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wearyreader's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
2.0
I’m a critical reader so I want to start with that. I also want to say that I have mad respect to horror authors. I feel it’s completely unappreciated in modern reading/writing as well as an incredibly hard genre to write.
Pros:
This novella is an easy read. One could read this in one blocked out sitting.
The idea of the twist ending is sound.
Cons:
The descriptive language is over the top and a little ‘try-hard’. The first chapter is the hardest to get through. It’s dripping in adjectives and adverbs to no actual benefit of the story other than what I would describe as ‘trying to appear more intense than actual needed’. I equate this to a high school creative writing course. It’s bordering poetic writing so it comes off as confusing to the atmosphere the writer is trying to set.
I hope that no one has to ever go through this level of grief (or this experience in general) that is the subject of this novella but as a parent, I am EXTREMELY suspect that the writer was neither had kids or felt this kind of loss. There’s a disconnect that I feel immediately that the writer does try to feel out but just missed out enough. I’m not saying that someone needs to be or have gone through every single thing their characters have but it does a monumental effect on the ending. The way this builds into the ending and the ‘twist’ becomes glaring which ruined the twist and ending for me.
Additional notes: I am looking forward to reading additional writings of A. A. Medina and the world they create. I feel as if the author is on the precipice of creating a breakout bestseller if only they could harness something more personal to them.
Pros:
This novella is an easy read. One could read this in one blocked out sitting.
The idea of the twist ending is sound.
Cons:
The descriptive language is over the top and a little ‘try-hard’. The first chapter is the hardest to get through. It’s dripping in adjectives and adverbs to no actual benefit of the story other than what I would describe as ‘trying to appear more intense than actual needed’. I equate this to a high school creative writing course. It’s bordering poetic writing so it comes off as confusing to the atmosphere the writer is trying to set.
Additional notes: I am looking forward to reading additional writings of A. A. Medina and the world they create. I feel as if the author is on the precipice of creating a breakout bestseller if only they could harness something more personal to them.
Content Warnings
exorcismofemilyreed's review
4.0
Where Dragonflies Dance is the second book in the Claybroook County Chronicles, and I liked it! It's pretty different from the first book, and I liked seeing the author's versatility. This book was more focused on grief, and it was quite a bit tamer than Siphon. You don't have to read Siphon to read this one, but I would probably recommend it anyway.
CW - missing child, cheating
CW - missing child, cheating
tracyreads's review
4.0
My introduction to A.A. Medina was through his extreme horror novella, Siphon. You can check out my review here on GR; it is a wild, crazy ride. When Medina reached out about this one, I was more than happy to check it out. What could possibly be in store for me now?
What I found is a novella about a different situation, but set in the same general place as Siphon. It is not necessarily a continuation of Gary Phillips’s story, and I am of the opinion that a reader can absolutely read this book without having read the other. There are a few things that will make more sense if they ARE read in order, but it is not an absolute necessity for enjoyment.
Where Dragonflies Dance is a short, sharp novella. Dealing with themes of grief, amnesia, and the limits of human endurance, be prepared for this one to hurt. At first, I wasn’t sure what Medina was heading towards. The marriage seemed weird, and the conversations about the missing daughter (not a spoiler, that’s in the synopsis) just felt, well, awkward. It is intentional. This feeling of being off-kilter, of being unsure, is actually Medina causing the reader to really be in the situation.
This novella is all about reader discovery, like so many are. So I won’t comment on content any further. I am fascinated by the world Medina is building here. The last lines of the book made me crave the next book immediately. I let out a sharp gasp and just shook my head. It was great.
Be sure to check this one out, either before or after reading Siphon. Medina has something insane planned for Claybrook County and I am here for it.
What I found is a novella about a different situation, but set in the same general place as Siphon. It is not necessarily a continuation of Gary Phillips’s story, and I am of the opinion that a reader can absolutely read this book without having read the other. There are a few things that will make more sense if they ARE read in order, but it is not an absolute necessity for enjoyment.
Where Dragonflies Dance is a short, sharp novella. Dealing with themes of grief, amnesia, and the limits of human endurance, be prepared for this one to hurt. At first, I wasn’t sure what Medina was heading towards. The marriage seemed weird, and the conversations about the missing daughter (not a spoiler, that’s in the synopsis) just felt, well, awkward. It is intentional. This feeling of being off-kilter, of being unsure, is actually Medina causing the reader to really be in the situation.
This novella is all about reader discovery, like so many are. So I won’t comment on content any further. I am fascinated by the world Medina is building here. The last lines of the book made me crave the next book immediately. I let out a sharp gasp and just shook my head. It was great.
Be sure to check this one out, either before or after reading Siphon. Medina has something insane planned for Claybrook County and I am here for it.
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