Follows the formula of the real-life my-house/wife/husband-has-been-posessed-by-demons tale. (That this is actually a formula is sort of disturbing siFollows the formula of the real-life my-house/wife/husband-has-been-posessed-by-demons tale. (That this is actually a formula is sort of disturbing since one would hope the world was not rife with so many demons that a true-life demon mad-libs was so easy to construct). I was hoping that this book would explore how a detective reconciles reality with facing some crazy preternatural happenings; what must a cop think if responding to a call from a family and sees that actual stones are raining from the sky? Here, Sarchie is a true-believer and the book is about his non-cop-cases, what he calls (over and over and over and over again) the "Work", so there is no moment of crossing-over from disbelief to belief. While I am not knocking this book for that failure, since that is born from my personal preferences, it is unoriginal, repetitive, and poorly written. I would suggest if you are looking for real-life "ghost" stories, check out the Demonologist by the Warrens. Sarchie mentions it repeatedly and even though that book is no Booker short-lister, it still packs in more scares than this and is more believable and insightful, at least at 3am. If you are interested in the more intellectual issues surrounding demons and possessions, then I recommend Hostage to the Devil , weirdly a book Sarchie also discusses in detail.
Merged review:
Follows the formula of the real-life my-house/wife/husband-has-been-posessed-by-demons tale. (That this is actually a formula is sort of disturbing since one would hope the world was not rife with so many demons that a true-life demon mad-libs was so easy to construct). I was hoping that this book would explore how a detective reconciles reality with facing some crazy preternatural happenings; what must a cop think if responding to a call from a family and sees that actual stones are raining from the sky? Here, Sarchie is a true-believer and the book is about his non-cop-cases, what he calls (over and over and over and over again) the "Work", so there is no moment of crossing-over from disbelief to belief. While I am not knocking this book for that failure, since that is born from my personal preferences, it is unoriginal, repetitive, and poorly written. I would suggest if you are looking for real-life "ghost" stories, check out the Demonologist by the Warrens. Sarchie mentions it repeatedly and even though that book is no Booker short-lister, it still packs in more scares than this and is more believable and insightful, at least at 3am. If you are interested in the more intellectual issues surrounding demons and possessions, then I recommend Hostage to the Devil , weirdly a book Sarchie also discusses in detail....more
This review refers to the audiobook (though I'm not sure there is another option!).
As a true crime book, Midnight Sun wins my praise for bringing an iThis review refers to the audiobook (though I'm not sure there is another option!).
As a true crime book, Midnight Sun wins my praise for bringing an interesting, and somewhat horrifying, story to light I had never heard before. Dommek loses some points on dragging out the likely why of Teddy's decent into murder and mayhem, but he gained even more points for bringing the story out of Alaska and into the public eye. From the true crime perspective, Dommek gives a decent recount of the major players and events and mixing the story so that we receive a combination of storytelling and interviews (plus recorded trial proceedings, etc.) works very well in a "Serial" sort of way.
However, the strength of this book is in Dommek's portrayal of Alaska and both non-Native Alaskans and Inupiat culture in the modern day. Alaska, at least for non-Alaskans, is a mysterious and culturally different place for many Americans and getting a peek at what life is like in Alaska, particularly "rural" Alaska, was fascinating. As was learning about the Inupiat. While the mythology (maybe?) of the Inukuns was interesting, I do not think Dommek integrated this well with the true crime aspect despite a heroic effort. Yes, Teddy saw Inukuns, maybe, but that didn't explain much in terms of what he did or at least how it was explained to me in Midnight Son. Neither did any of this lead to why Dommek would go trekking out into the tundra in search of them. Nonetheless, learning about a tribe of mythological small Sasquach-type people was informative, just not well-connected to the main story per se. It was a bit like throwing all these interesting Alaska things into a pot and the pot ingredients failing to meld so you have a tasty meal, but not a proper stew.
Dommek is an excellent narrator and really gives this story added resonance. The latter portions of the presentation that touch on Alaskan criminal justice as it relates to Alaskan Natives was eye-opening (and horrible) and I would have loved if more time could have been spent expounding on the social horror show that is, apparently, Alaskan justice than the Inukuns.
This reads a lot like the Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges) trilogy, but I liked it quite a bit more. This was less repetitive overall, though it suffers 3.7
This reads a lot like the Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges) trilogy, but I liked it quite a bit more. This was less repetitive overall, though it suffers from bloat (no duh, it is Stephen King after all) and a sort of silly ending (no duh, it is Stephen King after all). However, whatever its faults, it is Stephen King (after all) so compulsively readable and generally well written.
I find there is little point in recommending this novel, or advising you stay away from it since it is King and that places it, no matter how junky it is, on most people's must read list. This book wasn't junky however and I think King fans will be pretty satisfied. His overt and subtle nods to his other work alone make it fun for King fans. And when he's on a roll, as in the first 1/3 of the novel, it is a great ride.
A note on the audiobook: The narrator, Will Patton (thanks Char!), is the same guy who did the Bill Hodges books and while generally good, he is awful at voicing certain characters -- in particular Holly Gibney (sp?) who becomes a major character here (imo). It is hard to have sympathy for her character when she sounds like a cross between a robot and an alien schoolmarm. I have no idea how this character reads, but I am fairly sure she is meant to be sympathetic and that just isn't conveyed by this narrator (as it wasn't in any of the Bill Hodges books) to yours truly. Your mileage may vary. ...more
Rickman is very talented and the Watkins series is entertaining. It picks up some steam in this second novel and seems to set the framework for wh3.75
Rickman is very talented and the Watkins series is entertaining. It picks up some steam in this second novel and seems to set the framework for what is to come. My only complaint is he is soooo repetitive. Maybe this is less noticible in book form, but on audio, the repetition of certain phrases over and over again is grating.
Strange plot -- narrator goes on search to find the man who built his odd childhood vacation house and in doing so recounts not only his past but the Strange plot -- narrator goes on search to find the man who built his odd childhood vacation house and in doing so recounts not only his past but the past history of a host of "Frank" houses -- yet entertaining. Overall resolution not really sensical, but a decent read overall.
While this was a fairly short audiobook, I still managed to get through it in a couple of days. I found it hard to stop listening. Gaiman as usual 4.5
While this was a fairly short audiobook, I still managed to get through it in a couple of days. I found it hard to stop listening. Gaiman as usual is an excellent narrator and listening to these tales is like sitting around a campfire, perhaps in a Viking Longhouse, listening to one of the best storytellers in the world.
I forced my Icelandic husband to listen to most of this with me. I say forced since his opinion going in was "Why in the world does anyone need to retell the sagas?" (and a little "Oh Christmas I bet this guy is going to murder the pronunciation"). However, husband was soon invloved and dare I say it, a fan of Norse Mythology .
My only complaint is that I was left wanting more. So much so that I am rereading American Gods .
Buy, borrow, or burn? Definite buy. On audio....more
This review refers to the audiobook version of Drown.
I am not sure how I missed all the buzz around Junot Diaz. Recently, I came across one of his stoThis review refers to the audiobook version of Drown.
I am not sure how I missed all the buzz around Junot Diaz. Recently, I came across one of his stories in Nightmares, a magazine edited by John Joseph Adams (which I also recommend), and was struck by his exceptional story Monstro, a reprint that originally appeared in The New Yorker. Diaz had, and has, a truly exceptional voice and I couldn't wait to get my hands on something else he wrote.
As a fan of short stories, and for an excellent defense (and propaganda for the form) read his introduction to The Best American Short Stories 2016, I was excited to find out that his foray into fame was Drown, a collection of short stories. Drown is really a remarkable collection. All of the stories are interconnected in that they touch on aspects of the life of the main character, Ramon (Yunior) de las Casas. At least 5 of the 10 stories are directly narrated by Yunior where we get his perspective on his early childhood in the Dominican Republic, his adolescent experiences in New Jersey, his young adult working life, and his troubled relationship with his father: a man who abandoned the family in the DR to start a new life in America, with an entirely new family, but who eventually comes back to retrieve Yunior, his long suffering mother, and brother.
3 of the remaining 5 stories may be told by Yunior, but probably the strongest entry, No Face is narrated by a disfigured boy awaiting reconstructive surgery in the US, who Yunior knew in the Dominican Republic. This story is truly beautiful -- a meditation of who we are so much more than how people see us. In my opinion the other truly outstanding story is How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie which is presented as an instruction manual for dating and is really a fabulous description of how race and social status set up our expectations. The voice is so original and fresh that I was left somewhat stunned.
I listened to this as an audiobook and was quite impressed by the narrator. Jonathan Davis did an outstanding job moving seamlessly between Spanish, urban slang, and plain old English -- he truly gave voice to Yunior (and the other narrators) and really added something to Drown.
Buy, borrow, or burn? Buy it then buy another. Highly recommended.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about Mister Slaughter. The story itself is engaging: Matthew Corbett, our intrepid "problem-solving" (read private d3.9
I had a lot of mixed feelings about Mister Slaughter. The story itself is engaging: Matthew Corbett, our intrepid "problem-solving" (read private detective) hero, is once again on the case -- this time involved in transporting a psychopathic killer from an asylum in PA to the docks of New York for eventual extradition to England. Unlike both Speaks the Nightbird and Queen of Bedlam there is no central mystery here that needs solving. Instead, Mister Slaughter is more an action-adventure with Matthew and company facing many perilous situations requiring the use of fists, swords, knives, arrows, large rocks, and what not. What isn't use in almost any situation, at least till the latter sections, are Matthew's famous wits.
For me, the action was fun, but it is also the cause of my ambivalence. Remember, I listened to the 25 hours of Mister Slaughter on audio and that could be the primary problem, but all the action became tedious after a while. It just goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Maybe if I had a physical copy of the novel where I could skim the Family-Guy-esque Chicken fights, I would have liked the novel a lot more. There were moments where even though I was dying to find out what ultimately happened, I almost couldn't finish.
That said, the book has its moments. When it was rolling along, it was really rolling along and that kept me listening. Mister Slaughter, like its predecessors, has a strong setting and McCammon does a fantastic job creating a real feel of life in the colonies in the 1700s (however, I could do with a bit less endless description of fashion). I am not sure how realistic his depictions are, life seems a bit easier overall than was probably the case back in the day, but I do not sense that these novels are meant to be taken as historical fact, so there is nothing to complain about there.
Charming fairy tale. Tells us what happened to Snow White (who is rather bad ass) and combines it with a reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty. Quick liCharming fairy tale. Tells us what happened to Snow White (who is rather bad ass) and combines it with a reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty. Quick listen. Read by Gaiman. Acted out by ensalemble cast which adds to story. Lovely....more
Nice follow up to the first Corbett, but a bit too clichéd on the flirtation between our hero and the girl (it is obvious from scene one that he will Nice follow up to the first Corbett, but a bit too clichéd on the flirtation between our hero and the girl (it is obvious from scene one that he will fall in love, so boring to draw it out). Fun mystery. Fun series. Will continue with it.
As to the audiobook, extremely well presented and a pleasant listen for sure....more
2 for the story which is typical old fashioned sort of ghosty thing. I can only hope it was more original way back when and that this plot wasn't alre2 for the story which is typical old fashioned sort of ghosty thing. I can only hope it was more original way back when and that this plot wasn't already done 1000 times.
7 million stars (translated back down to 3, when interacting with story and some other math) to the audio version read by Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame. She nails this narration and if you can get this on audio, do so. Now. She is amazing....more
The Goodreads blurb is fairly true to the core idea in The Girls:
Northern California, during the violent e
This review refers to the audiobook version.
The Goodreads blurb is fairly true to the core idea in The Girls:
Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong.
If you pick this up because you want a behind the scenes look at the Manson family murders, which I did, you may be disappointed. (Granted, this isn't advertised as being about that, but we all know that Russell and his group are a very thinly veiled Manson and his family). You aren't going to get a fictionalized account of how a man can lead a group of young folks into mayhem and murder. However, you will get a wonderful account of what it is like to be a pre-teen/young teen girl and how it is that one of that age can just sort of find oneself in an bad situation without really realizing what exactly is going on.
Cline nails the voice and thoughts of Evie and the obsessive nature of girls in adolescence and the awkward phase of trying to figure out just what it means to be a girl/woman. It is truly eerie. What takes away from this novel, for me, is that while Cline is a great writer, she just provides too much detail and scenes start becoming incredibly repetitive. At at least three points I remember distinctly thinking that if Cline described the exact same thing again, I would throw my phone across the room. I was also not a huge fan of the albeit minor foray into Evie's life as an adult. While I think it made sense to frame this as recollection, I think the portions dealing with the present day were unnecessary and oversold the whole girls are the same now as they were before. The strength of her characterization makes this unnecessary. As a former girl who did not come of age in the late 60s/70s, I got the accuracy without having to be beat over the head with a trite storyline.
I must make an additional note here that the narration by Cady McClain was outstanding. Rarely do I think narrators substantially add to a book, but here I think I enjoyed The Girls much more hearing McClain as Evie than I otherwise might have done. She was remarkable.
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