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brnineworms's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was a big fan of WTNV as a teen, and though I no longer keep up-to-date with new episodes I do remember it fondly and it has a special place in my heart as the first podcast I ever listened to. I think this put me in a pretty good position as I read the novel – familiar with the world of Night Vale, but not so invested that my expectations would be unrealistically high.
I’ve seen people interpret WTNV as a satire of modern neoliberal society. While that interpretation is valid, I think a simpler (and perhaps more applicable) way of looking at things is this: Night Vale makes feelings fact.
I’ll use time as an example. “Time doesn’t work in Night Vale” is a notion that comes up frequently in the book. The thing is, time works however it intuitively makes sense for it to work. Feels like ages ago? Feels like only yesterday? Voilà.
Jackie, one of the main characters in the novel, is literally and figuratively stuck at age nineteen. She laments and slightly resents her high school friends who have moved on with their lives while she’s unable to “grow up” and do all the things adults are expected to do. She has worked the same dead-end job for decades, possibly centuries. She’s going through the motions, literalised as actual rituals performed with each transaction. Again there’s this lack of distinction between the literal and the figurative.
Characterisation is where the novel truly excels. It just feels so honest in its portrayal of the characters’ emotional states and rationales. It feels so human, even with the paranormal elements. If I had to choose one word to sum up the feel of Welcome to Night Vale, it would be “weird.” But if I had to choose another word, it would be “candid.”
The story does progress quite slowly in the first half. I think the switching back and forth between Jackie and Diane is what kept it from feeling like it dragged. But I don’t think the pacing is poor – it works well. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little insubstantial in comparison to the build up.
I know there are some WTNV fans disappointed that there wasn’t more Cecil and Carlos content, but this story isn’t about them. In fact, I think we see too much of them. Their inclusion felt a bit shoehorned at times. And, more generally, I think there were a few too many references and in-jokes. That said, I can forgive the book for that because they needed to tie it in to the podcast somehow. A little fanservice is harmless, really.
I prefer the book over the podcast, which is not something I’d expected going in. I feel like the podcast has excellently strange vibes but the novel takes that material and uses it to actually tell a story and explore a handful of characters in depth.
Welcome to Night Vale is beautifully odd and oddly beautiful, and I’m glad I finally read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Racism
Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gore, and Violence
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