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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This book was very up and down.
The first part was insanely interesting as I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was page after page of guessing what comes next. That defines a good book for me, so much known and so much to know.
When it finally came out towards the end what was happening, it seemed both a let down and a compelling story. It’s difficult to explain because some aspects were amazing, and some left me staging “Really?”
I’d recommend this book to friends under the idea that it’s good, but don’t expect amazing.
The first part was insanely interesting as I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was page after page of guessing what comes next. That defines a good book for me, so much known and so much to know.
When it finally came out towards the end what was happening, it seemed both a let down and a compelling story. It’s difficult to explain because some aspects were amazing, and some left me staging “Really?”
I’d recommend this book to friends under the idea that it’s good, but don’t expect amazing.
Some parts dragged on, the book could have been a few chapters shorter, but it was a really good read! I loved the ending and the plot twists, definitely would recommend to other people in a heartbeat. So glad I picked it up.
I spent the first 3/4 of this novel waiting for something to happen, and when it did, it was incredibly boring. I finished this hoping that it would get exciting, but for me it was ho-hum "action".
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A bit creepy and a lot weird. Wink is a hidden town, difficult to get to and impossible to leave. Superficially perfect, but full of hidden dangers people purposefully don't pay attention to. And to this town cones Mona, searching for her mother's past, and finding an enormous frightening truth.
It's a bit long and repetitive in places, but overall the story kept my attention.
It's a bit long and repetitive in places, but overall the story kept my attention.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book...
Part Neil Gaiman, part Stephen King...
While incredibly long, the story held my interest throughout. I enjoy stories that dabble in the supernatural, and I suppose this one does just that, but in an unexpected way. The author did a great job of keeping you in the dark about what was really happening and his “characters” were engaging.
Part Neil Gaiman, part Stephen King...
While incredibly long, the story held my interest throughout. I enjoy stories that dabble in the supernatural, and I suppose this one does just that, but in an unexpected way. The author did a great job of keeping you in the dark about what was really happening and his “characters” were engaging.
4 and a half stars, rounded up.
The first few chapters of “American Elsewhere” sets up this story as a blend of “The Stepford Wives” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1367172496) and Lovecraftian horror. And it is, but it also isn’t. Robert Jackson Bennett has a very unique voice, and while he might certainly have been influenced by the classics of creepy, he does his own thing. Brilliantly. Also, dude loves “The X-Files”.
Wink, New Mexico. That's where the house Mona Bright, former police officer, has inherited from her mother is located. It's not on any map, which is odd, but Mona doesn't care: for her this is a chance to get to know the mother she barely knew, the one her father never wanted to tell her anything about. So she decides to claim the house – and her past – but quickly finds out that there is something a little off about Wink. People behave with quaint charm and neighborly manners, all houses are perfectly maintained, lawns manicured to green lushness (in New Mexico!) and everybody loves eating pie at the diner: it is as if the town was flash-frozen in a Mid-Century Modern postcard. While that’s not unpleasant per se, it feels strained to Mona, especially after she is told it’s best not to wander around the town at night. What was her mother doing here, all those years ago? Why does no one remember her ever living there? What is the deal with the abandoned government lab right outside the town?
One of the things I love most about Bennett is that he sneaks opinions into his stories, but they are so well woven into the narrative that he never comes across as didactic (except maybe in “Vigilance” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2698273482), where his profound dislike of guns is obviously the point). Just under the surface of this weird story, there is a commentary about what we are willing to sacrifice for what we perceive as safety. What we are willing to look away from so we can buy ourselves a little comfort, what we are willing to pretend to be to feel included… The weird spin on “Pleasantville” he paints with “American Elsewhere” features many people who don’t feel like they can be themselves, who suffocate in the so-called perfection of the small town; it reminded me of growing up in suburbia – but I’m sure anyone who also lived in a small town and just had to get out will empathize with the sense of claustrophobia infused in these pages.
This is an earlier novel than my beloved “Divine Cities” trilogy, and I feel that it shows by being a little over-drawn. This affects the pacing a bit (it also makes the book ridiculously heavy and impractical to carry around… seriously, Orbit, get your shit together and make smaller editions!), but I didn’t mind too much. Bennett’s imagination and his talent for twisting tropes on their heads and making them fresh and vibrant makes up for the extra pages, and I burned through it faster than I expected!
Another thing that Bennett does really well and that I appreciate deeply is writing up interesting, well-rounded female characters – with actual personalities, issues and baggage. They are never defined by their sexuality or gender or attractiveness, and they are usually tough, but also layered enough to be completely believable. Thank you, Robert, thank you so much for that! Mona is unusual in many ways, but what he showcases most is how driven she is, how difficult it is for her to allow herself to be in a vulnerable place – while desperately longing to understand the enigmatic figure that is her mother.
Every book I read by Robert Jackson Bennett makes me admire him more, for his intensely readable prose, his wild imagination and the food for thought he casually throws in the mix. Not everyone can mash up genres and come up with such great books! Read this man’s work, he is one of the best speculative fiction writers active today.
The first few chapters of “American Elsewhere” sets up this story as a blend of “The Stepford Wives” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1367172496) and Lovecraftian horror. And it is, but it also isn’t. Robert Jackson Bennett has a very unique voice, and while he might certainly have been influenced by the classics of creepy, he does his own thing. Brilliantly. Also, dude loves “The X-Files”.
Wink, New Mexico. That's where the house Mona Bright, former police officer, has inherited from her mother is located. It's not on any map, which is odd, but Mona doesn't care: for her this is a chance to get to know the mother she barely knew, the one her father never wanted to tell her anything about. So she decides to claim the house – and her past – but quickly finds out that there is something a little off about Wink. People behave with quaint charm and neighborly manners, all houses are perfectly maintained, lawns manicured to green lushness (in New Mexico!) and everybody loves eating pie at the diner: it is as if the town was flash-frozen in a Mid-Century Modern postcard. While that’s not unpleasant per se, it feels strained to Mona, especially after she is told it’s best not to wander around the town at night. What was her mother doing here, all those years ago? Why does no one remember her ever living there? What is the deal with the abandoned government lab right outside the town?
One of the things I love most about Bennett is that he sneaks opinions into his stories, but they are so well woven into the narrative that he never comes across as didactic (except maybe in “Vigilance” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2698273482), where his profound dislike of guns is obviously the point). Just under the surface of this weird story, there is a commentary about what we are willing to sacrifice for what we perceive as safety. What we are willing to look away from so we can buy ourselves a little comfort, what we are willing to pretend to be to feel included… The weird spin on “Pleasantville” he paints with “American Elsewhere” features many people who don’t feel like they can be themselves, who suffocate in the so-called perfection of the small town; it reminded me of growing up in suburbia – but I’m sure anyone who also lived in a small town and just had to get out will empathize with the sense of claustrophobia infused in these pages.
This is an earlier novel than my beloved “Divine Cities” trilogy, and I feel that it shows by being a little over-drawn. This affects the pacing a bit (it also makes the book ridiculously heavy and impractical to carry around… seriously, Orbit, get your shit together and make smaller editions!), but I didn’t mind too much. Bennett’s imagination and his talent for twisting tropes on their heads and making them fresh and vibrant makes up for the extra pages, and I burned through it faster than I expected!
Another thing that Bennett does really well and that I appreciate deeply is writing up interesting, well-rounded female characters – with actual personalities, issues and baggage. They are never defined by their sexuality or gender or attractiveness, and they are usually tough, but also layered enough to be completely believable. Thank you, Robert, thank you so much for that! Mona is unusual in many ways, but what he showcases most is how driven she is, how difficult it is for her to allow herself to be in a vulnerable place – while desperately longing to understand the enigmatic figure that is her mother.
Every book I read by Robert Jackson Bennett makes me admire him more, for his intensely readable prose, his wild imagination and the food for thought he casually throws in the mix. Not everyone can mash up genres and come up with such great books! Read this man’s work, he is one of the best speculative fiction writers active today.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced