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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
Let's be real...I grabbed this because Scully wrote it. It's a bit convoluted and completely crazypants, yet, I couldn't put it down. The third star may just be my wish that it was as good as I wanted it to be, but, did I mention Scully wrote it?
I don't know how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it has lots of elements I enjoy, like ancient civilisations, things out of time, psychic phenomena, and secret societies. On the other hand, it also has a lot of stuff I can't stand like new-age woo passed off as science and magical negroes. So I'm undecided but I am going to read the second one in the series to see if things improve.
There were parts of this book I liked, but there was just too much happening. It was like the author had too many plot ideas for one book. And I had some trouble buying into the whole shared-visions-from-the-past thing. We'll see if I'm still interested when the next book comes out.
The book: A Vision of Fire
The author: Gillian Anderson, American actress, and Jeff Rovin, super-prolific American writer.
The subject: Child psychologist Caitlin O'Hara uncovers some strange and sinister goings-on as she investigates children around the world having inexplicable fits.
Why I chose it: Probably the same reason a lot of people did: I'm a big Gillian Anderson fan.
The rating: Three out of five stars
What I thought of it: I'm going to start this review in the same way many others have as well: by talking about how big a fan of Gillian Anderson I am. Of course, like most people, I first encountered her through watching The X Files, which was a huge part of my adolescence.Agent Scully is still one of my favourite characters and it was hugely important to me to have such a strong female protagonist to look up to during my teenage years. My boyfriend got me a box set of the whole series and both films and I'm really looking forward to revisiting it.
Despite that, I've become a fan of Gillian Anderson separate of her character on The X Files: she's one of the actresses who I'll watch in anything. In fact, a few months back my boyfriend and I went to the cinema to see her play Blanche DuBois in a taped version of the Young Vic's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (the actual play was almost totally sold out by the time we found out about it, with only super-expensive seats left). I couldn't resist wearing some vaguely appropriate earrings though.
So, now you see what led me to pick up this book, or at least to pre-order it for delivery to my Kindle. If I'm honest, I was prepared for it to not be that good. Not that I thought it would be terrible, I just didn't think it would become a new favourite. Well, I was right, but I did enjoy this book while it lasted – it didn't leave much of an impression beyond that. One thing I did appreciate is that Rovin is credited and Anderson has talked in interviews about how he contributed; it feels a lot more honest than just claiming she wrote it herself.
As I mentioned, I did enjoy this book up to a point. It was a real page-turner, or whatever the Kindle equivalent is. The writing style is clear and to-the-point, which is how I tend to like it. It also helps when a story is all over the place with all sorts of spiritual elements like this one is. You will definitely have to suspend your disbelief a fair amount, not least at how quickly Caitlin accepts all the weird explanations, though I suppose in that sort of situation she would have no other choice. One thing I really liked about this book, though, was the presence of so many characters from different cultures, religions and backgrounds. Sad to say, but it makes a change.
I'm not sure I'll be picking up the next books in this series, which is apparently going to be a trilogy, but this was an absorbing read that kept me hooked for a few hours while hurtling through the sky in a tin can. I'm still a big Gillian Anderson fan, but definitely more as an actress than an author.
Just one more thing: I only made one highlight in this book. I'd like to say it was a particularly profound turn of phrase, but actually it was this joke: "A skeleton walks into a bar and orders a gin and tonic. And a mop." (I LOLed.)
The author: Gillian Anderson, American actress, and Jeff Rovin, super-prolific American writer.
The subject: Child psychologist Caitlin O'Hara uncovers some strange and sinister goings-on as she investigates children around the world having inexplicable fits.
Why I chose it: Probably the same reason a lot of people did: I'm a big Gillian Anderson fan.
The rating: Three out of five stars
What I thought of it: I'm going to start this review in the same way many others have as well: by talking about how big a fan of Gillian Anderson I am. Of course, like most people, I first encountered her through watching The X Files, which was a huge part of my adolescence.Agent Scully is still one of my favourite characters and it was hugely important to me to have such a strong female protagonist to look up to during my teenage years. My boyfriend got me a box set of the whole series and both films and I'm really looking forward to revisiting it.
Despite that, I've become a fan of Gillian Anderson separate of her character on The X Files: she's one of the actresses who I'll watch in anything. In fact, a few months back my boyfriend and I went to the cinema to see her play Blanche DuBois in a taped version of the Young Vic's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (the actual play was almost totally sold out by the time we found out about it, with only super-expensive seats left). I couldn't resist wearing some vaguely appropriate earrings though.
So, now you see what led me to pick up this book, or at least to pre-order it for delivery to my Kindle. If I'm honest, I was prepared for it to not be that good. Not that I thought it would be terrible, I just didn't think it would become a new favourite. Well, I was right, but I did enjoy this book while it lasted – it didn't leave much of an impression beyond that. One thing I did appreciate is that Rovin is credited and Anderson has talked in interviews about how he contributed; it feels a lot more honest than just claiming she wrote it herself.
As I mentioned, I did enjoy this book up to a point. It was a real page-turner, or whatever the Kindle equivalent is. The writing style is clear and to-the-point, which is how I tend to like it. It also helps when a story is all over the place with all sorts of spiritual elements like this one is. You will definitely have to suspend your disbelief a fair amount, not least at how quickly Caitlin accepts all the weird explanations, though I suppose in that sort of situation she would have no other choice. One thing I really liked about this book, though, was the presence of so many characters from different cultures, religions and backgrounds. Sad to say, but it makes a change.
I'm not sure I'll be picking up the next books in this series, which is apparently going to be a trilogy, but this was an absorbing read that kept me hooked for a few hours while hurtling through the sky in a tin can. I'm still a big Gillian Anderson fan, but definitely more as an actress than an author.
Just one more thing: I only made one highlight in this book. I'd like to say it was a particularly profound turn of phrase, but actually it was this joke: "A skeleton walks into a bar and orders a gin and tonic. And a mop." (I LOLed.)
Who can forget that time when Gillian Anderson had an obscure author ghostwrite a sci fi series for her with the plans to later adapt it to the big screen with herself as the lead? Those plans clearly failed but what didn't fail was Gillian's appetite for vanity projects in which other people do most of the work for her.
I feel a bit torn about this book. I decided to read the book because Gillian Anderson wrote it, but at the same time I did not expect it to be decent. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the book was quite readable, but that leads me to believe Gillian Anderson did not do the bulk of the writing. It isn't that I don't want her to be a good writer, she is one of my favorite actresses, but acting and writing talent do not typically intersect . It was a pleasant surprise, and I will read the sequel when it comes out.
Though a bit clunky at points, the book plays out sort of like an X-File, funnily enough. The protagonist is even a bit like Dana Scully (you had to know we'd arrive at the X-Files before the end of the review). It is a supernatural mystery story, and while I could find a few holes in the plot, I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to continue reading. The story really managed to hook my interest, despite plot issues.
Though a bit clunky at points, the book plays out sort of like an X-File, funnily enough. The protagonist is even a bit like Dana Scully (you had to know we'd arrive at the X-Files before the end of the review). It is a supernatural mystery story, and while I could find a few holes in the plot, I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to continue reading. The story really managed to hook my interest, despite plot issues.
When I think back, I realize that I seem to have a thing for random celebrities' forays into fiction. This one is better than Harry Shearer's "Not Enough Indians," and maybe as good as Chris Elliott's "Shroud of the Thwacker."
It's not sci-fi in the strictest sense, more science fantasy, and to me reminiscent of the adventury kind of science fantasy from back in the day. Some of the concepts feel like a short jump from existing science and understanding, and others are waaaaaaaaaaay out there.
As mentioned in an update, Caitlin felt a little Mary Sue-ish, but I got used to it eventually and didn't notice anymore. I did give her relationship with Old Friend For Years But No Really Just Friends the side-eye, but that might be fannish hyper-vigilance. The secondary characters were varied, and interesting in their own ways; the plot moves along and pieces start coming together quickly enough for it not to be a confusing mess. The ends left for the second book are obvious, but not really in a bad way.
...and occasionally something is so unintentionally funny that I just had to laugh. I don't think it'll win any awards, but it was interesting and enjoyable enough to make me finish it and want to continue with the trilogy.
It's not sci-fi in the strictest sense, more science fantasy, and to me reminiscent of the adventury kind of science fantasy from back in the day. Some of the concepts feel like a short jump from existing science and understanding, and others are waaaaaaaaaaay out there.
As mentioned in an update, Caitlin felt a little Mary Sue-ish, but I got used to it eventually and didn't notice anymore. I did give her relationship with Old Friend For Years But No Really Just Friends the side-eye, but that might be fannish hyper-vigilance. The secondary characters were varied, and interesting in their own ways; the plot moves along and pieces start coming together quickly enough for it not to be a confusing mess. The ends left for the second book are obvious, but not really in a bad way.
...and occasionally something is so unintentionally funny that I just had to laugh. I don't think it'll win any awards, but it was interesting and enjoyable enough to make me finish it and want to continue with the trilogy.
The plot was interesting but the dialogue needed work. A more accurate rating would be 3 & 1/2 stars.
Whether its Rovin or Anderson, someone is trying to be a little too ambitious without more of a proper setup. There is already nothing thete and as said by others, feels so much like an episode of the X-Files. In amy other way, that would be enjoyable but its too bland.