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edward_evjen 's review for:
Ghost Wood Song
by Erica Waters
This book cleaves misery and hope together just as well as it cleaves your heart in two. It's uncommon to read a book that manages page turning thrills, two mystery plots, and a wicked strong emotional core all at once.
The book is about toxic familial relationships caused by guilt. While my statement is vague, the book is precise. Shady is our window to this world that much resembles our own. The only difference being ghosts in the book are more tangible than the ghosts in ours.
Some of the writing is repetitive. Faces are commonly described as hard or soft. This was a tripping block for me. Also, the "I'm awake and then I'm not..." rhythm happens more than I appreciate--another tripping block for me. Your mileage may vary. These writing crutches don't appear in the climax of the book.
Many of Shady's friends act implausibly. They are recklessly supportive of Shady despite the hell she drags them through. The needs of her friends are repressed so I'm forced to conclude they are poorly developed. This is likely for the sake of brevity. Fortunately, the momentum of the mystery carries the reader forward.
I was annoyed at the first mystery wrapping up so conveniently. But then the second one, the far more important one, took over and I was hooked. The red herring allowed me to be blindsided by a deeper plot. It's awesome.
There is a major thematic slip-up in the climax. (Page 354, midway down. Right before: "[They] crosses [Their] arms.") Which was disheartening to read since Erica Waters was doing so well. The emotional uncoupling from an evil relationship was undone with a clumsy statement. It's difficult to explain without details. I'll be vague as it's close as I can get. An important character continues to hate a family member despite the fact the theme is about (more or less) giving up hatred. Nevertheless, the consequences of continued hatred are ignored. This harms the book in two ways. 1) It undermines the theme the book has been building. 2) Decouples the book from reality--Erica Waters is momentarily dishonest with the reader. It seems that this slip up is more of Erica's voice than the character's. The phrase reads like some hatred Erica hasn't given up. Hatred only binds an abuser closer to your heart and lets them steer your life.
Let's end on a positive note. This book deserves it. The bluegrass music in the book is written with honest, reckless love. Erica Water's does play the banjo so I gather she does have firsthand experience. But even if she didn't, the care for bluegrass is brutality precise. I searched up a song, "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail" (Page 186) and it was 100% spot on. The music in the book is everywhere, it is part of the theme, part of the problem, part of the solution. It's playful and deathly serious, like how the Theory of Relativity was discovered by Einstein's playful imagination--same spirit. It's something you have to read to understand.
This book is a benefit to humanity. It's worth reading and it's worth loving.
The book is about toxic familial relationships caused by guilt. While my statement is vague, the book is precise. Shady is our window to this world that much resembles our own. The only difference being ghosts in the book are more tangible than the ghosts in ours.
Some of the writing is repetitive. Faces are commonly described as hard or soft. This was a tripping block for me. Also, the "I'm awake and then I'm not..." rhythm happens more than I appreciate--another tripping block for me. Your mileage may vary. These writing crutches don't appear in the climax of the book.
Many of Shady's friends act implausibly. They are recklessly supportive of Shady despite the hell she drags them through. The needs of her friends are repressed so I'm forced to conclude they are poorly developed. This is likely for the sake of brevity. Fortunately, the momentum of the mystery carries the reader forward.
I was annoyed at the first mystery wrapping up so conveniently. But then the second one, the far more important one, took over and I was hooked. The red herring allowed me to be blindsided by a deeper plot. It's awesome.
There is a major thematic slip-up in the climax. (Page 354, midway down. Right before: "[They] crosses [Their] arms.") Which was disheartening to read since Erica Waters was doing so well. The emotional uncoupling from an evil relationship was undone with a clumsy statement. It's difficult to explain without details. I'll be vague as it's close as I can get. An important character continues to hate a family member despite the fact the theme is about (more or less) giving up hatred. Nevertheless, the consequences of continued hatred are ignored. This harms the book in two ways. 1) It undermines the theme the book has been building. 2) Decouples the book from reality--Erica Waters is momentarily dishonest with the reader. It seems that this slip up is more of Erica's voice than the character's. The phrase reads like some hatred Erica hasn't given up. Hatred only binds an abuser closer to your heart and lets them steer your life.
Let's end on a positive note. This book deserves it. The bluegrass music in the book is written with honest, reckless love. Erica Water's does play the banjo so I gather she does have firsthand experience. But even if she didn't, the care for bluegrass is brutality precise. I searched up a song, "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail" (Page 186) and it was 100% spot on. The music in the book is everywhere, it is part of the theme, part of the problem, part of the solution. It's playful and deathly serious, like how the Theory of Relativity was discovered by Einstein's playful imagination--same spirit. It's something you have to read to understand.
This book is a benefit to humanity. It's worth reading and it's worth loving.