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A review by thatoneguyjm
Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I want more. I want more stories, more narrators. I want to know more about Sophie, I want more stories about the Warthogs, I want more points of view. This book has stuck with me, and while the slow-to-spin-up beginning and “here’s what happened after” wind-down keep it from being an all time great, it’s definitely found a place in one of my all time favorites.
It’s definitely a book that requires a bit of buy-in at the beginning- if you refuse to believe that the characters involved (mostly teens and young adults) would descend to this kind of brutality within 5 weeks you’re going to have a hard time keeping your eyes from rolling. Additionally, some of the POV characters fall firmly into the “unlikable/bad person” category. Personally, I liked that the book showed viewpoints from multiple (even terrible) people, but it’s definitely something that others may balk at.
Those caveats aside, I love that all the characters are unreliable narrators, but few of them flat out “lie”. I love that you get to piece together what REALLY happened (and it is indeed terrible even if it isn’t exactly as some of the characters remember it.) There’s a gleeful, messed up fun in watching this place of joy and family friendly fun descend into hell. Some of the set pieces are all-time greats (The hotel! The council meeting! The truth about the circus tent!), and I’ll remember some of the characters for a good long while. It’s a blast, and will definitely be revisiting this book again in the future.
It’s definitely a book that requires a bit of buy-in at the beginning- if you refuse to believe that the characters involved (mostly teens and young adults) would descend to this kind of brutality within 5 weeks you’re going to have a hard time keeping your eyes from rolling. Additionally, some of the POV characters fall firmly into the “unlikable/bad person” category. Personally, I liked that the book showed viewpoints from multiple (even terrible) people, but it’s definitely something that others may balk at.
Those caveats aside, I love that all the characters are unreliable narrators, but few of them flat out “lie”. I love that you get to piece together what REALLY happened (and it is indeed terrible even if it isn’t exactly as some of the characters remember it.) There’s a gleeful, messed up fun in watching this place of joy and family friendly fun descend into hell. Some of the set pieces are all-time greats (The hotel! The council meeting! The truth about the circus tent!), and I’ll remember some of the characters for a good long while. It’s a blast, and will definitely be revisiting this book again in the future.