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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
TODAS LAS ESTRELLAS DEL MUNDO. Extraordinaria familia, historia, personajes y experiencia lectora.
4.5 really enjoyed this story if an amazing family in many ways
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great, and the plot was kept you wanting more.
3.5 stars
What happens in the real world when you have magic? Like actual psychic powers - not unlimited, but powers non-the-less? Spoonbenders tries to answer this question by following a family spawned by a grifter who all have some level of psychic powers - the son who can see the future, the son who can move things with his mind, the daughter who knows when someone is lying, the grandson who can travel outside of his body.
The biggest strength of the book is the way the different characters are woven together, shifting backward and forward in time to try to understand why everyone is the way they are, and how their lives in the present day are a mess because of their gifts. This story is propelled by a plot that we mostly care about because we are invested in the characters and want to see how it ends.
The downside is that a lot of the characters are cliches and where they are in the present day feels forced; where they are in life seems somewhat unrelated to their psychic powers even if the 'present day' story keeps trying to explain their decisions entirely through that lens. And a lot of the supporting characters (especially Malice) seem there solely to be what the plot needs them to be at the moment.
The most interesting characters could have used much more time, especially the mother who never gets her own chapter but is the only character in the family who isn't totally screwed up by their father! Also three cheers for the son who can see the future but can't really tell whether he is in the present or the future or the past, so has to travel through life constantly trying to figure out where he is and what his memories say that he is supposed to be doing.
The book was fun and quick. I enjoyed it, but wish the characters were more original.
What happens in the real world when you have magic? Like actual psychic powers - not unlimited, but powers non-the-less? Spoonbenders tries to answer this question by following a family spawned by a grifter who all have some level of psychic powers - the son who can see the future, the son who can move things with his mind, the daughter who knows when someone is lying, the grandson who can travel outside of his body.
The biggest strength of the book is the way the different characters are woven together, shifting backward and forward in time to try to understand why everyone is the way they are, and how their lives in the present day are a mess because of their gifts. This story is propelled by a plot that we mostly care about because we are invested in the characters and want to see how it ends.
The downside is that a lot of the characters are cliches and where they are in the present day feels forced; where they are in life seems somewhat unrelated to their psychic powers even if the 'present day' story keeps trying to explain their decisions entirely through that lens. And a lot of the supporting characters (especially Malice) seem there solely to be what the plot needs them to be at the moment.
The most interesting characters could have used much more time, especially the mother who never gets her own chapter but is the only character in the family who isn't totally screwed up by their father! Also three cheers for the son who can see the future but can't really tell whether he is in the present or the future or the past, so has to travel through life constantly trying to figure out where he is and what his memories say that he is supposed to be doing.
The book was fun and quick. I enjoyed it, but wish the characters were more original.
This story of a family, the members of which have varying degrees of extraordinary powers like astral traveling, lie detecting, and foreseeing the future, has a warm heart but is stretched past its capabilities as a novel, overloaded with characters and subplots, bouncing around too much from character to character. And I thought the climax was predictable and was kind of mad at the very end. I did like some of the characters a lot, like Irene and Matty, so I'd say it might be worth a read if you're not looking for much emotional depth.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
Spoonbenders introduces us to the story of the Telemacus Family, a unique family that possesses psychic powers. These powers made them famous in the 70s and they were even featured on a TV show (The Mike Douglas Show). In this show, it was allegedly exposed that they were frauds and had no powers.
Years later, Matty Telemacus discovers that he has inherited his family's powers, specifically his grandmother's powers. Matty can leave his body and do out-of-body experiences. These powers lead him to eventually want to learn more about his own family, specifically his grandmother Maureen, her sudden death, and her relationships with the government and the Cold War.
I enjoyed this novel. It is true, that until about halfway through the book, I was having a hard time digesting it all since I didn't see where the author wanted to go with this story. However, the story is astonishing, it is narrated in such a way that we get to know all the members of the family, from Teddy and Maureen to their children, Irene, Frankie, and Buddy; and Matty, Irene's son. Throughout the narrative we travel between the past and the present, we get to know the rags of this family, their connections with the government, the mafia, etc. Little by little, as you go along, you fit the pieces together and get to know more about this great family.
Years later, Matty Telemacus discovers that he has inherited his family's powers, specifically his grandmother's powers. Matty can leave his body and do out-of-body experiences. These powers lead him to eventually want to learn more about his own family, specifically his grandmother Maureen, her sudden death, and her relationships with the government and the Cold War.
I enjoyed this novel. It is true, that until about halfway through the book, I was having a hard time digesting it all since I didn't see where the author wanted to go with this story. However, the story is astonishing, it is narrated in such a way that we get to know all the members of the family, from Teddy and Maureen to their children, Irene, Frankie, and Buddy; and Matty, Irene's son. Throughout the narrative we travel between the past and the present, we get to know the rags of this family, their connections with the government, the mafia, etc. Little by little, as you go along, you fit the pieces together and get to know more about this great family.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
The writing in this is spectacular- the way it jumps from different perspectives, giving you multiple truths about the same events, the way it distracts and deceives in the exact same ways you would see from the magicians/con men it's about. It never feels like the POV characters are directly lying to the reader so much as directing your attention elsewhere, which is really cool to experience.
The way it leaps through time could easily have been a confusing mess but it really adds to the experience. It feels a bit like unraveling a puzzle (which parallels Buddy's entire life). It was a really fun and interesting read.
The way it leaps through time could easily have been a confusing mess but it really adds to the experience. It feels a bit like unraveling a puzzle (which parallels Buddy's entire life). It was a really fun and interesting read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence
Minor: Ableism
There is one mildly graphic description of an injury known as a degloving injury (exactly what it sounds like).
This was a pleasant surprise. Clever but not too heavy, funny at times, and great suspense and ending. Would be a good vacation book.
Reading Spoonbenders is a pleasant and ultimately quite satisfying experience, not very different from visiting a distant cousin’s family that you are enamored enough to want to know more about and then one day, when you get to know them more, you wonder why it took you so long(!) to do so!
The Telemachuses are an obtuse family, like all families, and even though individually they are immensely likable, their actions and interactions don’t always give off that feeling. But isn’t that how family is? You don’t quite get to choose family, or select which ones of your cousins and aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces you’d want to keep!
Almost all the characters in the story are extremely readable, and the way the storylines progress you can’t help but relate to all of them. There are gaps in understanding towards the beginning, but soon enough you don’t even realize the gaps and the pacing surely helps.
The overall plot hints at some mystery or larger story arc, and though the denouement is satisfying, don’t expect a thunderstorm for the climax.
The author has a very warm and interesting writing style, one that gets you real close and personal to all the characters. I wasn’t expecting how invested I’d become in the storylines but by the time I finished the book, I was sorry to realize the story had ended. The sheer rawness of some of the emotions, especially those of the World’s Most Powerful Psychic, are disarmingly charming and I was amazed to be in their shoes - imagine, if you could see and know everything, what all could you do!! Or could you? Would you? What would you really do? Is future a given? Who does it belong to? Are those who see the future destined to repeat it exactly as they see it? Can they change what they know their future to be? And if you can’t really see your future, should or could that stop you from imagining or dreaming?
Along the way, the book raises and addresses such interesting and unique perspectives and to me that’s part of what makes the book really powerful and unique.
Some of the best scenes in the book are when there are a lot of characters together and they talk fast, often in short bursts or sentences, as if they are thinking too fast to speak all of what they’re thinking, but really they mean all of that. Some of the rapid fire dialog is outright funny, and here again I was surprised to find the writing so endearing, genuine and sincere that I breezed through much faster and easier than expected.
A solid 5-star.
The Telemachuses are an obtuse family, like all families, and even though individually they are immensely likable, their actions and interactions don’t always give off that feeling. But isn’t that how family is? You don’t quite get to choose family, or select which ones of your cousins and aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces you’d want to keep!
Almost all the characters in the story are extremely readable, and the way the storylines progress you can’t help but relate to all of them. There are gaps in understanding towards the beginning, but soon enough you don’t even realize the gaps and the pacing surely helps.
The overall plot hints at some mystery or larger story arc, and though the denouement is satisfying, don’t expect a thunderstorm for the climax.
The author has a very warm and interesting writing style, one that gets you real close and personal to all the characters. I wasn’t expecting how invested I’d become in the storylines but by the time I finished the book, I was sorry to realize the story had ended. The sheer rawness of some of the emotions, especially those of the World’s Most Powerful Psychic, are disarmingly charming and I was amazed to be in their shoes - imagine, if you could see and know everything, what all could you do!! Or could you? Would you? What would you really do? Is future a given? Who does it belong to? Are those who see the future destined to repeat it exactly as they see it? Can they change what they know their future to be? And if you can’t really see your future, should or could that stop you from imagining or dreaming?
Along the way, the book raises and addresses such interesting and unique perspectives and to me that’s part of what makes the book really powerful and unique.
Some of the best scenes in the book are when there are a lot of characters together and they talk fast, often in short bursts or sentences, as if they are thinking too fast to speak all of what they’re thinking, but really they mean all of that. Some of the rapid fire dialog is outright funny, and here again I was surprised to find the writing so endearing, genuine and sincere that I breezed through much faster and easier than expected.
A solid 5-star.