You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Strange, dark, fascinating, mysterious. An ambiguous ending.
I just didn't get this book. There wasn't enough of a narrative and nothing was explained enough. Big disappointment.
Just splendid. Really. Still processing. But splendid.
A fitting title for how someone fights their inner demons. This novel is worth the read it you can follow the nonlinear pacing.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Contemplated a 1 star rating, but this is pretty well written. However, it would never make my "Top 100 Books of the Year" list as it did for Amazon. I was expecting a good payoff at the end and/or some resolution. You get neither.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is told by the main character as he talks about his life surrounding two tragic events and their aftermath. The book skips through time and so the driving force is the book is to find out what exactly happened and why. But in some ways, it’s a portrait of a character and how he views the world. He would fit well into a mountain goats song, but because it’s book length, there’s more detail and depth to the character.
The main character developed and runs a roleplaying game played by mail and set in a dystopian future where a nuclear accident turns the US into a wasteland populated by militias, mutants, and other characters. Players send in moves and they get sent the results of their moves, each choice branching them out to new possibilities and closing the door on old ones. While players can write anything they want, the main character has to distill that move into one of a limited number of predetermined choices. It is stated many times that the goal of the game, to find and infiltrate the last safe place in the US is unreachable. Essentially this is a metaphor for the character’s life (or a reflection of how he sees the world). The book has a nihilistic feel and I didn’t love the conclusion, but learning about the game, some of the players, and some of the details of his life, mainly his fantasy life, his view of the world, were very interesting and kept me me reading.
The main character developed and runs a roleplaying game played by mail and set in a dystopian future where a nuclear accident turns the US into a wasteland populated by militias, mutants, and other characters. Players send in moves and they get sent the results of their moves, each choice branching them out to new possibilities and closing the door on old ones. While players can write anything they want, the main character has to distill that move into one of a limited number of predetermined choices. It is stated many times that the goal of the game, to find and infiltrate the last safe place in the US is unreachable. Essentially this is a metaphor for the character’s life (or a reflection of how he sees the world). The book has a nihilistic feel and I didn’t love the conclusion, but learning about the game, some of the players, and some of the details of his life, mainly his fantasy life, his view of the world, were very interesting and kept me me reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt
This is a fascinating portrait on what it is to be a teenager and how the decisions made while trying to make meaning can stay with you, and haunt you, forever.
In a nutshell, I didn't like this book. It wasn't that it was depressing, although it was. It wasn't that it was drawn out in all the wrong places either, although it was that,too. I just felt there was a lot of potential given the depth of the story itself, but I found the novel still barely scratched the surface given such deep subject matter. I wanted to know more about the how's, why's, and what ifs. Instead, I found Wolf In a White Van surprisingly dry and unremarkably short. However, it's length is probably the only reason why finished it at all.