640 reviews for:

Spoonbenders

Daryl Gregory

3.87 AVERAGE

lighthearted medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.5

I was gifted a galley of this book by Firsttoread.com for reviewing.

Okay, I didn't technically finish the book completely. I skipped whole chapters to try to finish it quickly, and most of the characters bored me, so I just skipped the chapters that centered around them, so I don't have the full story.

It's not a bad story, but there are things about it that are unattractive me. I do not like books with multiple perspectives, and this book follows like, 5 different perspectives or something. The story is simple enough that I wasn't getting perspectives confused, I just feel that it was unnecessary and it made the book seem more bloated.

I did enjoy the first section I read, which was to page 100-something, but I noticed I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it up, which is when I started skipping chapters. It's an interesting enough story, following a psychic family, and it was very well written, but I don't think now was the right time for me to read it. I don't think I was in the mood for it, and I don't finish books that I'm not invested in or that I'm not in the mood for, because I know from experience that reading a book that I'm not in the mood for wil make me resent the book.

Having said that, I did genuinely enjoy the quarter of it I did read fully, and I will be more than happy to give this book another chance when I'm in the mood for it, which is why I'm rating it 3 stars.

This book is like one of the magic tricks Teddy Telemachus performs in it - and like the very best magic tricks, you know a trick is being performed on you, you know your eyes are purposefully forced, you know a trick is coming - and you still get blindsided when it finally happens. It was just so awfully clever and I had such a blast trying to figure things out ahead. I enjoyed this so much while at the same time wanting to whack some characters on their heads.

The Amazing Telemachus' are a family of psychics (or con men, depending who you ask). After being debunked on live television they live a quiet life; Teddy the charming, weasely patriarch, astral projecting Maureen, and their children Irene (human lie detector), Frankie (telekinetic), and Buddy (clairvoyant). Years later, even their grandchild Matty is not sure what is true of their family lore and what Teddy made up - until he has his first out of body experience, when he realizes that there might be more truth to Teddy's stories than his mother Irene led on.

The book starts out meandering, but charming. Told in alternating perspectives following the five main characters, the first half or so is spent on showcasting the family and starting to move pieces into place. The characterization is so well-done that I did not mind this at all. I can just imagine every single one of them so vividly and their interaction feels real (if at times exasperating, but family is like that). I felt for Irene who does not know how to have relationships anymore when she always knows if somebody is lying, I raged at Frankie and his harebrained schemes, I marvelled at the enigma that is Buddy - always living at all times of his life at once. Is there even a place for free will if you always know what you will do ahead of time? Can you cheat your own knowledge to carve out a place for yourself? The plot was first secondary (but so much fun!), then more and more coming into focus. There is so much happening: The Mafia! The CIA! Cold War! Spies! Debt! Love! (one of those things is not like the other - but very much the focus of this book)

In the end, when everything came together, I had such a huge grin on my face while at the same time being scared out of my mind about these annoying characters and what they might lose before the end. I absolutely enjoyed this immensely and am still thinking about all the moving pieces that you only recognize as part of the puzzle when they suddenly slot into place. Awfully, awfully clever.

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I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!

This was such a fun book. It features three generations of the Telemachus family and each has a unique psychic ability. Astral projection, lie detection, telekinesis, and time travel are both positive forces and huge burdens. Mixed with a snafu with the Chicago mob, a skeptic trying to sabotage the family's fame, and an online romance, this book highlights the adventures of this often-dysfunctional family.

I love how fleshed out each of these characters are and how their stories connect with one another's. They seem incredibly realistic, despite having special powers. Plus, I always like reading books set in my old Chicagoland stomping grounds, so I get a little kick every time I read a passage about the grocery stores I went to and different suburbs...Overall, 4/5 stars

This book is about a psychic family involved in Chicago's shady underground world. The plot is both entertaining and suspenseful. The characters are well fleshed out and amusing. There are some really good twists and tender moments. I think the genre bending story is pretty unique. Definitely a good escape novel.

I can’t remember how I found out about Daryl Gregory’s ‘Spoonbenders’. One of those random algorithm-generated recommendations we bookworms experience so often, I presume. Which is entirely appropriate because this this book is also entirely random. But in an entirely wonderful way. Featuring a family of psychics / pseudo-psychics (Grandma Mo was the CIA’s greatest weapon against the Soviets; Grandpa Teddy is nothing more than a very effective conman), Spoonbenders centres around the coming-of-age and of psychic power of young Matty whose gift is activated by um, lets say self-care. This familial adventure will make you laugh for sure. One for the quirks among us. 4.5 bent spoons.

I really enjoyed this book. A touch of supernatural (spoiler alert, some of the psychic powers are real) coupled with a richly drawn palette of interesting characters.

Three and a half stars

For such a hefty book I have surprisingly little to say about it! I've been a huge fan of Gregory's work since I read Raising Stoney Mayhall several years ago, and he has yet to disappoint. I particularly enjoy how he mixes genres. This book reads like a modern lit family drama...except with psychics. The plot is a series of seemingly disconnected threads that all come together in the end to form one masterfully woven scene. The real core of the book, however, centers on the five central characters, which works well since Gregory is a master of creating rich and complex characters. These are people with flaws and layers, and as I got to know them I didn't always like them but I did sympathize with them. I particularly enjoyed the "rules" Gregory set up for how the psychic powers worked in his world.

All in all Spoonbenders was more literary and less creepy than his other books, which will probably have broader appeal (but a little less for me since I love the creepy factor). This book has plenty of familial drama to keep it grounded despite being filled with grifters, mobsters, and psychics. If you've avoided Gregory in the past because demons, zombies, and other horror tropes are not to your taste this is the perfect entry point to get a taste of his excellent writing.