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A review by katharine_opal
40: A Novel by Alan Heathcock
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
40 was a baffling read. I had first been drawn in by the cover of the novel. A classical rendition of an angel proudly holding a trumpet aloft, but instead of the expected soft golds or blues, is entirely blood red, whilst walking through a hot pink 40. After being curious about what sort of novel could have such an eye-catching cover, I looked at the plot blurb. The setting is in a post-apocalyptic world, the enemy a powerhouse of a cult that has taken over the city of Los Angeles. A girl who becomes the figurehead of a revolution, just to get her sister back. The same girl who had awoken in a bomb crater with mysterious wings on her back! All of it sounded fascinating! Just like the type of book I would love to dive into! I was sorely disappointed. I almost put this book on the DNF list by the second chapter; I only made it to the end because I wanted to know what would happen with the sister. 40 feels contrived. Events happen within the plot just to add some drama. Sections of the story read oddly, and the plot jumped from place to place. The writing style itself was also painful at points. It felt more like a rough draft than a finished story. The characters themselves felt artificial. Like strawmen simply placed so the protagonist can have something to interact with. The main character herself, Mazzy, felt hollow. She didn't feel like much of a character. (I agree with someone else who said she felt a LOT like a Katniss rip-off. Not saying that was intentional, but the similarities were glaring.) There were speeches in certain scenes that felt as if they were meant to be read as a "deep, introspective message to the masses" but they came off as shallow. I would also like to note that the "twist" was painfully obvious. I knew what was coming the second that character was introduced. The ending of the novel also felt insanely bizarre. I believe I understand what it was supposed to be referencing when it comes to Bible stories, but it felt insane and out of place. Simply put, I did not like 40. After finishing the novel, I was struck with the memory of this scene from "Burn After Reading". It sums up how I felt finishing this novel.
"What did we learn Palmer?" "
"I don't know sir."
"I don't know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. I'll be f*cked if I know what we did though."
40 was a baffling read. I had first been drawn in by the cover of the novel. A classical rendition of an angel proudly holding a trumpet aloft, but instead of the expected soft golds or blues, is entirely blood red, whilst walking through a hot pink 40. After being curious about what sort of novel could have such an eye-catching cover, I looked at the plot blurb. The setting is in a post-apocalyptic world, the enemy a powerhouse of a cult that has taken over the city of Los Angeles. A girl who becomes the figurehead of a revolution, just to get her sister back. The same girl who had awoken in a bomb crater with mysterious wings on her back! All of it sounded fascinating! Just like the type of book I would love to dive into! I was sorely disappointed. I almost put this book on the DNF list by the second chapter; I only made it to the end because I wanted to know what would happen with the sister. 40 feels contrived. Events happen within the plot just to add some drama. Sections of the story read oddly, and the plot jumped from place to place. The writing style itself was also painful at points. It felt more like a rough draft than a finished story. The characters themselves felt artificial. Like strawmen simply placed so the protagonist can have something to interact with. The main character herself, Mazzy, felt hollow. She didn't feel like much of a character. (I agree with someone else who said she felt a LOT like a Katniss rip-off. Not saying that was intentional, but the similarities were glaring.) There were speeches in certain scenes that felt as if they were meant to be read as a "deep, introspective message to the masses" but they came off as shallow. I would also like to note that the "twist" was painfully obvious. I knew what was coming the second that character was introduced. The ending of the novel also felt insanely bizarre. I believe I understand what it was supposed to be referencing when it comes to Bible stories, but it felt insane and out of place. Simply put, I did not like 40. After finishing the novel, I was struck with the memory of this scene from "Burn After Reading". It sums up how I felt finishing this novel.
"What did we learn Palmer?" "
"I don't know sir."
"I don't know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. I'll be f*cked if I know what we did though."