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A review by gdlutz
The Raising: Novel by Laura Kasischke
3.0
For the most part, Kasischke has written a fun, mystifying book. There is a lot going on to keep the readers interest, twists that aren't predictable and characters who seem real (an plenty who hopefully are really not real). I read a description of The Raising as being a mix of Stephen King and Donna Tartt (probably from the book description). I can see this, while Kasischke certainly isn't a master like either of those authors, she does capture some of the horror of real life like King, and a real feeling depiction of academic life like Tartt.
However, and this is a very big however, there is the ending, which is horrible. Kasischke spent the book building mystery and intrigue. She developed questions and possibilities, even up close to the end. Then she just let it all fall apart. It is almost as though she had a deadline she couldn't meet, so the publisher handed the unfinished text to a new intern and asked how they thought it would end, to which they replied "Well, I guess it could end like this..." and that is what the publisher printed. Seriously, one of the characters, in thinking about the events of the book, 15 years after the fact, actually ruminates that things could possibly have happened a certain way. So really, there is no conclusion, no relief, no answers. Right before this horrible ending, a missing character shows up in two different places, hundreds of miles apart, at the same time. This is a pretty big detail and mystery, that while interesting, was completely unnecessary to the book. But then it isn't address again. Why? What happened?
As I am writing this, I am tempted to reduce my rating to 2 stars, but 95% of the book really was good, so I will keep it at a three. It just goes to show has a bad ending (or the lack of an ending) can ruin a good book.
However, and this is a very big however, there is the ending, which is horrible. Kasischke spent the book building mystery and intrigue. She developed questions and possibilities, even up close to the end. Then she just let it all fall apart. It is almost as though she had a deadline she couldn't meet, so the publisher handed the unfinished text to a new intern and asked how they thought it would end, to which they replied "Well, I guess it could end like this..." and that is what the publisher printed. Seriously, one of the characters, in thinking about the events of the book, 15 years after the fact, actually ruminates that things could possibly have happened a certain way. So really, there is no conclusion, no relief, no answers. Right before this horrible ending, a missing character shows up in two different places, hundreds of miles apart, at the same time. This is a pretty big detail and mystery, that while interesting, was completely unnecessary to the book. But then it isn't address again. Why? What happened?
As I am writing this, I am tempted to reduce my rating to 2 stars, but 95% of the book really was good, so I will keep it at a three. It just goes to show has a bad ending (or the lack of an ending) can ruin a good book.