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bookishkaiti's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I truly only finished this out because of how short it was. It did not hold my interest even for a second ðŸ˜
disabledbookdragon's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kleonard's review
4.0
A gothic-y mystery set at a once-abandoned, now being-renovated amusement park? Count me in! I loved the set-up of the cult and the way things played out, but some things felt incomplete to me. Not the ending--it's perfect--but why spend so much time on the princess job and the necessity of other gigs if there was the rich friend to catsit and help out? Was the acting of the princess job supposed to make Seraphina more convincing posing as a cultist? The cheating newlywed side plot didn't seem to do much but take up space, although the wedding did serve to introduce characters (some of whom are mostly abandoned afterwards) and the ethos of the place. I just wanted more connected lines, more material that wasn't just filler, and a little bit more pragmatism.
hizertj's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Pleasant and fun vibes for the amusement park but the story feels mostly not there. The last chapter is the antagonist randomly telling someone they are the antagonist out of nowhere. I think if longer, this book could work better
bucher_freund's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Seraphina, a party princess for rent with a whimsical imagination, gets a set of postcards from her sister Eff, who happily announces she's joined a cult. Shortly afterward, Eff ends up in the hospital in a coma. Seraphina goes undercover as a potential new initiate to investigate the Merry Dredgers, a group of friendly, New Agey artists who live in an abandoned amusement park.
This story is pretty surreal and offbeat, heavy on the descriptions and light on the mystery. At times, Seraphina has to remind herself (and the reader) of her true purpose at Goblintropolis. Shipp excels at the bizarre and elaborate descriptions of the park, and they set up a sweet love story between Seraphina and cult member Nichelle. The twist at the end felt a little out of place, and ultimately the story was different but a little too offbeat for me. Quirky and clever, but not quite the weird cult in an abandoned amusement park story I was hoping for.
This story is pretty surreal and offbeat, heavy on the descriptions and light on the mystery. At times, Seraphina has to remind herself (and the reader) of her true purpose at Goblintropolis. Shipp excels at the bizarre and elaborate descriptions of the park, and they set up a sweet love story between Seraphina and cult member Nichelle. The twist at the end felt a little out of place, and ultimately the story was different but a little too offbeat for me. Quirky and clever, but not quite the weird cult in an abandoned amusement park story I was hoping for.
miawilson's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
theduchess93's review
3.0
The best part of this book was the description and world-building of the theme park. The main intrigue was just not as intriguing as the inner workings of the cult and the setting, which was probably for the best since the resolution was both predictable and kind of nonsensical.
bethtabler's review
4.0
Jeremy Shipp writes quirky and often disturbing tales, and The Merry Dredgers is no different. Shipp flexes their writing muscles by creating two unsettling settings, an eerie amusement park and a cult while sliding a mystery inside. And while this is marketed under the banner of science fiction, fantasy, or even young adult, this is a very adult story brimming with suspense about pain and sisterhood and the lengths to which someone will go to find answers or at least an iota of peace.
The blurb talks about Seraphina Ramon and how she will stop at nothing to find out the truth about why her sister Eff is in a coma after a very suspicious "accident." What happened to her sister, and why is she in a coma? Even if it means infiltrating the last place Seraphina knew Eff was alive: a once-abandoned amusement park now populated by a community of cultists. And again, in the Shipp style, characters are neither bad nor good but layered. The people and lifestyle the cultists lead are comforting, and Seraphina finds friendship and camaraderie among the members, which greatly complicates things for her from a moralistic viewpoint.
There is also a profound story between the sisters; even with Eff being in a coma, it is still pronounced and nuanced. You can disagree with your sister and often hate her and her choices, but the bond of sisterhood can run deep. While reading this story, I understood and empathized with many of Seraphina's actions.
One of the great strengths of the story, and one that almost becomes a character itself, is the setting. An abandoned amusement park full of rust and pealing paint where you might hear the echos of a child's laughter or a roller coaster flying by is the perfect setting for something disturbing. Something in this setting is slightly off, much like a cult. And Shipp expounds on that. It feels like Seraphina is walking into hell, but it is ok, no, really, because she is with new friends, and friends would not lead you astray.
If you are looking at reading some of Shipps's other works, I recommend Bedfellow, which is an absolute mind scramble of a book. Or, if you are looking for stories with a similar feel, hop over to Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts, which also depicts a sisterly relationship but in a much different way.
It is dark, whimsical, melancholic, and poignant - The Merry Dredgers is some of Jeremy Shipps's best and most complicated work and should not be missed.
The blurb talks about Seraphina Ramon and how she will stop at nothing to find out the truth about why her sister Eff is in a coma after a very suspicious "accident." What happened to her sister, and why is she in a coma? Even if it means infiltrating the last place Seraphina knew Eff was alive: a once-abandoned amusement park now populated by a community of cultists. And again, in the Shipp style, characters are neither bad nor good but layered. The people and lifestyle the cultists lead are comforting, and Seraphina finds friendship and camaraderie among the members, which greatly complicates things for her from a moralistic viewpoint.
There is also a profound story between the sisters; even with Eff being in a coma, it is still pronounced and nuanced. You can disagree with your sister and often hate her and her choices, but the bond of sisterhood can run deep. While reading this story, I understood and empathized with many of Seraphina's actions.
One of the great strengths of the story, and one that almost becomes a character itself, is the setting. An abandoned amusement park full of rust and pealing paint where you might hear the echos of a child's laughter or a roller coaster flying by is the perfect setting for something disturbing. Something in this setting is slightly off, much like a cult. And Shipp expounds on that. It feels like Seraphina is walking into hell, but it is ok, no, really, because she is with new friends, and friends would not lead you astray.
If you are looking at reading some of Shipps's other works, I recommend Bedfellow, which is an absolute mind scramble of a book. Or, if you are looking for stories with a similar feel, hop over to Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts, which also depicts a sisterly relationship but in a much different way.
It is dark, whimsical, melancholic, and poignant - The Merry Dredgers is some of Jeremy Shipps's best and most complicated work and should not be missed.
larosareads's review
4.0
What did I just read?! I don’t know, but what I do know is I loved it!
Seraphina’s sister, Eff, mysteriously ends up in a coma. Seraphina was already concerned about her sister once discovering she was in a cult, and now those concerns have turned into a mission to track down the individual responsible for her sister’s health crisis. This mission lands Seraphina at the cult’s headquarters, an abandoned and creepy amusement park.
Oh my! I don’t typically read books of this type yet Shipp brilliantly drew me in with a bizarre storyline and two sisters at the center. While I wasn’t super into the part that takes place at the cult headquarters, I was invested in Seraphina’s dilemma and rooting for Eff to make it! I also had a few laughs and appreciated Seraphina’s dry sense of humor.
Seraphina’s sister, Eff, mysteriously ends up in a coma. Seraphina was already concerned about her sister once discovering she was in a cult, and now those concerns have turned into a mission to track down the individual responsible for her sister’s health crisis. This mission lands Seraphina at the cult’s headquarters, an abandoned and creepy amusement park.
Oh my! I don’t typically read books of this type yet Shipp brilliantly drew me in with a bizarre storyline and two sisters at the center. While I wasn’t super into the part that takes place at the cult headquarters, I was invested in Seraphina’s dilemma and rooting for Eff to make it! I also had a few laughs and appreciated Seraphina’s dry sense of humor.