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A review by podanotherjessi
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Nothing in this book was working for me.
First, the beginning of the book is narrated in a whisper I could barely hear no matter how high I turned the volume. I don't know which of the narrators on this book it was, but I probably will try to avoid them in the future.
Then, when the story finally starts (after 2 prologues and a chapter 0, as if Wendig couldn't decide how he wanted to start), it's in the perspective of a teenage girl who is such a caricature it was immediately off-putting. She's introduced by looking at herself in her phone camera and criticizing every element of her appearance. She very awkwardly uses outdated slang, and she's obsessed with social media.
And the other perspectives weren't any better. The other most prominent character is a lesbian in a loveless marriage to an older woman who clearly doesn't care about her at all. And quite frankly, that's not something I'm interested in seeing a straight man explore.
I still pushed through for a while because I was anticipating this book, but it just didn't improve. It features the most pretentious apple farmer in the world, who gets offended at very simple and normal suggestions like giving out free samples. I could see the clear line the plot would be taking. And when I reached a cat perspective that was more believable and well-rounded than the teenage girl, I decided to give up.
First, the beginning of the book is narrated in a whisper I could barely hear no matter how high I turned the volume. I don't know which of the narrators on this book it was, but I probably will try to avoid them in the future.
Then, when the story finally starts (after 2 prologues and a chapter 0, as if Wendig couldn't decide how he wanted to start), it's in the perspective of a teenage girl who is such a caricature it was immediately off-putting. She's introduced by looking at herself in her phone camera and criticizing every element of her appearance. She very awkwardly uses outdated slang, and she's obsessed with social media.
And the other perspectives weren't any better. The other most prominent character is a lesbian in a loveless marriage to an older woman who clearly doesn't care about her at all. And quite frankly, that's not something I'm interested in seeing a straight man explore.
I still pushed through for a while because I was anticipating this book, but it just didn't improve. It features the most pretentious apple farmer in the world, who gets offended at very simple and normal suggestions like giving out free samples. I could see the clear line the plot would be taking. And when I reached a cat perspective that was more believable and well-rounded than the teenage girl, I decided to give up.