Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

2 stars. Hmm. This is not what I expected. I didn't enjoy my first Ware read, but this had such glowing, trustworthy reviews I went in hoping for the best. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. It's not HORRIBLE - and I highly recommend this for the beach or on a plane - but I think I fell victim to the hype.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway zooms in on a young, struggling woman named Hal, who receives a letter stating her as a beneficiary of her grandmother's estate. One problem: she doesn't have a grandmother, or any family at all. Needing the money, she decides to answer the lawyer's invitation and see if she can take advantage of the legacy regardless.

She travels to an old, cold mansion and meets the family: her "uncles" Harding, Abel and Ezra, plus Mrs. Danvers I mean Warren and some feisty "cousins" that she resents for being rich and carefree. Her deception begins to weigh on her, until she begins to understand exactly how many secrets the family is hiding. Then it becomes a race of sorts: a race for answers, a race for the truth, and eventually, a race for her life.

As exciting as that sounds, there's a lot of thinking in this book. A lot of thinking and analyzing and agonizing and worrying and freaking out. With a little bit of conversation and action thrown in. There are a lot of questions in the prose: literally - we are privy to every question Hal asks herself about her situation. It's a bit weird, a bit annoying, like asking the questions for the audience instead of letting the audience just ... think them.

I also guessed the twist(s) 35% in. Yay me.

I also really wanted something spooky and haunting, but I got a lot of family drama. Ugh, I don't know. It's a page-turner, for sure. It's sort of flaccidly gothic in tone and atmosphere. But there are also a lot of loose ends ... sigh. I'm sorry, I'll probably keep trying with this author, but so far she somehow manages to write stories that are implausible and predictable for me. I look forward to seeing her mature out of her pattern...? Hopefully one day! I will say that Hal was a pretty great character - even when the others were bland and one-sided.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Watchmen

2019 CHALLENGE: 1 RE-READ PER MONTH 09 / 12

5 stars. Definitely not interested in rehashing what makes this classic graphic novel one of the best. It's a masterpiece, plain and simple, and I would say it easily and remarkably states its authors intentions without being annoying. The artwork isn't necessarily to my taste, though it is gorgeous, and there are some dated elements, but overall this is a must-read - for anyone. In the mood for delightful superhero action? Done. What about a philosophical exploration of morality and humanity? Done. An entertaining escape into a colorful and sometimes amusing alternate universe? Look no further.

And pay close attention - the level of detail is astounding. Read every headline, examine every background, pay close attention to the way the Black Freighter weaves its way into the narrative. It's one of the things that makes reading this so rewarding and satisfying and exciting. And it's meta, as well, I'd recommend going in with a basic knowledge of graphic novels, superheroes, and the tropes they inspire / can't let go of. There's also a lot of political commentary here but it never feels heavyhanded, maybe because I'm so thirsty for intelligent political commentary these days.

And it's still relevant as ever. Maybe even more so. Although I feel less shocked with the idea that humans are innately "bad" - and innately fucked - than I did when I first read it. I've always been cynical, I suppose, and so I felt validated the first time. This time it just felt ... exhausting. Like a sigh instead of a gasp.

I'm incredibly curious to watch the latest TV expansion of this universe and taste more of Watchmen's strong, bitter, addicting flavor.

Watchmen on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: 'Salem's Lot

3 stars - but absolutely worth the effort. 3 star King is still better than 5 star anyone else, so I'm really glad I powered through this. Yes, it took some time and yes, I considered not finishing at several points. But it's a classic vampire tale and I REALLY enjoyed it. I wish I had read this in college, when the vampire craze was sort of at its peak, because this would've made an EXCELLENT comparison topic for a paper, lol.

'Salem's Lot is about a small town in Maine suffering from an invasion of sorts; an infection of the vampiric variety. There are several main characters, but the primary image here is that of the town itself and it's slow, steady descent into darkness. In that sense it's an interesting portrait of America in the 70's - it is patriotic but also aware of the political and social identity crisis seen by towns small and large alike. Appearance versus reality threads its way through the narrative in a way I really liked.

We have a typically large cast of characters here, and each of them are distinct and charming and quirky in the Kingish way I love. I didn't grow to love any of them, like I did in The Shining, but that's okay. There are also some truly terrifying sequences, though the meandering nature of the writing sometimes cuts the tension (I love King's use of detail and depth, but here he seemed a little ... untethered).

My favorite part about this, though, is the strong and spicy connection to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Dracula is one of my favorite classics, and King really found a similar flavor here. There are subtle references and obvious ones, and it just makes me really damn happy that someone successfully wrote a love letter to Dracula wrapped in an entertaining (calling you out, The Historian) and well-written work of fiction. It's derivative in the BEST WAY.

Really glad I stuck with this. Also, the afterword was such a treat. I almost enjoyed reading King's writing on the book more than the book itself.

‘Salem’s Lot on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

4 stars. I was totally unprepared for this. It's not at all what I expected and I'm thrilled that it has become horror canon. I guess I expected ... simple, traditional, predictable ... I'm not sure. But this is pure genius. I docked a star because I actually found it a little boring, which I totally attribute to my state of mind this week, but I can't wait to really think about this one.

Perhaps the most brilliant aspect of this story is that the "villain" is the least scary person you encounter. Merricat is a lot of things: mentally ill, psychopathic, agoraphobic, stunted in many ways, and yet as a reader I found myself rooting for her. Her OCD-like tendencies are profoundly interesting and creative; she has invented magic for herself. "I decided that I would choose three powerful words, words of strong protection, and so long as these great words were never spoken aloud no change would come."....

So I rooted for her. And I related to her. And I wanted Cousin Charles to leave and never come back. And I was horrified when her world got trampled and stomped on by the people in the village. Those people - those small-minded, misguided people - terrifying. Charles' greed and lack of empathy - terrifying. Constance's denial and ultimate state of existence - terrifying. But Merricat? She's adorable. She loves her sister and she loves her cat and she triumphs in the end. 

It's so bizarre.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Doctor Sleep

4 stars. So here's the thing: I really, really, really love The Shining. And that's why this gets 4 stars - BECAUSE I really, really, really love The Shining. It's one of the best books ever, one of my favorites, and a King classic. I just re-read it in anticipation of reading this, and then seeing the adaptation of this, in November. And please listen closely: I loved this! It's an excellent read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a kickass horror novel that packs an emotional punch. I just didn't love it as much as I love The Shining.

Inevitable? Maybe. Due to the hype? Maybe. But also, I'd say that King is a bit unhinged here. He's not as tightly glued (or tightly edited) as he has been in the past. I don't mind details - really, I don't, and it's one the things that King is the king at. He goes deep and wide (tired of me saying that yet?) and his stories are full of fascinating subplots, substories, and minor characters with infinite depth.

Here, it seems extra. A little superfluous. I dunno, maybe I was just looking so deeply for the perfect essence of The Shining that I overshot and ended up being more critical than usual. But I also didn't find that Dan Torrance's character necessarily matched with the adult version. I ALSO found a few twists to be WAY more ridiculous than plausible. The coincidences were just too much, for me.

But HEY - THIS WAS SO AWESOME. Doctor Sleep takes place years after The Shining - Danny is now a recovering alcoholic trying to deal with the trauma of his childhood and exist with the shining without coming apart at the seams. He encounters another shining little girl, Abra, and they develop a beautiful friendship. Meanwhile, Abra is being stalked by a group of steam vampires led by an ambitious, soulless, hungry woman named Rose the Hat. It's all good fun and scares with a good old fashioned showdown at the end. Fans of King will love this. Fans of reading will love this.

I just ... love him. His reading is super easy to fall into, and to focus on. Living a distracted, busy life? Pick this up for awhile and I guarantee you'll get the escape you need. He's a tremendous author, and I can't wait to keep working my way through his repertoire. Long live the king.

Doctor Sleep on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: La Belle Sauvage

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

3 stars. I really and truly appreciate Philip Pullman's writing. His world- and character-building are fantastic. He's wonderfully creative and imaginative and clearly instills a sense of deep thinking into his stories. So much has been said about his messages and metaphors and influences and themes, and I do enjoy unpacking what he has to say. 

But I have to admit: in general, his books don't give me chills. I don't feel driven to turn the page or return to the story when I reach the end of a chapter. I enjoy the experience, I suppose, but not on a level that really affects me. I feel distant as a reader; removed, or something. It's difficult to explain. 

Maybe I would've been more invested had it not been a prequel. Maybe I would've been more interested if there had been - at the very least - a bit more explanation for the main antagonist's terrifying behavior (his purpose, to me, seemed simply to be scary). Maybe had Malcolm shown a little more depth ... unpredictability? Maybe if there had been a clearer purpose to each chapter it would have felt less meandering? Maybe if there had been fewer references to baby poop?

Don't get me wrong - La Belle Sauvage is terrific. Malcolm is a heartwarming hero and the magical elements of the world - daemons and alethiometers - prove as fascinating as ever. Pullman's plot development is always unique and unstructured in a good way. And I really, really admire his take on innocence/childhood vs. sin/adulthood. That is what keeps me reading, it's so interesting! 

Actually, this brings me to a bit of a realization: I enjoy reading about Philip Pullman's writing more than his actual writing. Not sure that's ever happened before. I admire him so much, he has an incredible mind, I just prefer the analysis over the actual writing. His work is certainly deserving of literary criticism; the way he takes elements of the classics - mythology, poetry, etc. - and weaves them into an exciting fairy tale ... spectacular. The reading itself, though: only a 3-star experience, for me.

La Belle Sauvage on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: The Shining

2019 CHALLENGE: 1 RE-READ PER MONTH 08 / 12

5 stars. As a huge fan of this book and the movie, and of Stephen King's writing in general, re-reading this felt like a huge treat. I feel close to these characters, and to the book's premise. There are many, many themes in this book, and many of them are not scary at all, they're just human. I've said this about King in the past: he goes deep AND wide. I'm here for it.

The Shining, in my mind, is a perfect recipe. King put all the right ingredients in the right pot and cooked something incredible. We have Jack Torrance, recovering alcoholic who really really really needs this job, his wife Wendy - normal, caring, and maternal, and their young son Danny, who exhibits telepathic tendencies, an ability called "shining." Let's take this fascinating family, strong and weak in wonderful ways, and put them in an isolated, haunted hotel in the Colorado Rockies for the winter. Delicious.

There's a lot of classic, typical King here: truly scary moments, a brilliantly-written young character, layered individuals capable of great good and great evil. He addresses addiction, abuse, childhood, parenthood, ambition, failure, and more. He writes about these things with great care and deliberation, but the book is very readable and the pages turn themselves. It surprised me more than once, and this was a re-read. I can't wait to open it up again someday.

I was sufficiently creeped out by the hedges, and the hose, and especially the lady in the bathroom, but you know what gets me every time? What really stands out? The vivid descriptions of Jack's dry lips. SHUDDER. I need chapstick. Now. King is so great with details. Also, he took a typically joyous sound - the sound of a roaring party - and somehow made it sinister. PURE EVIL!

One last thing: I don't know why the Kubrick adaptation is so polarizing. It's different from the book, absolutely, and I know King hates it. But it's an excellent horror movie on its own. It's an interpretation. It's the same picture painted in a different color. I appreciate both the book and the movie very much, as separate works of art and as acquaintances. Both make me happy.

Seriously, so motherfucking, Overlook-ing good. I know glowing reviews are boring but here we are. “Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.”

The Shining on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1)

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

5 stars. Pure magic. 

Reading this felt nostalgic, in a way; for the first time in a long time, just like when I read books as a kid, I wanted the fantasy to be real. Really, really wanted it to be real. Halfway through, I ached for a doorway of my own. I wondered where I would end up - in which colorful, perfect world. What would mine look like? I spent way too much time contemplating the possibilities. 

Every Heart a Doorway is concise portal fantasy with elements of true horror. It's a comedy and a drama and a tragedy and a coming-of-age story. It's a fairy tale about acceptance and innocence and identity. It's strange and weird and grotesque at times but ultimately left me warm and delighted. I am in such awe of the author's talent and can't wait to read more. Five magical stars.

Every Heart a Doorway on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: The Lost City of Z

4 stars. I'm on a real nonfiction kick lately - nonfiction focused on adventures, specifically - and this delivered. I'm a huge fan of David Grann and despite a bit of an abrupt ending, I really enjoyed this book. As many others have pointed out, it's an adventure story, with a few unexpected answers and revelations packed within its pages.

As a child, I was obsessed with unsolved mysteries. One Christmas morning, I opened a book about them and spent the rest of the day reading it over and over again. Favorites included Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle, and UFO's. This tickled that fancy, for sure - it's about a journalist's quest to determine what happened to a particular Amazonian explorer decades ago. I can understand his desire for answers; it absolutely baffles the modern mind to encounter a question with no answers. How can someone, with all the tools and technology and resources we have at our feet, simply disappear?

Sir Percy Fawcett, following several semi-successful exploratory ventures into the Amazon Jungle, did just that: he disappeared with his son and his son's friend on a quest to find the mythical City of Z. An El Dorado-type destination, the City of Z has fascinated explorers and scientists and historians for years; many have lost their lives hoping to catch a glimpse of gold through the jungle trees. Grann traces the origin of the myth, traces Fawcett's own developing obsession, and eventually treks to the Amazon himself. It's a fascinating read.

I, for one, learned so much. There are a few really good, really interesting anthropological components to this story, and the sociology minor in me was thrilled. Grann writes about the isolated Amazon tribes with respect and awe. There's history here, and adventure, there's romance, and heroes, and delightfully disgusting jungle gore. MAGGOTS. IN. YOUR. LEG.

I particularly appreciate Grann's portrait of Fawcett himself - energetic, brave, determined, and flawed. Like the men of The Terror, and perhaps Into Thin Air, and perhaps even A Walk in the Woods, many of us feel the need to conquer nature and get our butts kicked. But Fawcett in particular was able to articulate the itch:

"'Deep down inside me a tiny voice was calling ... at first scarcely audible, it persisted until I could no longer ignore it. It was voice of the wild places, and I knew that it was now part of me forever.'"

He basically Joseph Conrads all over the place:

"'Civilization has a relatively precarious hold upon us and there is an undoubted attraction in a life of absolute freedom once it has been tasted. The 'call o' the wild' is in the blood of many of us and finds its safety valve in adventure.’"

This book, all at once, is relatable, captivating, thrilling, frustrating, and well-written. It is a love letter to mysteries, and to those obsessed with solving them. It is a testament to finding unexpected answers and looking within before judging what's out there.

And also: we should really respect nature. Humans ruin everything.

The Lost City of Z on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: Elmet

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

3 stars. This book is astonishingly layered and profound. It’s bleak and intense. I was disturbed and exhilarated. Elmet is, essentially, indescribable for something so emotionally strong. Or maybe because it's so emotionally strong.

For a debut author, Fiona Mozley demonstrates an incredible understanding of language and her unusual exposition, at times, left me breathless. Her writing challenged me, in a good way. It’s clear that Mozley set out to create a strong sense of place, but every time I turned the page I had to remind myself that the story took place in England, not the Deep South. 

I also had an unexpectedly difficult time retaining the age of the characters and the timing of it all. I suppose that’s the price of telling an ancient story in modern times - every mention of a phone or a television feels sudden and out of place. I liked that, though. I enjoyed reading a story that could’ve taken place at any time, anywhere, in any part of global history. Some concepts - some journeys - some awakenings - are universal.

I also appreciated Mozley’s exploration of masculinity, ownership, the connection between human beings and the natural world, and family. And wealth. The different types of wealth; how a milky cup of tea or a piece of white bread or a lantern on a tree can make one rich in ways poorly-earned dollars cannot.

I suppose I need to comment on how deeply I personally identified with Cathy. Her arc, to me, was the most heartbreaking and penetrating aspect of the book. I understand Cathy’s rage. There are times when I’ve felt so caged by the very fabric of my being, forced backward by something I have no control over. I’ve felt saturated with anger and uncertain how to channel my rooted need to resist. When ambition isn’t enough. Determination isn’t enough. Good intentions aren’t enough. Rage is all there is.

3 stars because it hurt my heart so much. I didn’t enjoy reading this. I didn’t have fun and it wasn’t entertaining in the traditional sense of the word. Don’t let that steer you away, though, or take away from the author’s accomplishments - this book is important.

Elmet on: Amazon | Goodreads