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ojtheviking's reviews
116 reviews
Blackwood Estates by William Holloway
2.0
1.5 rounded up.
This is one of those cases where my review might come across as mostly negative, even though I am merely trying to be objective. If I were to sum up my impression of this book in one single sentence, I'd say that I liked parts of this, but I wanted to like it more, if that even makes sense.
The writing is somewhat shallow, with most characters feeling like exactly that, mere characters, not very fleshed out, slightly stereotypical and one-dimensional. In fact, one of the characters he gave the most personality, was the dog (but hey, I'm a dog lover, so that's fine)
The core idea is interesting. It's just that Holloway only stuck to said core. We barely have time to get acquainted with the main character before Holloway dives right into the plot and stays there, without much embellishment or nuances, making this feel more like the overall summary of an idea; a little more polished than a sketch, but a bit sloppier than a complete painting.
With that said, I have read some other horror books with a similar feel, so maybe it's the intended style; just straight to the point to get a tale of horror done, presented as a quick little read. I suppose I still prefer a little meat on the bone to fully get acquainted with the characters and get properly immersed into the in-book universe. To put it another way, there is a difference between the terms "story" and "plot", and I felt like this was all plot, without that much of a larger story to catch underneath it all. In that respect, it could be that although I'm a horror fan, I'm still kind of not part of the intended demographic, in case there are people who prefer these more plot-driven books.
After I was 20-30 pages in, I had to stop to start searching online to see if this was a self-published book. It seems like it's something similar, as JournalStone Publishing is a company that welcomes submissions by aspiring writers, specifically Lovecraftian stories, which this novella definitely is.
One thing that made me unsure, is that this book doesn't seem to be sufficiently proofread. First of all, there's the occasional spelling error, but more noticeable is the fact that within the story, two specific years are mentioned, and at one point, the author himself gets them mixed up, in a way that couldn't be the in-universe character's mistake, due to the context. Another example is that two different paragraphs start with the same sentence, again in a way that doesn't seem intentional. Feels almost like he felt that this particular sentence fit better in one paragraph than the other, copied and pasted it, but forgot to delete it from its original position.
The writing does to a degree find its footing along the way, just not far enough. The Lovecraftian elements are actually promising, and as I said, the core idea is interesting. I just wish he'd expanded on it, and taken a bit more time with the general scenario; the characters, the set-up, the world-building, all of it needed just that tiny bit more in order to feel complete. The most crucial reason for this is that when you're not familiar enough with the characters and their backstory to fully care about them, there are no real stakes when things start going South, which they do immediately in this novella. People are dying before you even know who they are, which diminishes the impact severely.
But it's possible that if he submitted this story in accordance with JournalStone's criteria, there might have been some limitations beyond his control. I almost feel like if this story had been part of some larger short story collection, with the product specifically sold as a collection of aspiring and promising authors, I might have been less critical of it, and thought "This guy has got something, he just needs to flesh things out a bit more for a longer story in the future."
This is one of those cases where my review might come across as mostly negative, even though I am merely trying to be objective. If I were to sum up my impression of this book in one single sentence, I'd say that I liked parts of this, but I wanted to like it more, if that even makes sense.
The writing is somewhat shallow, with most characters feeling like exactly that, mere characters, not very fleshed out, slightly stereotypical and one-dimensional. In fact, one of the characters he gave the most personality, was the dog (but hey, I'm a dog lover, so that's fine)
The core idea is interesting. It's just that Holloway only stuck to said core. We barely have time to get acquainted with the main character before Holloway dives right into the plot and stays there, without much embellishment or nuances, making this feel more like the overall summary of an idea; a little more polished than a sketch, but a bit sloppier than a complete painting.
With that said, I have read some other horror books with a similar feel, so maybe it's the intended style; just straight to the point to get a tale of horror done, presented as a quick little read. I suppose I still prefer a little meat on the bone to fully get acquainted with the characters and get properly immersed into the in-book universe. To put it another way, there is a difference between the terms "story" and "plot", and I felt like this was all plot, without that much of a larger story to catch underneath it all. In that respect, it could be that although I'm a horror fan, I'm still kind of not part of the intended demographic, in case there are people who prefer these more plot-driven books.
After I was 20-30 pages in, I had to stop to start searching online to see if this was a self-published book. It seems like it's something similar, as JournalStone Publishing is a company that welcomes submissions by aspiring writers, specifically Lovecraftian stories, which this novella definitely is.
One thing that made me unsure, is that this book doesn't seem to be sufficiently proofread. First of all, there's the occasional spelling error, but more noticeable is the fact that within the story, two specific years are mentioned, and at one point, the author himself gets them mixed up, in a way that couldn't be the in-universe character's mistake, due to the context. Another example is that two different paragraphs start with the same sentence, again in a way that doesn't seem intentional. Feels almost like he felt that this particular sentence fit better in one paragraph than the other, copied and pasted it, but forgot to delete it from its original position.
The writing does to a degree find its footing along the way, just not far enough. The Lovecraftian elements are actually promising, and as I said, the core idea is interesting. I just wish he'd expanded on it, and taken a bit more time with the general scenario; the characters, the set-up, the world-building, all of it needed just that tiny bit more in order to feel complete. The most crucial reason for this is that when you're not familiar enough with the characters and their backstory to fully care about them, there are no real stakes when things start going South, which they do immediately in this novella. People are dying before you even know who they are, which diminishes the impact severely.
But it's possible that if he submitted this story in accordance with JournalStone's criteria, there might have been some limitations beyond his control. I almost feel like if this story had been part of some larger short story collection, with the product specifically sold as a collection of aspiring and promising authors, I might have been less critical of it, and thought "This guy has got something, he just needs to flesh things out a bit more for a longer story in the future."
The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca
3.25
I've lately read a couple of books retrospectively, as I fell in love with a TV series and went back to check out the books the series was adapted from. But as I learned that the upcoming movie Antlers is based on this short story, I wanted to catch the source material first.
And simply put, I enjoyed it. It's a short and creepy story, with the audiobook adding an extra eerie atmosphere with some spooky ambience and jarring sound effects. It gave the whole experience a sense of reading a morbid, adult fairytale.
Despite its shortness, the pacing of the story leans towards a slow burn, but I often enjoy it when a story takes the time to establish the characters and flesh them out a little bit (as opposed to, say, how some horror movies just gets right down to it after five minutes, before you even know or care about any of the people involved).
This way, the sense of mystery builds too, because it's not immediately clear what's going on. And within the limited span of a story that is less than 60 minutes in audiobook format, you've already been through a journey where you're trying to piece together what the mystery is all about. Then, when things start to become more clear, it really takes off from there, cranking up not just the creep factor, but also the gore and violence, giving the story a savage, blood-thirsty edge that leaves an impression.
Had it not been for the fact that it's already been adapted into a full-length movie, this is the kind of story that would have lent itself well to an anthology series like Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow. And I'm always a sucker for that. And all the more stoked for the movie.
And simply put, I enjoyed it. It's a short and creepy story, with the audiobook adding an extra eerie atmosphere with some spooky ambience and jarring sound effects. It gave the whole experience a sense of reading a morbid, adult fairytale.
Despite its shortness, the pacing of the story leans towards a slow burn, but I often enjoy it when a story takes the time to establish the characters and flesh them out a little bit (as opposed to, say, how some horror movies just gets right down to it after five minutes, before you even know or care about any of the people involved).
This way, the sense of mystery builds too, because it's not immediately clear what's going on. And within the limited span of a story that is less than 60 minutes in audiobook format, you've already been through a journey where you're trying to piece together what the mystery is all about. Then, when things start to become more clear, it really takes off from there, cranking up not just the creep factor, but also the gore and violence, giving the story a savage, blood-thirsty edge that leaves an impression.
Had it not been for the fact that it's already been adapted into a full-length movie, this is the kind of story that would have lent itself well to an anthology series like Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow. And I'm always a sucker for that. And all the more stoked for the movie.
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
3.75
This is my first time reading anything by McKinty, but I'd say it's a solid first impression. I picked up this book rather randomly at a local bookstore where I live, where they sell three English paperbacks for the price of two, so I on occasion pick out three books that for one reason or another grab my attention. In the case of this novel, it was the tagline: "The only way to get your child back is to kidnap another child."
The novel wastes no time, throwing you right into the scenario from the very first page. But this is unquestionably a deliberate choice (as opposed to lazy and/or impatient writing), and this approach proves to be quite an effective one, as we are just as unprepared for what's going on, and learn all the bits and pieces of the situation at the same time as the main character. One phone call changes her entire world, and we are there to witness the initial panic, the desperation, and her grasping for solutions.
This initial suspense is a surefire way to make this a book where you plan to spend a little moment just reading perhaps the first couple of chapters, but suddenly you are over a hundred pages in because you haven't been able to put it down.
The few comments I could offer in terms of constructive criticism are trivial and nitpicky at best. While it makes sense on one hand, as the main character Rachel has a background in philosophy, it still somewhat became a bit, shall we say, noticeable how she seemed to always have some sort of quote at the ready in the back of her mind to fit the various scenarios she found herself in. Had it been handled slightly differently than it was, it could have easily come across as a bit pretentious, as if the author wanted to show off his repertoire of quotes.
Also, a few plot points became a tad convenient to keep the story going, such as the use of someone's Facebook profile to almost perfectly keep track of their every move over the course of a day. But I suppose this is the kind of thriller where you have to suspend your disbelief to some degree; while I maintain that some things were "convenient," it never came across as full-on deus ex machina.
Another thing I could comment on is that the first half of the story is the strongest part in my opinion. This is the part that started with a blast, and the intensity never let up. Rachel was faced with an impossible scenario, and the fear, the paranoia, and the desperation were all turned up to 11. When the story started to evolve halfway through, some of that intensity dwindled, although I will say that the writing was just as good throughout the entire story.
Simply put, a strong thriller story that I have no problem imagining could become a movie one day. McKinty himself seems to be hoping for that too, judging from a moment in the book that almost broke the fourth wall (to the degree that literature can do so; that in and of itself is a TV/movie term)
The novel wastes no time, throwing you right into the scenario from the very first page. But this is unquestionably a deliberate choice (as opposed to lazy and/or impatient writing), and this approach proves to be quite an effective one, as we are just as unprepared for what's going on, and learn all the bits and pieces of the situation at the same time as the main character. One phone call changes her entire world, and we are there to witness the initial panic, the desperation, and her grasping for solutions.
This initial suspense is a surefire way to make this a book where you plan to spend a little moment just reading perhaps the first couple of chapters, but suddenly you are over a hundred pages in because you haven't been able to put it down.
The few comments I could offer in terms of constructive criticism are trivial and nitpicky at best. While it makes sense on one hand, as the main character Rachel has a background in philosophy, it still somewhat became a bit, shall we say, noticeable how she seemed to always have some sort of quote at the ready in the back of her mind to fit the various scenarios she found herself in. Had it been handled slightly differently than it was, it could have easily come across as a bit pretentious, as if the author wanted to show off his repertoire of quotes.
Also, a few plot points became a tad convenient to keep the story going, such as the use of someone's Facebook profile to almost perfectly keep track of their every move over the course of a day. But I suppose this is the kind of thriller where you have to suspend your disbelief to some degree; while I maintain that some things were "convenient," it never came across as full-on deus ex machina.
Another thing I could comment on is that the first half of the story is the strongest part in my opinion. This is the part that started with a blast, and the intensity never let up. Rachel was faced with an impossible scenario, and the fear, the paranoia, and the desperation were all turned up to 11. When the story started to evolve halfway through, some of that intensity dwindled, although I will say that the writing was just as good throughout the entire story.
Simply put, a strong thriller story that I have no problem imagining could become a movie one day. McKinty himself seems to be hoping for that too, judging from a moment in the book that almost broke the fourth wall (to the degree that literature can do so; that in and of itself is a TV/movie term)
Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan
2.5
Some novels may really grab your attention. Others may be severely disappointing. But then there are those who end up somewhere in the middle. They're not specifically terrible or thrilling, they're just somewhat neutral. For me, Machines Like Me was a bit on the neutral side, although considering how I was hopeful due to the premise, maybe there's a slight touch of disappointment there as well.
There's also something to be said about the difference between an author's ability to write well, and their ability to write captivatingly. Objectively speaking, I can tell that McEwan is a skilled writer. And the way he establishes this alternate timeline of British history is also done in a realistic way. But it's the way the story progresses that left something to be desired for me.
In some ways, this felt like a slice-of-life kind of story that simply happened to feature some sci-fi elements. There are some melodramatic plots; a love triangle, a painful memory that led to an act of revenge, and dark topics such as suicide, sexual assault, and child abuse. But the thing is, all of these plotlines could have been part of any kind of novel, without the alternate timeline or the existence of life-like robots. I suppose what I'm getting at, is that the ideas of robots existing in an alternate timeline were a little bit wasted for the sake of otherwise not-so-original plotlines.
Don't get me wrong, though. It's not that every story about artificial intelligence has to have some apocalyptic "rise of the machines" scenario á la The Terminator or similar, but to me, there was so little focus on that part of the story, it almost might as well not have been included at all. Some AI stories serve the purpose of the robots veritably holding up a mirror for humankind to take a look at itself. And one could argue that Adam was the character intended to supply that element in this story. However, I feel even that was done with a certain scarcity.
It's not bad writing, it's not a horrible story; it's all just a bit underwhelming, with the main characters feeling not fleshed out enough to be very interesting, and a certain portion of the novel is spent on politics and philosophy, but not in a way that adds anything specific to the overall story. And like I said, the execution of the chosen premise feels slightly like a lost opportunity.
There's also something to be said about the difference between an author's ability to write well, and their ability to write captivatingly. Objectively speaking, I can tell that McEwan is a skilled writer. And the way he establishes this alternate timeline of British history is also done in a realistic way. But it's the way the story progresses that left something to be desired for me.
In some ways, this felt like a slice-of-life kind of story that simply happened to feature some sci-fi elements. There are some melodramatic plots; a love triangle, a painful memory that led to an act of revenge, and dark topics such as suicide, sexual assault, and child abuse. But the thing is, all of these plotlines could have been part of any kind of novel, without the alternate timeline or the existence of life-like robots. I suppose what I'm getting at, is that the ideas of robots existing in an alternate timeline were a little bit wasted for the sake of otherwise not-so-original plotlines.
Don't get me wrong, though. It's not that every story about artificial intelligence has to have some apocalyptic "rise of the machines" scenario á la The Terminator or similar, but to me, there was so little focus on that part of the story, it almost might as well not have been included at all. Some AI stories serve the purpose of the robots veritably holding up a mirror for humankind to take a look at itself. And one could argue that Adam was the character intended to supply that element in this story. However, I feel even that was done with a certain scarcity.
It's not bad writing, it's not a horrible story; it's all just a bit underwhelming, with the main characters feeling not fleshed out enough to be very interesting, and a certain portion of the novel is spent on politics and philosophy, but not in a way that adds anything specific to the overall story. And like I said, the execution of the chosen premise feels slightly like a lost opportunity.
Confess: The Autobiography by Rob Halford
4.0
In my book collection, I have a handful of music-related books and autobiographies. Having now read Halford's book, I must confess (...see what I did there?) that this is one of my favorite reads when it comes to such memoirs. Just the introduction alone is very eloquently and captivatingly written, promising a very interesting and indeed candid read. To put it in other words, when you've already smiled and felt moved just by the foreword in the first three pages, you know you're in for a ride.
Also, I've seen numerous interviews with Halford where he can be quite witty. This humor translates very well into written form too. I found myself chuckling many times. Couldn't even keep a straight face while sitting outside reading while people walked by. But it can also be very raw and - as he promised - quite candid at times, even taking us through some of the most tragic moments in his life. And when it's all so well-written, one could almost forget that this is an autobiography and start reading it as a first-person novel.
Overall, I'd say the book describes two parallel journeys. There's Rob's journey through his career, including how he got into the band, and the joys and frustrations of it all, how he suddenly found himself having left the band for a few years, and so on. There's also his very personal journey; spending decades coming to terms with who he is, battling his addiction, then getting a new perspective on how he functions without the alcohol and drugs, and so forth. Of course, these journeys cross paths constantly, for example in the sense that he's been trying to communicate through his lyrics, dropping subtle hints about his personal life here and there - necessarily subtle at the time, one might say. (In retrospect, one can re-read many of his lyrics and discover a whole new meaning behind them)
With that said, to me, it feels like his personal journey is the main focus of this book, and it feels very right. This autobiography has found its distinct identity by recognizing that the real story lies within that part of the journey. There is enough about the band's history to fill that need too, but a lot of it is stuff one can figure out on one's own through old news reports and interviews. At least for the most part; some extra details are offered to explain a bit clearer what went on behind the scenes during certain noticeable events. And sure, sometimes the band's journey is an important factor as to what drove Halford to the next stage of his life. But it's his own growth, his trials and errors, his strengths and insecurities, and his self-discovery that really drive it all forward and grip you. He claims to not be too bothered with therapy stuff, but I can only imagine that parts of this book were highly therapeutic for him to open up about and put out there.
That takes me back to his promise about being candid: I've read some autobiographies where the rock stars sure enough admit to plenty of their crazy antics, even things they took a bit too far on occasion. But it can be presented with a certain lightness, a shrugging self-irony. There can be a bit of that in Rob Halford's case too, but in general, he absolutely owns his mistakes and wrong-doings of the past, even when it gets quite ugly. There is some humor about it, but there are times when he simply puts the cards on the table and owns up to a situation even if it makes him look pretty bad. It's another way of being vulnerable to his fans and readers.
Still, as I said, this is also written for Priest fans, so to get to read about certain historical events through his own eyes is also fascinating. If you're a fan, you'll already know many things about Halford's and Priest's history, strictly career-wise. However, due to the way this is written, there's a certain build-up added to these stories, and I found myself in a slight sense of suspense, like: "Oh, is this when THAT thing is going to happen?"
And Halford gives his honest opinions for better and worse regarding the band's history as well. Such as when they were caught up in a lawsuit from the grieving parents of two kids who passed away, and were accused of encouraging such activity (the kids' deaths were undeniably tragic, but it's still baffling to read about the type of witch hunts that went on around that time; very thin and frankly ridiculous arguments to try to blame the band and heavy metal in general), around the same time as the PRMC debacle and Geraldo Rivera yelling about satanism, as well as the various changes the band went through.
For example, there's been a fair bit of public drama surrounding K. K. Downing's departure from the band back in 2011, and I try to take these things with a grain of salt, but the way things have appeared, as Downing has kept talking about it and complaining that the rest of the band moved on with a new guitar player and never bothered to invite him to rejoin them, all while Priest has been a bit more quiet and diplomatic about it, everything makes it seem like Downing is doing all the ranting and throwing public tantrums. And while reading this memoir, I noticed there were hints of these tendencies throughout the book too, giving the impression that Downing could often get unnecessarily frustrated, held long grudges, and on occasion seemed negative about something for no apparent reason. I suppose that's intended to build the narrative that explains the behavior patterns that led to his departure, and all the fuss he's made since.
I think there's been some therapy through all of this too, as Halford admits to having had a fear of confrontation for many decades. The man who belted out high-pitched screams in the name of heavy metal in front of oceans of fans had major difficulties with speaking up about things over the years. And through this book, it feels like everything is finally pouring out of him, making the title of his autobiography completely appropriate, as this is indeed a 355-page confession. A highly recommended read!
Also, I've seen numerous interviews with Halford where he can be quite witty. This humor translates very well into written form too. I found myself chuckling many times. Couldn't even keep a straight face while sitting outside reading while people walked by. But it can also be very raw and - as he promised - quite candid at times, even taking us through some of the most tragic moments in his life. And when it's all so well-written, one could almost forget that this is an autobiography and start reading it as a first-person novel.
Overall, I'd say the book describes two parallel journeys. There's Rob's journey through his career, including how he got into the band, and the joys and frustrations of it all, how he suddenly found himself having left the band for a few years, and so on. There's also his very personal journey; spending decades coming to terms with who he is, battling his addiction, then getting a new perspective on how he functions without the alcohol and drugs, and so forth. Of course, these journeys cross paths constantly, for example in the sense that he's been trying to communicate through his lyrics, dropping subtle hints about his personal life here and there - necessarily subtle at the time, one might say. (In retrospect, one can re-read many of his lyrics and discover a whole new meaning behind them)
With that said, to me, it feels like his personal journey is the main focus of this book, and it feels very right. This autobiography has found its distinct identity by recognizing that the real story lies within that part of the journey. There is enough about the band's history to fill that need too, but a lot of it is stuff one can figure out on one's own through old news reports and interviews. At least for the most part; some extra details are offered to explain a bit clearer what went on behind the scenes during certain noticeable events. And sure, sometimes the band's journey is an important factor as to what drove Halford to the next stage of his life. But it's his own growth, his trials and errors, his strengths and insecurities, and his self-discovery that really drive it all forward and grip you. He claims to not be too bothered with therapy stuff, but I can only imagine that parts of this book were highly therapeutic for him to open up about and put out there.
That takes me back to his promise about being candid: I've read some autobiographies where the rock stars sure enough admit to plenty of their crazy antics, even things they took a bit too far on occasion. But it can be presented with a certain lightness, a shrugging self-irony. There can be a bit of that in Rob Halford's case too, but in general, he absolutely owns his mistakes and wrong-doings of the past, even when it gets quite ugly. There is some humor about it, but there are times when he simply puts the cards on the table and owns up to a situation even if it makes him look pretty bad. It's another way of being vulnerable to his fans and readers.
Still, as I said, this is also written for Priest fans, so to get to read about certain historical events through his own eyes is also fascinating. If you're a fan, you'll already know many things about Halford's and Priest's history, strictly career-wise. However, due to the way this is written, there's a certain build-up added to these stories, and I found myself in a slight sense of suspense, like: "Oh, is this when THAT thing is going to happen?"
And Halford gives his honest opinions for better and worse regarding the band's history as well. Such as when they were caught up in a lawsuit from the grieving parents of two kids who passed away, and were accused of encouraging such activity (the kids' deaths were undeniably tragic, but it's still baffling to read about the type of witch hunts that went on around that time; very thin and frankly ridiculous arguments to try to blame the band and heavy metal in general), around the same time as the PRMC debacle and Geraldo Rivera yelling about satanism, as well as the various changes the band went through.
For example, there's been a fair bit of public drama surrounding K. K. Downing's departure from the band back in 2011, and I try to take these things with a grain of salt, but the way things have appeared, as Downing has kept talking about it and complaining that the rest of the band moved on with a new guitar player and never bothered to invite him to rejoin them, all while Priest has been a bit more quiet and diplomatic about it, everything makes it seem like Downing is doing all the ranting and throwing public tantrums. And while reading this memoir, I noticed there were hints of these tendencies throughout the book too, giving the impression that Downing could often get unnecessarily frustrated, held long grudges, and on occasion seemed negative about something for no apparent reason. I suppose that's intended to build the narrative that explains the behavior patterns that led to his departure, and all the fuss he's made since.
I think there's been some therapy through all of this too, as Halford admits to having had a fear of confrontation for many decades. The man who belted out high-pitched screams in the name of heavy metal in front of oceans of fans had major difficulties with speaking up about things over the years. And through this book, it feels like everything is finally pouring out of him, making the title of his autobiography completely appropriate, as this is indeed a 355-page confession. A highly recommended read!
The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson
3.0
This novel has a lot of elements that I like. It mixes the swampy, humid Southern bayou with Russian folklore, mixes Southern Gothic with a noir-like vibe, and the overall idea is an interesting one. It has a lot going for it, but ultimately, a few things prevented it from being perfect in my eyes.
There's a paradox of sorts here, where Davidson's writing style is vastly detailed, painting a vivid picture of the surroundings until you can almost feel and smell the woods, the swampy river, the perpetually mentioned kudzu, and he'll take you through a character's actions point by point as they interact with objects around them, but at the same time, there's something a bit abstract about the whole thing. As if he got so lost in his descriptions to build an atmosphere that he forgot to properly go beneath the surface of it all.
Rarely is any time spent exploring the characters internally, what they think and feel, and to me, that made it difficult to ever get fully invested in them. Not that the characters weren't interesting at all; it's an intentionally peculiar ensemble, but I just wished some of them were slightly more fleshed out than they were. Some sections just felt like long descriptions of characters going around doing things, which, again, made it a bit shallow.
With that said, though, there's no question that this man can write. It's very eloquent for what it is, and I am not saying I disliked it. It's just that to me, the book could have been written exactly as it was, but if he took the moment here and there to weave more character development into the fabric, especially some more insight into the characters' inner life, that would have made the reading experience that much better for me.
There's a paradox of sorts here, where Davidson's writing style is vastly detailed, painting a vivid picture of the surroundings until you can almost feel and smell the woods, the swampy river, the perpetually mentioned kudzu, and he'll take you through a character's actions point by point as they interact with objects around them, but at the same time, there's something a bit abstract about the whole thing. As if he got so lost in his descriptions to build an atmosphere that he forgot to properly go beneath the surface of it all.
Rarely is any time spent exploring the characters internally, what they think and feel, and to me, that made it difficult to ever get fully invested in them. Not that the characters weren't interesting at all; it's an intentionally peculiar ensemble, but I just wished some of them were slightly more fleshed out than they were. Some sections just felt like long descriptions of characters going around doing things, which, again, made it a bit shallow.
With that said, though, there's no question that this man can write. It's very eloquent for what it is, and I am not saying I disliked it. It's just that to me, the book could have been written exactly as it was, but if he took the moment here and there to weave more character development into the fabric, especially some more insight into the characters' inner life, that would have made the reading experience that much better for me.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
4.25
While I was close to being halfway through another book, but finding myself also close to ending up in a reading slump, I did something I haven't done. I started a second book, while still planning to finish the one I was already reading. The idea was that maybe a shorter book would not only help me avoid the aforementioned slump, but also provide a bit of variety in terms of story and flavor. And I'm glad I did this, and that My Sister, The Serial Killer is the book I decided to go for.
This book is a fairly light and quick read. The story is very compact; it sticks to the plot and never really lets itself be carried away when it comes to digression and descriptions. But in a good way. The subtle storytelling seems very intentional, and despite the serial killer element of this novel, it takes much more of an emotional approach to the narrative rather than going for action or suspense. It relies much more on internal observation, and it never submits the reader to the actual violence. It's a unique approach to what could easily have been a psychological thriller if the observation went outwards instead.
It's a story stating that blood is thicker than... well, blood. Meaning, the bond between the sisters is stronger than any circumstance, for better and for worse, and that is the core of this novel, with the crime element almost functioning as a mere metaphor to show how some sisters stand together through thick and thin.
It also shows a recognizable dynamic between an older and a younger sibling, again portrayed through an extraordinary scenario. Korede is the big sister who would do anything to protect her little sister, while we also see the "big sister syndrome" deeply rooted in her. She is the responsible one, the one who always tries to fix things and guide her sister, while at the same time often feeling cast aside both by her own family and men looking for a future wife. There is a loneliness within Korede, and despite how she would do anything to keep her sister safe, there is also quite often some jealousy there.
But there is also some humor, with the book being in some ways a social satire regarding social media, men only thinking with their "brains down below," and so on. Additionally, Korede sometimes has a dejected type of sarcasm, especially regarding the fact that her sister doesn't appear to have the emotional wiring to fully understand the gravity of the situations they end up in. Ayoola is likely to cluelessly go about her day, having an online persona due to all the typical social media platforms, even if it's just mere days after something occurred that shook the entire society for a bit.
In that respect, very much is said without actually being directly mentioned. Braithwaite's writing is clever enough that you can put two and two together from very little information, such as understanding the psychological profile of Ayoola. And even though it's written in first person from Korede's point of view, Korede doesn't always specify her feelings, but you get a very clear indication of what she feels from one moment to the next nevertheless.
So make no mistake; it may be a short and light read, but it still shows that Oyinkan Braithwaite has major writing chops. From one chapter to the next, we sort of touch upon these small moments in Korede's life, some of them flashbacks, but they all put together a solid storyline with a smooth flow.
This book is a fairly light and quick read. The story is very compact; it sticks to the plot and never really lets itself be carried away when it comes to digression and descriptions. But in a good way. The subtle storytelling seems very intentional, and despite the serial killer element of this novel, it takes much more of an emotional approach to the narrative rather than going for action or suspense. It relies much more on internal observation, and it never submits the reader to the actual violence. It's a unique approach to what could easily have been a psychological thriller if the observation went outwards instead.
It's a story stating that blood is thicker than... well, blood. Meaning, the bond between the sisters is stronger than any circumstance, for better and for worse, and that is the core of this novel, with the crime element almost functioning as a mere metaphor to show how some sisters stand together through thick and thin.
It also shows a recognizable dynamic between an older and a younger sibling, again portrayed through an extraordinary scenario. Korede is the big sister who would do anything to protect her little sister, while we also see the "big sister syndrome" deeply rooted in her. She is the responsible one, the one who always tries to fix things and guide her sister, while at the same time often feeling cast aside both by her own family and men looking for a future wife. There is a loneliness within Korede, and despite how she would do anything to keep her sister safe, there is also quite often some jealousy there.
But there is also some humor, with the book being in some ways a social satire regarding social media, men only thinking with their "brains down below," and so on. Additionally, Korede sometimes has a dejected type of sarcasm, especially regarding the fact that her sister doesn't appear to have the emotional wiring to fully understand the gravity of the situations they end up in. Ayoola is likely to cluelessly go about her day, having an online persona due to all the typical social media platforms, even if it's just mere days after something occurred that shook the entire society for a bit.
In that respect, very much is said without actually being directly mentioned. Braithwaite's writing is clever enough that you can put two and two together from very little information, such as understanding the psychological profile of Ayoola. And even though it's written in first person from Korede's point of view, Korede doesn't always specify her feelings, but you get a very clear indication of what she feels from one moment to the next nevertheless.
So make no mistake; it may be a short and light read, but it still shows that Oyinkan Braithwaite has major writing chops. From one chapter to the next, we sort of touch upon these small moments in Korede's life, some of them flashbacks, but they all put together a solid storyline with a smooth flow.
The Eyes Have No Soul by Matthew W. Harrill
0.25
The Eyes Have No Soul ... nor does this novel. I try never to be nasty with my reviews, but frankly, this time I was disappointed.
Simply put, this hasn't been my favorite read so far this year. The premise in and of itself sounded interesting enough, but the author's approach felt rushed and clumsy. There's a feeling of nothing but action, action, action, and plot, plot, plot, but not much else in terms of substance, style, or heart, making the whole story a bit two-dimensional and feeling not fleshed out enough.
As for the main plot, it feels like there was a lot of inspiration taken from The X-Files; corruption, conspiracies, and cover-ups mixed with the supernatural. Think episodes like "Squeeze", "Tombs", "Leonard Betts", and maybe a dash of "Patience." However, this lacked the soul and charisma of those stories, and failed to captivate in a similar way. Simply utilizing a lot of technical, legal, and medical jargon doesn't necessarily lay the foundation for realism, but The X-Files usually managed to do that while still creating a compelling and suspenseful experience.
Characters are like every 1980s action movie you've ever seen, with police officers talking about how it's their ass on the line, and doctors insisting that come hell or high water, their patient will be under their care and protection no matter what, and so forth. In other words, I feel like this book has a lot of clichéd, action-movie-by-the-numbers, as well as horror-by-the-numbers dialogue. (Example: One character is basically an even more melodramatic Renfield: "I am Legion. I am many. You cannot stop the moon. You cannot stop the darkness. It is inevitable.")
Speaking of the way it tried to tie together real life and the supernatural in an X-Files kind of way... weirdly enough the overall vibe of this book comes across as trying to be a poetic story about overcoming the challenges of living with diabetes. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself; I am diabetic myself. However, the execution of this is just like the rest of the novel; just a bit too cheesy.
In short: It's an interesting idea in some ways, but it could have been done in a different, better way.
Simply put, this hasn't been my favorite read so far this year. The premise in and of itself sounded interesting enough, but the author's approach felt rushed and clumsy. There's a feeling of nothing but action, action, action, and plot, plot, plot, but not much else in terms of substance, style, or heart, making the whole story a bit two-dimensional and feeling not fleshed out enough.
As for the main plot, it feels like there was a lot of inspiration taken from The X-Files; corruption, conspiracies, and cover-ups mixed with the supernatural. Think episodes like "Squeeze", "Tombs", "Leonard Betts", and maybe a dash of "Patience." However, this lacked the soul and charisma of those stories, and failed to captivate in a similar way. Simply utilizing a lot of technical, legal, and medical jargon doesn't necessarily lay the foundation for realism, but The X-Files usually managed to do that while still creating a compelling and suspenseful experience.
Characters are like every 1980s action movie you've ever seen, with police officers talking about how it's their ass on the line, and doctors insisting that come hell or high water, their patient will be under their care and protection no matter what, and so forth. In other words, I feel like this book has a lot of clichéd, action-movie-by-the-numbers, as well as horror-by-the-numbers dialogue. (Example: One character is basically an even more melodramatic Renfield: "I am Legion. I am many. You cannot stop the moon. You cannot stop the darkness. It is inevitable.")
Speaking of the way it tried to tie together real life and the supernatural in an X-Files kind of way... weirdly enough the overall vibe of this book comes across as trying to be a poetic story about overcoming the challenges of living with diabetes. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself; I am diabetic myself. However, the execution of this is just like the rest of the novel; just a bit too cheesy.
In short: It's an interesting idea in some ways, but it could have been done in a different, better way.
Judderman by D.A. Northwood
3.0
Another quick but pleasant read from the collection of the Eden Society! A short story sometimes calls for a short review, and I could have easily just written a one-sentence, three-word review: I liked it.
But to elaborate slightly more, I thought it was very well-written and managed to mix a lot of styles within just roughly 90 pages. There's a dystopian vibe here, with the scenario taking place in a war-ridden London, and a man going on a journey to look for his lost brother. We get some insight into what that brother has been up to through a dash of epistolary writing, and there's a whiff of mystery and mythology throughout, with the titular Judderman being this story's urban boogieman. And there are bits of fiction within this bit of fiction, making it all fairly layered, again for such a short novella.
Similarly to what I wrote in my review for Holt House, though, the story also feels very stripped down to the bare minimum. And it did leave me slightly wanting more at the end. The author spends a lot of time building up the scenario, almost creating a sense of anticipation, and then it's all wrapped up in a way that feels just slightly rushed towards the end. Perhaps would have felt a bit more well-balanced if the author sometimes cut down a bit on the descriptive writing and pushed the story forward a bit more.
However, in the end, this certainly didn't put me off wanting to keep reading the Eden Society books, so I am looking forward to the next one!
But to elaborate slightly more, I thought it was very well-written and managed to mix a lot of styles within just roughly 90 pages. There's a dystopian vibe here, with the scenario taking place in a war-ridden London, and a man going on a journey to look for his lost brother. We get some insight into what that brother has been up to through a dash of epistolary writing, and there's a whiff of mystery and mythology throughout, with the titular Judderman being this story's urban boogieman. And there are bits of fiction within this bit of fiction, making it all fairly layered, again for such a short novella.
Similarly to what I wrote in my review for Holt House, though, the story also feels very stripped down to the bare minimum. And it did leave me slightly wanting more at the end. The author spends a lot of time building up the scenario, almost creating a sense of anticipation, and then it's all wrapped up in a way that feels just slightly rushed towards the end. Perhaps would have felt a bit more well-balanced if the author sometimes cut down a bit on the descriptive writing and pushed the story forward a bit more.
However, in the end, this certainly didn't put me off wanting to keep reading the Eden Society books, so I am looking forward to the next one!
A Dedicated Friend by Shirley Longford
4.0
3.5 rounded up.
This is the third book I've read in the series published by the Eden Book Society, and I'm really starting to find them quite charming. This one in particular had a very clear story arc, where things developed from something seemingly routine-based and ordinary into something more sinister.
I think the author did a fine job at managing the pacing of this development within the novella's 72-page limit. And the scenario itself lends itself very well to this psychological thriller-style story. A person is already in a weakened state in the hospital, after having undergone surgery, with the body needing to recover, and throughout the story, a feeling of isolation and helplessness emerges more and more, where the main character is just trying to find out when she can go home again and be with her family, whom she may be losing due to an invading element, yet there's always another reason to make her stay just a bit longer.
In my review of another Eden Book Society story, I said that the book reminded me of an anthology story similar to The Twilight Zone and shows like that. I definitely had the same feeling while reading this, imagining how this could have been adapted into a very paranoid and stressful episode.
However, one thing I will point out is that one moment in the story was a bit jarring. This novella set up a writing style where not everything was directly flat out explained, but you started to understand what was going on through other people's behavior, remarks that could have a double meaning, and so on. Yet, at some point, the main character is thinking back at a specific incident in her life, and that part of the novella felt a little bit like over-explanation for the sake of giving the reader a much clearer idea of the possible reason why everything is happening. I feel like this is one of those stories where subtlety is key, as such intentional vagueness adds to the element of psychological thriller vibes, so dropping that huge clue all of a sudden took me a little bit out of that. I'd have preferred if that part also was described more as a "maybe" rather than a definite fact. Also, once things had reached a certain point, the outcome of the story did unfortunately become predictable, so the plot twist at the end was already expected.
Still, of the three books I've read so far from the Eden Book Society collection, this was my favorite.
This is the third book I've read in the series published by the Eden Book Society, and I'm really starting to find them quite charming. This one in particular had a very clear story arc, where things developed from something seemingly routine-based and ordinary into something more sinister.
I think the author did a fine job at managing the pacing of this development within the novella's 72-page limit. And the scenario itself lends itself very well to this psychological thriller-style story. A person is already in a weakened state in the hospital, after having undergone surgery, with the body needing to recover, and throughout the story, a feeling of isolation and helplessness emerges more and more, where the main character is just trying to find out when she can go home again and be with her family, whom she may be losing due to an invading element, yet there's always another reason to make her stay just a bit longer.
In my review of another Eden Book Society story, I said that the book reminded me of an anthology story similar to The Twilight Zone and shows like that. I definitely had the same feeling while reading this, imagining how this could have been adapted into a very paranoid and stressful episode.
However, one thing I will point out is that one moment in the story was a bit jarring. This novella set up a writing style where not everything was directly flat out explained, but you started to understand what was going on through other people's behavior, remarks that could have a double meaning, and so on. Yet, at some point, the main character is thinking back at a specific incident in her life, and that part of the novella felt a little bit like over-explanation for the sake of giving the reader a much clearer idea of the possible reason why everything is happening. I feel like this is one of those stories where subtlety is key, as such intentional vagueness adds to the element of psychological thriller vibes, so dropping that huge clue all of a sudden took me a little bit out of that. I'd have preferred if that part also was described more as a "maybe" rather than a definite fact. Also, once things had reached a certain point, the outcome of the story did unfortunately become predictable, so the plot twist at the end was already expected.
Still, of the three books I've read so far from the Eden Book Society collection, this was my favorite.