time. Epic magic battles between good and evil? Even better.

So, obviously, I gave this book 5 stars. It just felt wrong to give it anything less. But to me, 5 stars doesn't always = perfect. Kell and Lila could've used less predictable character development. The writing could've sounded less ... academic ... in places. It was clear that both the beginning and the end had been fully formed prior to fingers hitting the keyboard, but the middle felt a bit contrived. And speaking of the ending, it didn't give me that BOOM, THE MIC DROPPED, ALSO THE BEAT DROPPED, EVERYTHING DROPPED AND I FEEL SO SATISFIED feeling.

But that's a lot to ask. That's a lot to expect from a book. I can easily overlook all those things considering the fascinating magical concepts and the clever dialogue. I will be so happy to sink my teeth into another adventure in this world.

Seriously, it had me at more than one London.

A Darker Shade of Magic on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: The Exorcist

"What an excellent day for an exorcism..."

4 stars. I'm such a fan of horror - classic horror included - that opening this felt nothing but delightful, like sliding into a warm bath. Yes, reading one of the most terrifying and violent scary stories in history felt completely pleasant and familiar and warm to me, and yes, I've disturbed myself. 

We all know it - the screenplay was adapted directly from the book. When actress Chris MacNeil's daughter Regan falls ill, she turns to the church in desperation. Two priests - young Father Karras and worldly Father Merrin - must conduct an exorcism to save the little girl. It is a classic tale of good versus evil that culminates in a shocking and brutal conclusion.

I just love this story. The characters, the subject matter, the controversy - it's a fascinating study of what we fear, what we question and what we value. The pace and the plot development is entirely unique, and despite some corny dialogue, I was really impressed with the writing.

Yes, we have all the juicy (literally) details, the filthy language and the moments of true horror and evil. Regan's possession is investigated through a medical, a scientific and a religious lens, without lending any answers that are certain (unlike the movie). But there are moments of true and hopeful wisdom that made even this cold heart catch feelings.

“We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to whither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon November, by the revolution of that solemn circle which never stops---which teaches us in our height of hope, ever to be sober, and in our depth of desolation, never to despair.”

I'm happy to confirm that this book deserves the "icon" status. I consume so much horror and it made me want more! It's truly compelling (get it ... compelling ...). The movie is a masterpiece, and the book adds so many new layers. I'm just a really big fan of this. It's a classic. 

DON'T FUCKING PLAY WITH OUIJA BOARDS.

The Exorcist on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: Evil Librarian

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

2 stars. Quick summary: Cynthia's best friend, Annie, has a crush on the hot new librarian. Unfortunately, he's a demon. Time to battle evil, save Annie, save the world, win the boy, and give the best performance of Sweeney Todd ever.

Awesome premise. Poor execution.

I really had some issues with this, for some reason (seriously - am I the only one?).

It's actually kind of unlike me to be so grumpy about a book, usually I can find things to appreciate and I try to keep a healthy perspective. I guess maybe my expectations were a little too high for this one.

Basically, it comes down to two things. The first bothersome aspect, for me, was the romance. The character of Ryan has got to be about the least believable 16-year-old boy I've ever read. No teenage boy acts like he does, at least in my experience. And honestly, I could've done without the romantic subplot completely.

The second annoying aspect, and this is PURELY based on my preferences/interests and not REALLY a direct criticism of the book/author, is the musical theater theme. I love music, I love theater, and I was raised on musical theater, so I really do appreciate the references to some degree. But this book was, in my opinion, supersaturated. I have so much respect for those involved with musical theater in any capacity - it just seemed a little ... overdone? Obvious? I just really wasn't interested.

Here's the thing. I would've loved a book about an evil librarian had it been executed perfectly according to my tastes. But that's not really the author's job, is it? I can't exactly expect an author to read my mind and write a book catered for me and only me. So please don't think my goal is to knock the author. This book just didn't hit the right spot for me.

As far as butt-kicking, demon-killing teenage girls go, I'll stick with Buffy.

Evil Librarian on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Educated

3 stars. Well, I'm terribly nervous to write this review. It's a captivating read, one I enjoyed for the most part, and I do not doubt Tara Westover's intelligence, resilience and courage. I can, however, see why this book is so controversial, and why the book community is weirdly polarized over its content. (Seriously, why is everyone so quick to take sides??)

Problem #1: This book was marketed poorly. Not poorly, perhaps, but inaccurately. The Westover family is eccentric, isolated and exhibits survivalist tendencies, but I would not define them as survivalists. Not to the extreme nature that the book's marketing seems to imply. Also, that cover. 

Problem #2: It reads too much like a fictional story to be received as an at-face memoir. Westover explores the unreliability of memory, especially in her footnotes and acknowledgements, but for some reason - I think it's in the way she writes dialogue - it came across as though she does in fact have impossibly perfect recollection.

Problem #3: Gaps/inconsistencies. I mean inconsistencies in the presentation; false implications beyond the book's marketing - in the book itself. She plays up the survivalist angle only to drop bombs about their family's use of phones, televisions, computers and email. Perhaps the family evolved, as families do. Perhaps the family used these things as a necessity, as I've seen Quakers do. But the fact that Westover skips over any sense of explanation, the fact that she does not draw a line or connect the dots between "survivalist" to "survivalist tendencies," smells bad.

Her lack of detailed explanation about how she made her way through college, financially, also left me confused. Not ready to make any accusations, I'm not even really criticizing her, I just feel left with a lot of questions. I'm sure it's possible to persevere as she did (or wrote she did), but the gaps make me wonder! 

I just wonder, that's all. Gaping holes don't make a story untrue, and every story has inconsistencies/biases, but that coupled with the way she writes dialogue (as though it's transcribed perfectly and accurately) is just ... questionable.

And the seemingly divine medical interventions... yes, sometimes life truly IS unbelievable. Life is fucking crazy! I just have questions. She was so detailed about some things and so vague about others.

But I truly support Dr. Westover, because it's clear she suffered. She suffered from years of abuse and her depiction of the psychological trauma is harrowing and important. There are lessons to be drawn from her story for families of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds and hometowns. Yes, I have questions, but I never for a second doubt that what happened to her is complicated and wrong. 

That should be my main takeaway, but for some reason all I can focus on is how she taught herself trig. I'm so confused.

But I look forward to seeing what she does next. I look forward to watching her story, and her education, unfold.

Educated on: Amazon | Goodreads