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maxturner's reviews
95 reviews
Vampire Next Door by Angela Snyder
3.0
I should say that this book, in the main, is a paranormal romance and I am not it's its target audience. I don't normally like romance/erotica as I find them a predictable rehash of the old Mills and Boon formula of arrogant guy wins over/is won over by headstrong and/or timid woman. I'm yet to discover a romance where the female character isn't in some way walked over by men in the name of romance, and this story is no exception. That said, aside from the romance, there were elements of this book I enjoyed, most especially the first half.
Immediately this story has a cinematic feel - the structure and content give the impression of a trashy day-time TV movie. As someone who loves trashy made for TV movies this is absolutely a compliment. The beginning chapters are so (presumably unintentionally) terribly trashy that it's fantastic and had me laughing joyfully. It has made me question things I've never thought of before, like what identifying paperwork is necessary for a Jane Doe to get married?
We meet Jane after she has been left for dead and wakes with amnesia to discover that her attending surgeon has fallen in love with her whilst elbow deep in her brains. When she wakes and finds Dr Jack has fallen in love with her whilst she was in a coma (creep factor 10) they inevitably get married. Jane is very 2 dimensional and it seems odd for someone to fall in love with her when she isn't even very sure of herself. But the story picks up the pace and intrigue when we meet Jack’s evil twin Matt (the only difference between them being the scar on Matt’s face - scars being the obvious way to demonstrate which of the twins is the evil one).
After a little lead in we finally meet Sebastian, who obviously knows Jane from her unknown past. From the fact of his wealth, slightly gothy good looks, love of antiques and vintage wine, and his hobby of sneaking into her house to watch her sleep (why do people think this is romantic rather than creepy?), we know this must be the titular vampire.
Just after halfway through, after the untimely and mysterious death of Jack, we hit the inevitable love triangle between Jane (who am I?), Matt (evil twin) and Sebastian (vampire). This turns into Jane torn between a guy who lies to her or a guy pressuring her into a relationship she doesn't want. This irks me, I'd just love to see one of these stories that ends with the female protagonist telling them both to piss off so she can get on with her life. Jerks are not romantic, over controlling guys who get angry when you drink or if you are seen with another man are not men with whom to settle. Readers, if you come across guys like this in real life RUN. I know of what I speak.
I spent most of the romance rolling my eyes (as I said I am not the target audience), but beyond that there is a good if foreseeable twist towards the end and a strong ending. There isn't an obvious setup for a sequel and it doesn't feel like there needs to be, though there are some questions left hanging that the readers can ponder on.
It's well written - a smooth and easy read though there are occasional odd word choices - nb. Menagerie means a collection of animals/zoo. There’s a lot of depth to the story that is excellently paced and very well weaved together. If not for elements of the romance I would have given it another star.
Immediately this story has a cinematic feel - the structure and content give the impression of a trashy day-time TV movie. As someone who loves trashy made for TV movies this is absolutely a compliment. The beginning chapters are so (presumably unintentionally) terribly trashy that it's fantastic and had me laughing joyfully. It has made me question things I've never thought of before, like what identifying paperwork is necessary for a Jane Doe to get married?
We meet Jane after she has been left for dead and wakes with amnesia to discover that her attending surgeon has fallen in love with her whilst elbow deep in her brains. When she wakes and finds Dr Jack has fallen in love with her whilst she was in a coma (creep factor 10) they inevitably get married. Jane is very 2 dimensional and it seems odd for someone to fall in love with her when she isn't even very sure of herself. But the story picks up the pace and intrigue when we meet Jack’s evil twin Matt (the only difference between them being the scar on Matt’s face - scars being the obvious way to demonstrate which of the twins is the evil one).
After a little lead in we finally meet Sebastian, who obviously knows Jane from her unknown past. From the fact of his wealth, slightly gothy good looks, love of antiques and vintage wine, and his hobby of sneaking into her house to watch her sleep (why do people think this is romantic rather than creepy?), we know this must be the titular vampire.
Just after halfway through, after the untimely and mysterious death of Jack, we hit the inevitable love triangle between Jane (who am I?), Matt (evil twin) and Sebastian (vampire). This turns into Jane torn between a guy who lies to her or a guy pressuring her into a relationship she doesn't want. This irks me, I'd just love to see one of these stories that ends with the female protagonist telling them both to piss off so she can get on with her life. Jerks are not romantic, over controlling guys who get angry when you drink or if you are seen with another man are not men with whom to settle. Readers, if you come across guys like this in real life RUN. I know of what I speak.
I spent most of the romance rolling my eyes (as I said I am not the target audience), but beyond that there is a good if foreseeable twist towards the end and a strong ending. There isn't an obvious setup for a sequel and it doesn't feel like there needs to be, though there are some questions left hanging that the readers can ponder on.
It's well written - a smooth and easy read though there are occasional odd word choices - nb. Menagerie means a collection of animals/zoo. There’s a lot of depth to the story that is excellently paced and very well weaved together. If not for elements of the romance I would have given it another star.
Eve Brenner: Zombie Agent by A. Giacomi, A. Giacomi
2.0
Book two of this series – Eve Brenner: Zombie Agent starts where the main story of book one left us, before the “Two Years Later” epilogue, so there is instant intrigue as to how these two intervening years play out, good and bad.
The story itself progresses through Eve being kept at the CSIS’s secret installation and eventually training to become an agent for them. We watch a budding romance unfold between her and Agent Williams before we begin to uncover a secret agenda of the CSIS that could mean the end of the world. Much zombie fiction features the end of the world, and now in book two we find a connection with Eve and her story – I really liked how this was done and found it intriguing.
The format is still first person, jumping to a different character each chapter and unfortunately it still doesn’t work for me. The author has a little more success in varying their internal voices than the previous book but even so fails to really capture three (later five) separate and well defined characters, and struggles with writing from a male perspective. This is especially true in the case of Agent Williams – I also found it quite disconnecting not to discover his first name until almost half way through the book despite having chapters from his point of view.
The book is unfortunately let down by several weaknesses which unfortunately made me really struggle with it – from gaps in logic to contradictions and a lack of knowledge/research (the Terracotta Warriors are clay Tomb Guardians they do not have people inside them). The reintroduction of friends from the first book, Cam and Alex, in their own chapters feels less about furthering the story and more about allowing the circumstances for Cam to move on so the reader is ok with a romance between Eve and Williams. Again, as with the first book the ending is strong and action packed, but it feels contradictory – surely the rock should have had some reaction in the oven given that it has previously been affected by fire?
I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book more. As with the first in the series, I love the premise and there are some really great ideas here and there. The writing feels a little improved from the first book and there are occasionally some great sentences and turns of phrase throughout but these are outweighed by some weak writing in other parts. Overall it feels superficial – lacking in detail and depth in both story and characters. There are some really great ideas and set ups, like the links to ancient/dead civilisations but they are let down by the weaknesses above.
The story itself progresses through Eve being kept at the CSIS’s secret installation and eventually training to become an agent for them. We watch a budding romance unfold between her and Agent Williams before we begin to uncover a secret agenda of the CSIS that could mean the end of the world. Much zombie fiction features the end of the world, and now in book two we find a connection with Eve and her story – I really liked how this was done and found it intriguing.
The format is still first person, jumping to a different character each chapter and unfortunately it still doesn’t work for me. The author has a little more success in varying their internal voices than the previous book but even so fails to really capture three (later five) separate and well defined characters, and struggles with writing from a male perspective. This is especially true in the case of Agent Williams – I also found it quite disconnecting not to discover his first name until almost half way through the book despite having chapters from his point of view.
The book is unfortunately let down by several weaknesses which unfortunately made me really struggle with it – from gaps in logic to contradictions and a lack of knowledge/research (the Terracotta Warriors are clay Tomb Guardians they do not have people inside them). The reintroduction of friends from the first book, Cam and Alex, in their own chapters feels less about furthering the story and more about allowing the circumstances for Cam to move on so the reader is ok with a romance between Eve and Williams. Again, as with the first book the ending is strong and action packed, but it feels contradictory – surely the rock should have had some reaction in the oven given that it has previously been affected by fire?
I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book more. As with the first in the series, I love the premise and there are some really great ideas here and there. The writing feels a little improved from the first book and there are occasionally some great sentences and turns of phrase throughout but these are outweighed by some weak writing in other parts. Overall it feels superficial – lacking in detail and depth in both story and characters. There are some really great ideas and set ups, like the links to ancient/dead civilisations but they are let down by the weaknesses above.
The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
4.0
Review also available on my blog
I wasn't sure I was going to like this very much as I discovered I'm not a big fan of Reilly's writing style. There were also a few bits here and there that didn't quite feel right to me, but overall it was the strength of the story that pushed me from giving it three stars to four.
The story starts with an introduction to CJ Cameron, a previously mauled crocodilian expert who now works as a zoo vet and has been asked to write about China's amazing new zoo by National Geographic. The story doesn't waste anytime in getting to the zoo, which is after all what us readers are there, keeping a great pace. We find out more about CJ, her brother Hamish, who will be photographer for her article, and other journalists and VIPs who are to experience the Great Zoo of China first hand. A little too first hand for most of them.
It's immediately clear what the zoo contains and a good quarter of the book flies by, towards the inevitable. In my review notes I wrote "As soon as they hit the zoo it's hard to put it down. The inevitable comes suddenly and is gripping". So far so good but also a little formulaic. Comparisons to Jurassic Park are understandable (though in my opinion comparisons of Reilly to Michael Crichton are very much not!), though slightly unfair as this is not a carbon copy and though it may owe a nod to Jurassic Park it strikes out in it's own direction early on. If trying to reference it in popular culture it might be more apt to say it is Jurassic Park meets Reign of Fire, though again this wouldn't quite cover it all.
Credit to Reilly for making his lead character a woman in an action adventure genre. Although her introduction comes across as one of those hyper-interesting characters, it eventually pans out and she becomes quite a well rounded and likable character that the reader can cheer on. Very early in she becomes the clear leader in the group dynamic despite being "outranked" by some of the men in one way or another which feels like the natural order to things. To a lesser degree most of the supporting characters are nicely fleshed out making it easy for the reader to invest in their plight. It is a shame that of all their group CJ is the only surviving woman - there were one or two that I think would have been interesting to have around longer and see their reactions to the impending doom.
The introduction, though thankfully slight, of a hint of romance irked me. More so because of my personal pet peeve for romance story-lines in non-romance genres most especially when the lead character is a woman. Although not touched on too much, it still had me rolling my eyes on the several occasions that CJ "noticed" the one guy in their group who she kept forgetting was there. I just eye-rolled again thinking about it.
Having worked with Chinese businesses and individuals in the past I was intrigued to see Reilly's take on them in this situation. Although there are elements that fit with the perception of ruthless Chinese business, there came a point where they all seemed to morph into James Bond villains. The end result is that the majority of Chinese characters come off a little cartoony. But at least the story doesn't draw a line of Westerners good/Chinese bad as we see some good and bad on both sides as the story progresses.
Undeniably this book is action packed and hard to put down, which personally for me was based on the strength of the story itself. Reilly's writing style is jarring and has a mixed tone. If not for the abundance of cursing and gore, I might have thought the intended readership to be the Young Adult crowd. But for me what let it down the most was the constant action about to -
- happen.
I found these split paragraphs, which happened with ridiculous frequency to be jarring rather than nail biting as was possibly the intention.
Some of the story is predictable, the dragon communication is obvious from the get go and is a little jarring for it's childish quality, asking for a little too much suspension of belief - but again might work well for a YA readership. That said, the ending is strong and spins off in a direction that isn't quite so predictable -answering the readers question of "how are they going to get out of this" by taking them off on another adventure and back again. The ending certainly makes up for anything earlier that was slightly more predictable.
Overall? Reilly is no Michael Crichton, but he can spin a good yarn.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this very much as I discovered I'm not a big fan of Reilly's writing style. There were also a few bits here and there that didn't quite feel right to me, but overall it was the strength of the story that pushed me from giving it three stars to four.
The story starts with an introduction to CJ Cameron, a previously mauled crocodilian expert who now works as a zoo vet and has been asked to write about China's amazing new zoo by National Geographic. The story doesn't waste anytime in getting to the zoo, which is after all what us readers are there, keeping a great pace. We find out more about CJ, her brother Hamish, who will be photographer for her article, and other journalists and VIPs who are to experience the Great Zoo of China first hand. A little too first hand for most of them.
It's immediately clear what the zoo contains and a good quarter of the book flies by, towards the inevitable. In my review notes I wrote "As soon as they hit the zoo it's hard to put it down. The inevitable comes suddenly and is gripping". So far so good but also a little formulaic. Comparisons to Jurassic Park are understandable (though in my opinion comparisons of Reilly to Michael Crichton are very much not!), though slightly unfair as this is not a carbon copy and though it may owe a nod to Jurassic Park it strikes out in it's own direction early on. If trying to reference it in popular culture it might be more apt to say it is Jurassic Park meets Reign of Fire, though again this wouldn't quite cover it all.
Credit to Reilly for making his lead character a woman in an action adventure genre. Although her introduction comes across as one of those hyper-interesting characters, it eventually pans out and she becomes quite a well rounded and likable character that the reader can cheer on. Very early in she becomes the clear leader in the group dynamic despite being "outranked" by some of the men in one way or another which feels like the natural order to things. To a lesser degree most of the supporting characters are nicely fleshed out making it easy for the reader to invest in their plight. It is a shame that of all their group CJ is the only surviving woman - there were one or two that I think would have been interesting to have around longer and see their reactions to the impending doom.
The introduction, though thankfully slight, of a hint of romance irked me. More so because of my personal pet peeve for romance story-lines in non-romance genres most especially when the lead character is a woman. Although not touched on too much, it still had me rolling my eyes on the several occasions that CJ "noticed" the one guy in their group who she kept forgetting was there. I just eye-rolled again thinking about it.
Having worked with Chinese businesses and individuals in the past I was intrigued to see Reilly's take on them in this situation. Although there are elements that fit with the perception of ruthless Chinese business, there came a point where they all seemed to morph into James Bond villains. The end result is that the majority of Chinese characters come off a little cartoony. But at least the story doesn't draw a line of Westerners good/Chinese bad as we see some good and bad on both sides as the story progresses.
Undeniably this book is action packed and hard to put down, which personally for me was based on the strength of the story itself. Reilly's writing style is jarring and has a mixed tone. If not for the abundance of cursing and gore, I might have thought the intended readership to be the Young Adult crowd. But for me what let it down the most was the constant action about to -
- happen.
I found these split paragraphs, which happened with ridiculous frequency to be jarring rather than nail biting as was possibly the intention.
Some of the story is predictable, the dragon communication is obvious from the get go and is a little jarring for it's childish quality, asking for a little too much suspension of belief - but again might work well for a YA readership. That said, the ending is strong and spins off in a direction that isn't quite so predictable -answering the readers question of "how are they going to get out of this" by taking them off on another adventure and back again. The ending certainly makes up for anything earlier that was slightly more predictable.
Overall? Reilly is no Michael Crichton, but he can spin a good yarn.
Oakfield by David J. Rodger
3.0
A group trip to a mysteriously inherited house, family tensions under the surface, and the pretense of dressing for dinner – the beginnings of this story could be the plot of an Agatha Christie, had she written science fiction. Set in an indeterminate time in the future, the focus of the story in the beginning is the attempted healing of a family recovering from the trauma of recent deaths and a brother returning from war. Being a sci-fi it’s not all as simple as that and we slowly learn that there is more to James’s situation as that brother returning from war. It soon becomes clear that the mystery that brought the group to the house, Oakfiled, extends beyond the inheritance but to the house itself, the neighbours and the odd town it overlooks.
The story is well written and the beginning draws you into an interesting place, family and situation. James has returned from war not quite right, his sister Annabella has inherited their estranged grandfather’s house and the two of them take a trip out there along with their younger brother Anthony, Annabella’s husband David and hanger on Briggs, David’s business partner. Immediately we are thrown into the compelling story of this family and their tensions – all from the perspective of James who is trying to recover from his trauma and rebuild relations with his family, at the same time as having to confront their past issues and current struggles.
The first quarter feels sort of slow, but revealing things bit by bit provides intrigue. In fact I really enjoy being in the story with them – at the house and in that landscape, it feels like a bit of a holiday. We meet some of the locals, and mysterious locked doors in the house that hint at the deeper mystery of why the prominent local family and mine owners, the McKenzies, want to get their hands on it.
That said, I lost that connection to a degree about quarter of the way through with the unexpected and jarring introduction of a sexually aggressive manic pixie dream girl – a tattooed, elvin nosed beauty who reminds the brooding James what it is to be alive. In their first meeting the characters have sex, which could be seen as an extension of her role as an exposition character, but in reality it is gratuitous and much the same thing could have been achieved without. I’m no prude so it isn’t the sex scene itself which bothers me but the fact that this is the sum of this characters parts. This female character doesn’t progress beyond relaying exposition, making James feel things, and being the object of sexual obsession for both James and local bad guy Caleb.
From about half way the science fiction aspects of the mystery become more prominent. We come to understand quite how strange this local town is and the reach of the McKenzies. It is quite chilling for the reader to realise there appears to be no escape for this family they have been building a connection with. Once the mysteries of the house’s basement are revealed we start to head into pure sci-fi, which feels slightly at odds with the atmosphere at the beginning of the story. It might have felt more cohesive if the sci-fi element was stronger throughout and if we’d been given more of an opportunity to discover more about humans living off world and what is going on out there.
I started out really enjoying this and seeing myself giving it at least 4 stars but, as it drew to a quick and slightly unresolved end, I found myself feeling like I was missing something. I know some if not all of the books by the same author are set in the same world and are often referred to as Lovecraftian so I think it might come together as part of that and be better appreciated by readers who have read more of Rodger’s work and have a greater knowledge of Lovecraft.
That said, it wasn’t just the ending that let it down for me. Although it is revealed bit by bit the kind of experience James had at war and the technology that surrounded this, I would have loved more about this. I would really liked to have explored further what happened to him and the effects it was having on him being in a new “zipper”. It is touched on here and there but really could have been expanded.
But the thing I struggled with the most was the gender balance. For a story set in the future I would expect greater diversity and especially a more equal gender balance with less stereotypical genderising on both sides. Of all the characters at the house, the neighbours and in the town itself, only two are female and both have seemingly traditionalised roles (I’m not going to touch on race as this gets caught up in the sci-fi aspects of the story). The fact that at one point Annabella’s husband, during an argument, shouts “Be quiet woman” as opposed to the less genderised “Shut up Annabella” or something similar, was very jarring for me. All the men of the family are adventurers and war heroes to Annabella’s therapist, and I can’t help but wonder whether it might have been more interesting if the Briggs character was also female.
Overall, this is an interesting yarn that I think will especially appeal to Rodger’s existing fanbase but might be a little less accessible to newcomers to his works. The mystery is interesting, the family dynamics and especially the start of the story are strong, but there are definitely areas that could have been stronger.
The story is well written and the beginning draws you into an interesting place, family and situation. James has returned from war not quite right, his sister Annabella has inherited their estranged grandfather’s house and the two of them take a trip out there along with their younger brother Anthony, Annabella’s husband David and hanger on Briggs, David’s business partner. Immediately we are thrown into the compelling story of this family and their tensions – all from the perspective of James who is trying to recover from his trauma and rebuild relations with his family, at the same time as having to confront their past issues and current struggles.
The first quarter feels sort of slow, but revealing things bit by bit provides intrigue. In fact I really enjoy being in the story with them – at the house and in that landscape, it feels like a bit of a holiday. We meet some of the locals, and mysterious locked doors in the house that hint at the deeper mystery of why the prominent local family and mine owners, the McKenzies, want to get their hands on it.
That said, I lost that connection to a degree about quarter of the way through with the unexpected and jarring introduction of a sexually aggressive manic pixie dream girl – a tattooed, elvin nosed beauty who reminds the brooding James what it is to be alive. In their first meeting the characters have sex, which could be seen as an extension of her role as an exposition character, but in reality it is gratuitous and much the same thing could have been achieved without. I’m no prude so it isn’t the sex scene itself which bothers me but the fact that this is the sum of this characters parts. This female character doesn’t progress beyond relaying exposition, making James feel things, and being the object of sexual obsession for both James and local bad guy Caleb.
From about half way the science fiction aspects of the mystery become more prominent. We come to understand quite how strange this local town is and the reach of the McKenzies. It is quite chilling for the reader to realise there appears to be no escape for this family they have been building a connection with. Once the mysteries of the house’s basement are revealed we start to head into pure sci-fi, which feels slightly at odds with the atmosphere at the beginning of the story. It might have felt more cohesive if the sci-fi element was stronger throughout and if we’d been given more of an opportunity to discover more about humans living off world and what is going on out there.
I started out really enjoying this and seeing myself giving it at least 4 stars but, as it drew to a quick and slightly unresolved end, I found myself feeling like I was missing something. I know some if not all of the books by the same author are set in the same world and are often referred to as Lovecraftian so I think it might come together as part of that and be better appreciated by readers who have read more of Rodger’s work and have a greater knowledge of Lovecraft.
That said, it wasn’t just the ending that let it down for me. Although it is revealed bit by bit the kind of experience James had at war and the technology that surrounded this, I would have loved more about this. I would really liked to have explored further what happened to him and the effects it was having on him being in a new “zipper”. It is touched on here and there but really could have been expanded.
But the thing I struggled with the most was the gender balance. For a story set in the future I would expect greater diversity and especially a more equal gender balance with less stereotypical genderising on both sides. Of all the characters at the house, the neighbours and in the town itself, only two are female and both have seemingly traditionalised roles (I’m not going to touch on race as this gets caught up in the sci-fi aspects of the story). The fact that at one point Annabella’s husband, during an argument, shouts “Be quiet woman” as opposed to the less genderised “Shut up Annabella” or something similar, was very jarring for me. All the men of the family are adventurers and war heroes to Annabella’s therapist, and I can’t help but wonder whether it might have been more interesting if the Briggs character was also female.
Overall, this is an interesting yarn that I think will especially appeal to Rodger’s existing fanbase but might be a little less accessible to newcomers to his works. The mystery is interesting, the family dynamics and especially the start of the story are strong, but there are definitely areas that could have been stronger.
Meatspace by Nikesh Shukla
5.0
We enter Kitab's life at a time when things could be going better - he's wasting his money, failing to write, and most troubling is that he spends too much time obsessing over chutney. As the story progresses, Kitab and his brother Aziz play out parallel but unique experiences as Aziz tracks down his internet doppelganger and Kitab is befriended by another Kitab Balasubramanyam online and then in real life.
The name of the book is perfect - meatspace, a term used to mean real life as opposed to cyberspace, is at once suitable and sort of uncomfortable - which is arguably reflective of the content. As the stories of the two brothers continue the fun humour of the first half of the book takes a weirder and at times chilling turn as we learn the horrors of identity theft.
The stories of both brothers are immediately engaging, as are all the characters who have some real depth to them. The characters are so well drawn that it is easy to feel that large chunks of this story and those inhabiting it are in some way biographical. Both Kitab's are likeable in their own ways, Aziz is the crazy friend or relative we all know, and the background characters - especially Kitab's dad and Hayley - feel real and react appropriately. I was really impressed with both the way women and the way Kitab thinks of women, comes across - it feels real and it doesn't offend. You get the impression both Shukla and Kitab are on the side of women, which is refreshing.
Kitab is totally relatable to creative types, but especially writers - many things he mentions are things I for one have done: working from gdocs, being distracted online when I should be writing, agonising over introducing yourself as a "writer" - it also made me paranoid that I might not have been signing my books on the correct page! Through Kitab and his writer-related thoughts and events Shukla illustrates well the writing/marketing balance (or lack thereof) of a writer in the social media age.
At it's core this is a commentary on social media and a reminder that we need to be present in our real lives rather than "living" them online and building real relationships rather than assuming we know people from their online personas. That said, it isn't ham-fisted and overdone, because it is literally played out - this is a modern day moral tale - and most of us can relate to it.
The story is fast paced and engaging, the first book in a long time that I have had to drag myself away from to shower/sleep/go to work and I was left feeling satisfied with the pay off. I'm not going to ruin the ending, but want to say I was really impressed by the little clues throughout that the reader can put together to guess how this all goes down at the end. It gave the book an extra layer and also added momentum - willing the reader on to the point where I would describe this as "unputdownable". It's wrapped up in a bittersweet ending with Kitab learning the lessons he needed to learn, and hopefully passing them onto the reader too.
The name of the book is perfect - meatspace, a term used to mean real life as opposed to cyberspace, is at once suitable and sort of uncomfortable - which is arguably reflective of the content. As the stories of the two brothers continue the fun humour of the first half of the book takes a weirder and at times chilling turn as we learn the horrors of identity theft.
The stories of both brothers are immediately engaging, as are all the characters who have some real depth to them. The characters are so well drawn that it is easy to feel that large chunks of this story and those inhabiting it are in some way biographical. Both Kitab's are likeable in their own ways, Aziz is the crazy friend or relative we all know, and the background characters - especially Kitab's dad and Hayley - feel real and react appropriately. I was really impressed with both the way women and the way Kitab thinks of women, comes across - it feels real and it doesn't offend. You get the impression both Shukla and Kitab are on the side of women, which is refreshing.
Kitab is totally relatable to creative types, but especially writers - many things he mentions are things I for one have done: working from gdocs, being distracted online when I should be writing, agonising over introducing yourself as a "writer" - it also made me paranoid that I might not have been signing my books on the correct page! Through Kitab and his writer-related thoughts and events Shukla illustrates well the writing/marketing balance (or lack thereof) of a writer in the social media age.
At it's core this is a commentary on social media and a reminder that we need to be present in our real lives rather than "living" them online and building real relationships rather than assuming we know people from their online personas. That said, it isn't ham-fisted and overdone, because it is literally played out - this is a modern day moral tale - and most of us can relate to it.
The story is fast paced and engaging, the first book in a long time that I have had to drag myself away from to shower/sleep/go to work and I was left feeling satisfied with the pay off. I'm not going to ruin the ending, but want to say I was really impressed by the little clues throughout that the reader can put together to guess how this all goes down at the end. It gave the book an extra layer and also added momentum - willing the reader on to the point where I would describe this as "unputdownable". It's wrapped up in a bittersweet ending with Kitab learning the lessons he needed to learn, and hopefully passing them onto the reader too.
Horns by Joe Hill
3.0
Read my full review on my Blog - https://mybrainonapage.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/book-review-horns-by-joe-hill/
The book jumps straight into the story, even though it takes a few pages to realise what’s going on - alongside Iggy as he too discovers his powers. It’s fantastically well paced and a compelling read, with the story set across five parts, told in the present and in flashbacks to pertinent points of the past.
Perhaps surprisingly, Merrin’s real killer is revealed fairly early on, the dark truth unable to escape the power of the horns. This revelation comes at the end of the first part, with the second part being a flashback to the time surrounding Iggy’s first meeting Merrin and their mutual friend, Lee - who saves Ig’s life as a teenager. Far from slowing the story down we are given an equally compelling story, that fleshes out all the characters involved and the circumstances of their friendships. This format occurs throughout, with the non-linear story building up to the final conclusions. The story is well structured, and despite knowing the identity of the killer, there are multiple mysteries going on. We start with who really killed Merrin? And what can Iggy’s horns do? through to who he can influence and to what extent? And moreover, what will he do with these powers? How Iggy got the horns and the circumstances of the night he cannot remember is a mystery that is not revealed until the very end of the book, putting everything into a final perspective.
Changing the viewpoint to the murderer in the fourth part of the book, was an excellent way to try to better understand what had happened and use both his and Iggy's (and Iggy's brother, Terry’s) perspectives to form a better picture of what really happened the night that Merrin was raped and murdered.
The Devil as the Hero:
Iggy is the anti-hero of this story. Although he has evil thoughts and wants to carry out evil actions, it's all from a place of frustration and revenge that on some level is identifiable to the readers. What would you do, how would you feel, if you were accused of a heinous crime that you didn't commit but that everyone believed you had. What would you do if you were given the power to do something about it? On this level, it is easy to identify with Iggy - revenge is a powerful and universal emotion.
There is clearly a strong theological element to the story that I might not have connected with. Whether this is because I am not Christian, or because Christianity (on some social and cultural levels) is not played out quite the same in the UK as in the US, I am unsure. What is clear is that the devil is the hero of this story, a guy that does bad things for the most honourable of reasons. And it’s the devil versus God, who Iggy feels abandoned Merrin allowing her to be raped and murdered. There’s an interesting moment where Ig muses on Women as creator rather than God, and that God has been long waging a war against the devil and women (or vice versa) as enemies of his power - an interesting notion of which I approve! As part of that, we discover that Ig’s new powers do not work against people protected by God - those wearing crosses or in churches for example. At first this felt too simple to me and I had hoped for something more complex, but then it becomes stronger within the context of the larger focus on theology.
Something that is interesting and is arguably not fully resolved, is the revelation towards the end of how Iggy was saved as a teenager - and whether this shows him as already set on the path of the devil, who seems a permanent resident of Iggy’s home town.
The Life and Death of Merrin Williams:
The thing that I was most wary of before reading this, was how the rape and murder of the primary female character, Merrin Williams would be presented. I worried that Merrin’s rape and murder would be just the catalyst for the story and potentially render her, and her trauma, as nothing more than a refrigerated prop. As such, I was relieved to find, that at least as a character, she was well fleshed out. This is achieved through the flashbacks and from the variety of perspectives - so although we never really hear Merrin’s voice, we learn a lot about her and various circumstances (including her rape and murder - which is well handled) through the points of view of at least three characters. Although the lack of her voice is regrettable, she at least comes across as a character with her own agency as a result of the cross purposes of the differing viewpoints and the way they say Merrin.
That said, a revelation about Merrin’s health towards the end of the story, and the fact that she went on record as having wanted to die, feels like a free pass on her rape and murder. I was really torn by this - I found myself feeling relieved that at least Merrin didn’t have to suffer through a terrible breakdown of her health, and then thought - What the hell am I thinking!??! The framing had made me consider for a moment whether her rape and murder was a better alternative to her failing health. And on some level this is what Iggy feels - potentially that her rape and murder was God saving her from a “worse” fate... What the actual hell? The answer is of course, no it was not. But the story isn’t framed that way and it feels like that is exactly what the author is trying to do - to cushion the blow of her rape and murder by saying it’s ok as she was going to have a horrid and terrible death anyway. This did not sit well with me.
Merrin isn’t the only female character - other than family members and locals - there is also Glenna, Ig’s new girlfriend (after a fashion). Despite a delinquent past and her slobbish ways, she is strangely likeable and comes across as quite real and endearing - someone the reader can root for towards the end. She is also the only character that Ig comes across who doesn’t have horrific and/or life changing dark secrets (affairs, murderous thoughts, deep hatred for their kin, etc). Iggy even recognises this in her and wants to help make her life better and repay the way he has treated her in the past, and the way she has been treated by other men. So, again, I find it odd that the author chose to play down Merrin’s rape and murder with the introduction of her health issues and the potential theological reasoning behind it. Especially as her health issue comes across as nothing more than a way to explain that when she decided to breakup with Iggy (which we discover part way through) she didn’t really want to but was being selfless. Perhaps Hill could have found a way to justify the breakup and Merrin’s feelings in a way that wouldn’t have gutted her doubly meaningless death.
Overall, this is an interesting and compelling read and I enjoyed it whilst reading it. There is a sort of Donnie Darko element to this story, in the mixing of reality and fantasy/theology. However, there were aspects that let it down for me towards the end. The treatment of Merrin as noted above and the ending itself, which is surprisingly happy in a way. Early in the story we know that Ig isn’t planning this with any way out for himself, like the power of the horns, it is all consuming and the revenge is what matters even over his own life. And though his fate is inescapable, we still end up with a nicely resolved and arguably upbeat ending. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is rather good and it’s nice to have things tied up, however it feels a little at odds with the theme of the book and I can’t help but wonder about a darker ending with no happy ever afters. After all Ig himself noted -
“It goes against the American storytelling grain to have someone in a situation he can't get out of, but I think this is very usual in life.”
The book jumps straight into the story, even though it takes a few pages to realise what’s going on - alongside Iggy as he too discovers his powers. It’s fantastically well paced and a compelling read, with the story set across five parts, told in the present and in flashbacks to pertinent points of the past.
Perhaps surprisingly, Merrin’s real killer is revealed fairly early on, the dark truth unable to escape the power of the horns. This revelation comes at the end of the first part, with the second part being a flashback to the time surrounding Iggy’s first meeting Merrin and their mutual friend, Lee - who saves Ig’s life as a teenager. Far from slowing the story down we are given an equally compelling story, that fleshes out all the characters involved and the circumstances of their friendships. This format occurs throughout, with the non-linear story building up to the final conclusions. The story is well structured, and despite knowing the identity of the killer, there are multiple mysteries going on. We start with who really killed Merrin? And what can Iggy’s horns do? through to who he can influence and to what extent? And moreover, what will he do with these powers? How Iggy got the horns and the circumstances of the night he cannot remember is a mystery that is not revealed until the very end of the book, putting everything into a final perspective.
Changing the viewpoint to the murderer in the fourth part of the book, was an excellent way to try to better understand what had happened and use both his and Iggy's (and Iggy's brother, Terry’s) perspectives to form a better picture of what really happened the night that Merrin was raped and murdered.
The Devil as the Hero:
Iggy is the anti-hero of this story. Although he has evil thoughts and wants to carry out evil actions, it's all from a place of frustration and revenge that on some level is identifiable to the readers. What would you do, how would you feel, if you were accused of a heinous crime that you didn't commit but that everyone believed you had. What would you do if you were given the power to do something about it? On this level, it is easy to identify with Iggy - revenge is a powerful and universal emotion.
There is clearly a strong theological element to the story that I might not have connected with. Whether this is because I am not Christian, or because Christianity (on some social and cultural levels) is not played out quite the same in the UK as in the US, I am unsure. What is clear is that the devil is the hero of this story, a guy that does bad things for the most honourable of reasons. And it’s the devil versus God, who Iggy feels abandoned Merrin allowing her to be raped and murdered. There’s an interesting moment where Ig muses on Women as creator rather than God, and that God has been long waging a war against the devil and women (or vice versa) as enemies of his power - an interesting notion of which I approve! As part of that, we discover that Ig’s new powers do not work against people protected by God - those wearing crosses or in churches for example. At first this felt too simple to me and I had hoped for something more complex, but then it becomes stronger within the context of the larger focus on theology.
Something that is interesting and is arguably not fully resolved, is the revelation towards the end of how Iggy was saved as a teenager - and whether this shows him as already set on the path of the devil, who seems a permanent resident of Iggy’s home town.
The Life and Death of Merrin Williams:
The thing that I was most wary of before reading this, was how the rape and murder of the primary female character, Merrin Williams would be presented. I worried that Merrin’s rape and murder would be just the catalyst for the story and potentially render her, and her trauma, as nothing more than a refrigerated prop. As such, I was relieved to find, that at least as a character, she was well fleshed out. This is achieved through the flashbacks and from the variety of perspectives - so although we never really hear Merrin’s voice, we learn a lot about her and various circumstances (including her rape and murder - which is well handled) through the points of view of at least three characters. Although the lack of her voice is regrettable, she at least comes across as a character with her own agency as a result of the cross purposes of the differing viewpoints and the way they say Merrin.
That said, a revelation about Merrin’s health towards the end of the story, and the fact that she went on record as having wanted to die, feels like a free pass on her rape and murder. I was really torn by this - I found myself feeling relieved that at least Merrin didn’t have to suffer through a terrible breakdown of her health, and then thought - What the hell am I thinking!??! The framing had made me consider for a moment whether her rape and murder was a better alternative to her failing health. And on some level this is what Iggy feels - potentially that her rape and murder was God saving her from a “worse” fate... What the actual hell? The answer is of course, no it was not. But the story isn’t framed that way and it feels like that is exactly what the author is trying to do - to cushion the blow of her rape and murder by saying it’s ok as she was going to have a horrid and terrible death anyway. This did not sit well with me.
Merrin isn’t the only female character - other than family members and locals - there is also Glenna, Ig’s new girlfriend (after a fashion). Despite a delinquent past and her slobbish ways, she is strangely likeable and comes across as quite real and endearing - someone the reader can root for towards the end. She is also the only character that Ig comes across who doesn’t have horrific and/or life changing dark secrets (affairs, murderous thoughts, deep hatred for their kin, etc). Iggy even recognises this in her and wants to help make her life better and repay the way he has treated her in the past, and the way she has been treated by other men. So, again, I find it odd that the author chose to play down Merrin’s rape and murder with the introduction of her health issues and the potential theological reasoning behind it. Especially as her health issue comes across as nothing more than a way to explain that when she decided to breakup with Iggy (which we discover part way through) she didn’t really want to but was being selfless. Perhaps Hill could have found a way to justify the breakup and Merrin’s feelings in a way that wouldn’t have gutted her doubly meaningless death.
Overall, this is an interesting and compelling read and I enjoyed it whilst reading it. There is a sort of Donnie Darko element to this story, in the mixing of reality and fantasy/theology. However, there were aspects that let it down for me towards the end. The treatment of Merrin as noted above and the ending itself, which is surprisingly happy in a way. Early in the story we know that Ig isn’t planning this with any way out for himself, like the power of the horns, it is all consuming and the revenge is what matters even over his own life. And though his fate is inescapable, we still end up with a nicely resolved and arguably upbeat ending. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is rather good and it’s nice to have things tied up, however it feels a little at odds with the theme of the book and I can’t help but wonder about a darker ending with no happy ever afters. After all Ig himself noted -
“It goes against the American storytelling grain to have someone in a situation he can't get out of, but I think this is very usual in life.”
Bodies Full of Burning by Jennifer D. Adams, Ali Seay, Jude Reid, Carman Webb, Joe Koch, Julie Ann Rees, Megan M-Davies Ostrom, Bunny McFadden, B.J. Thrower, Karen Thrower, Shelby Dollar, Monique Quintana, Victory Witherkeigh, E.F. Schraeder, Max Turner, Marsheila Rockwell, Nicole M. Wolverton, D.A. Jobe
4.0
Disclaimer: I have a story published in this anthology, however I am reviewing based on the other stories only.
This is a wonderful collection of horror stories themed around the experience of menopause. There is a great variety of both stories and writers, which includes more than just cis-women - acknowledging that they are not the only people in possession of a uterus and facing the horrors of menopause.
My favourites were Becoming by Ali Seay, a chilling tale of heat! The rage inducing Some Say The World Will End in Fire by Jude Reid. And most especially the fantastic Blood Calumny by Joe Koch which is a great opening story to the volume.
This is a wonderful collection of horror stories themed around the experience of menopause. There is a great variety of both stories and writers, which includes more than just cis-women - acknowledging that they are not the only people in possession of a uterus and facing the horrors of menopause.
My favourites were Becoming by Ali Seay, a chilling tale of heat! The rage inducing Some Say The World Will End in Fire by Jude Reid. And most especially the fantastic Blood Calumny by Joe Koch which is a great opening story to the volume.
Ambrosia: Trans Masc & Non Binary Erotic Comics Anthology by Jade Sarson, Tab A. Kimpton
4.0
A bit of a mixed bag, but overall a great collection and variety of trans masc stories.
2 for Joy by Abi Watson
5.0
I absolutely loved this book!
The story and the way it unfolds is compelling and it was hard to put it down. The presence of a trans masculine character, how he was introduced and his story, for me, was wonderfully handled.
I enjoyed everything about this and highly recommend it to fans of queer fiction, mysteries and ghost stories!
The story and the way it unfolds is compelling and it was hard to put it down. The presence of a trans masculine character, how he was introduced and his story, for me, was wonderfully handled.
I enjoyed everything about this and highly recommend it to fans of queer fiction, mysteries and ghost stories!