Somewhere under a 4 for me. Maybe even as low as a 3.5.
The Looking Glass Wars is an alternate history retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Somewhere under a 4 for me. Maybe even as low as a 3.5.
The Looking Glass Wars is an alternate history retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass books. Beddor reimagines the children’s classic as non-fiction: Alyss Hart, a Wonderlander, comes to Earth in a time of crisis (her evil aunt Redd has attacked Wonderland in her quest to become the Queen of Hearts), and she finds herself in a far different reality. On Earth, she is just a young girl with no allies and a fading Imagination. When she is adopted by the Liddell family, and comes across the young deacon Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) she thinks she has found a sympathetic soul. She tells him her story -- which he then publishes in the drastically altered tale that we know. Disheartened, Alyss (now Alice) tries to adjust to life on Earth and forget about Wonderland. But all is not right in Wonderland, and the two worlds Alyss knows are about to collide.
For much of this book, I was fairly indifferent. It came highly recommended by a number of friends, and I am completely smitten with the Alice story and will read/watch* anything having to do with the insanely fabulous world Carroll created. So I really wanted to love this, and at times I did. But for much of the book (probably the first ½ or so), I just didn’t. I felt Beddor struggled to find the tone he wanted; it waffled back and forth between an imitation of Carroll’s light, irreverent style, and a more current, action-drama feel. Also, with attention divided between the two worlds, Wonderland and Earth, it never felt like either got the attention it deserved, and I never got to really live in either and experience it, which was disappointing. But there were moments when I got what I wanted, when the worlds became real and the action was compelling, and the tension was high and I was in it. I just wanted that to be more consistent. Eventually, the book did find a middle path and start to come together, and I will say that I saw enough in it to like that I will certainly keep reading, and do not really regret spending the money on it. I am not saying this is not a good book, just that I wanted more, and didn’t quite get it. On a side note, the card soldiers (idea and illustrations) was absolutely brilliant.
*And would you believe I missed Alice on SyFy? Remembered it was on when Ep 2 was nearly over. Really, desperately irritated with myself on that one. Esp. as the Mad Hatter in it is simply delicious. Must track it down and watch.
!!!SPOILERY!!!
I felt that some of the choices Beddor made were just kind of iffy and it sometimes made the story less believable, or at least questionable. Perhaps the biggest was his choice of the starting age for Alyss, combined with the love interest in Dodge. In the beginning of the story, Alyss is celebrating her 7th birthday. Dodge, her best friend and future guard, is three years older. Now, for those ages, I can believe that there may be some infatuation on the part of each child, and I can even believe that they are devoted to each other in their child’s way. I’m okay with it when you set them up as future love interests -- I don’t mind seeing early where this is going, and knowing who to root for. But I don’t buy it when you try to set them up as already in love and acting like star-crossed lovers. It’s too weighty for their ages, and it just seems a little silly at best, and a little creepy at worst. Their interaction was amateurish, which I guess it at the heart of my complaints with the book in general. The second choice that bothered me was how easily things happened. As someone who works in film, I would have expected Beddor to be a little more concerned with the journey and the struggles that develop a story and add tension. I would feel tension building and I would think something was going to be thrilling and crucial, and instead it would end too quickly. As a result of the idea of Imagination that Beddor set up, things came to easily and ruined the tension level. I am looking forward to reading book 2: Seeing Redd, and I have high hopes that with experience, Beddor will improve and do the story credit; he’s a good storyteller, just not necessarily as good a writer -- yet. Bonus materials and what not on the blog....more
Briefly: Read it. Soulless is exactly what I wanted and didn’t get from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It’s a pithy, funny, tongue-firmly-in-cheek mBriefly: Read it. Soulless is exactly what I wanted and didn’t get from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It’s a pithy, funny, tongue-firmly-in-cheek mesh of Victorian manners and morés, and absurd occult occurrences. Alexia Tarabotti is an intriguing and amusing MC, completely un-Victorian and yet somehow not out of place. Carriger’s take on Victorian London high society shows a real knowledge of it, while not taking it too seriously. And, man, talk about cover appeal! Love it! Highly recommended if you like historical, paranormal, satirical, and/or sexy-silly fiction.
Not-so-briefly: let's get down to business -- Characters: The characters of Soulless, including many of the secondary ones, are vibrant and fleshed out. The main characters are engaging and charmingly flawed. The two main characters, Alexia and Lord Maccon, are irresistible. Seriously. Just try to resist them; I'll wait. Alexia is sassy and smart, with a strain of Victorian sensibilities that is unfettered by any sort of wallflower-ness. She is not shy or coy or retiring. She is a feisty heroine with modern inclinations, who just happens to expect to be treated like a Victorian lady, smart spinster, some-time sex object, and fan of treacle tart; she doesn't ask much. She's a perfect little bundle of contradictions. Lord Maccon is every bit the Alpha werewolf, posing as a highly desirable bachelor Lord. He is constantly on the verge of bursting out and doing something deliciously indecorous. The fireworks between Lord Maccon and Alexia are blinding (and plenty exciting -- and loud, as fireworks tend to be). It's a classic love/hate relationship with the added fun of Victorian etiquette and supernatural elements tossed in.
Setting and Plot: The steampunky goodness of Carriger's Victorian England is almost as much a character as Alexia and Lord Maccon. Carriger did her research, and a London slightly different than we may have expected comes to life on the page. The Victorian obsession with the fledgling field of genetics plays a prominent and brilliant role, and the exploding obsession with science in both the working and moneyed classes makes for a suitable, smart and intriguing background to the story. Carriger's idea that these great advancements (logically) are the result of supernaturals is fun and playful, while making perfect sense. There's good conflict, great tension (plot tension and sexual tension *waggles eyebrows*). All said, she has set up a great stage-set to play on for the remainder of the series. Long may it live....more
Will review later, but allow me to tease you with this: ZOMBIE COWS
I had some issues with this book, but it was also one of the rare books where I feltWill review later, but allow me to tease you with this: ZOMBIE COWS
I had some issues with this book, but it was also one of the rare books where I felt it was sort of okay to let some things slide. Why? Because when a book is about:
zombies (human) zombies (bovine) teen sorceresses determined to end the world horny teen minions Ancient Gods tentacled hell beasts ghouls graveyard guardians (ghosts) dead terriers (ghosts) determined mini-golfers (ghosts) obese werewolves (main character) balding vampires (main character) spectres in a magic eight ball a diner designed to end the world mail order hoodoo catalogues* and a tiny, tiny town with more paranormal activity than just about anywhere (see Law of Anomalous Phenomena Attraction**)
I guess it's understandable that some of the actual writing may fall by the wayside. Maybe? It is a lot to juggle.
Alright, let's be honest. This is not a book you go into thinking it's going to be great literature. And you wouldn't be wrong. It was a little like reading Shaun of the Dead or a Scary Movie script. It was silly and slapsticky and fun. There definitely needed to be a better copy editor, and the characters may have been a bit flat, but they are all memorable, the entire ridiculous cast of them.
But I digress...
The rest of the review, + some silly bonus material, can be found here...more
Initial reaction: 4.5. Damn close to a 5, actually. I may bump it up.
Here is a teaser from my review: Witch Child takes the form of a diary written byInitial reaction: 4.5. Damn close to a 5, actually. I may bump it up.
Here is a teaser from my review: Witch Child takes the form of a diary written by Mary Nuttal (claiming to be Mary Newbury). After her grandmother is killed for supposedly being a witch, Mary is sent to America to assume a new identity and sever all ties with her past, ties which may get her killed. She takes up with a colony of Puritans traveling to the New World, and soon finds a place among them. But she also finds herself the center of jealousies and scandals that will raise the question of witchcraft again, making her safety in the new world as questionable as it was in the old. I was caught up in this story from the very beginning. Setting aside the "convenient" aspects of the story (the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, which is explained away, and the fact that she always just happens to have access to her diary and recalls events w/ complete clarity, etc), Mary's voice was always engaging, and she was completely relatable and her story is captivating. She is an admirable girl, raised to be strong and self-reliant, which is a dangerous thing to be as an English woman in the mid 1600s. She is smart and self-assured, a great role model for modern girls, but because independent women were seen as a threat, she lives in fear of the day that her world will crumble and the people around her turn on her. This really brought home to me what freaks me out about humans...
The rest (if you are dying to know what freaks me out about humans) can be found here on the blogness......more
I reviewed this in full on my blog, but since it was a somewhat non-traditional review, I will include a snippet here. If you want the full thing, aloI reviewed this in full on my blog, but since it was a somewhat non-traditional review, I will include a snippet here. If you want the full thing, along with some bonus material, head over here...
The "story" unfolds via a man's poetry journal. Intending to document the glory of life, it ends up recording the downfall of civilization as he: runs from zombies, is bitten by zombies, becomes a zombie, bites and creates more zombies, and embarks on the never-ending quest for fresh flesh and the all important zombie food source, brains.
Some of this anonymous man's poetry is only so-so (but what do you expect of a man who keeps a haiku poetry journal), and his pre-zombification haiku are as pretentious and pointless as you'd want them to be. But when said poet gets bitten, things take a turn for the worse -- while his haiku takes a visceral turn for the better, in my opinion. Dripping blood and pus and various other fluids onto the pages of his precious journal, he goes in search of the first of a slew of meals - -I mean, victims. (I'm not going to tell you who the first victim is, but ugh).
I previewed a few of the disgustingickyawesome haiku on a previous teaser tuesday, but they were just the, *ahem* tip of the juicy cortex. Though there are throwaway bits, there are some moments of gross brilliance in here. Our mysterious zombie man retains his vocabulary pretty much intact (which somehow doesn't seem ridiculous), but everything becomes a little stilted and skewed, creating a nicely eerie, Other effect. And of course, some of his phrasing, reactions and desires are just hilarious. ...more
In some respects this is a hesitant 4, and in others, not at all hesitant. Will review fully, but for now, let's just say I have questions. And issuesIn some respects this is a hesitant 4, and in others, not at all hesitant. Will review fully, but for now, let's just say I have questions. And issues.
REVIEW:
Sea Glass is the second in the Glass series, a spin-off of the popular Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study); it takes up where Storm Glass left off, with glass magician Opal Cowan under house arrest in the Citadel due to her new-found ability to steal a magician's magic through her glass sculptures. But Opal has other things to worry about; everyone seems to want something from her, and worse, she's afraid that the man she thinks she loves has been forced to switch bodies with the man who once tortured her. Worst of all, no one seems to believe her, and she must struggle to set things to rights and figure out her powers before everything crashes down around her.
It took me a bit to get into this installment of the series, though I think that is due in part to the fact that I didn't remember enough from Storm Glass. The beginning was confusing to me, but I still don't know how much of it was due to my lack of memory and how much to messiness or clarity problems. What I do know is that it hit that part where everything started flowing and becoming compelling, and from then on, I was fairly hooked.
I love the world Snyder has created, and her characters, when she hits the mark, are full and real and interesting. She makes you care about characters. Case in point: when Maria came to good ole (podunk) Monroe for some events, my book club had dinner with her, where we spent a good majority of the time debating who we liked more, Devlin or Kade, while Maria sat back and watched with a very amused expression. We were passionate. There was yelling; there may have been some fork pointing. There was a lot of talking over each other and "you're out of your mind"s. Book conversations like that are an excellent sign, in my opinion. Nothing recommends a book more. Also, Snyder has the guts to keep things from being clean-cut and easy, which I appreciate, and which adds to those excellent conversations.
That's not to say I didn't have any issues, though. Opal takes a definite step back in her growth for a big chunk of this book.... Rest of review is here....more
I bought this edition -- the first three books in this series -- on a whim, figuring it would be something quick and fun to read between other books. I bought this edition -- the first three books in this series -- on a whim, figuring it would be something quick and fun to read between other books. I was a bit worried that it was going to be a Laurel K. Hamilton knock-off, . Though it is certainly in the same vein (ha!) of Hamilton and Kelley Armstrong, et al., I think it's certainly strong enough to stand on its own. Where it diverges from Hamilton the most is that it's not an orgy. I know that's going to disappoint some of you, and I'm not saying it doesn't have its fair share of sexual tension. But it's more realistic with it. Briggs doesn’t go overboard describing the “beefcakes” the way some authors (ahem, Hamilton) do; they are there, but you can flesh them out to your tastes, which is a good choice on Briggs’ part. The Anita Blake books are brief periods of fighting, zombie raising and sleuthing in between bizarre sexual and quasi-sexual encounters, and entertaining as that may be, sometimes it's just too much. With Mercy, you have a strong female lead who is independent almost to a fault. She doesn’t let people push her around, she’s strong and she’s smart, and she doesn’t know when to give up, which is fabulous in a series like this.
The paranormal elements in the books are believable and not over done, and have elements of real world nature in them. Briggs did her homework, thought out the world, and it shows. I think that she was smart, too, in not keeping her paranormal characters too much in their own world. The fae have “come out” to the public a decade before the story begins, the werewolves are on the verge of coming out, and though the vampires have no plans of coming out, that’s not surprising, as they eat people. The struggles of the paranormal community to be accepted rather than feared and attacked by the human world is realistic as it mirrors humans’ own very real civil rights struggles; the addition of werewolf Warren and his lover, Kyle, adds a nice layer, as it links the two struggles and shows tension among the werewolves, too. Like real life, even those who are targets of bigotry themselves can be bigots themselves. Briggs makes great layered choices, adding depth and realism to bolster her stories. Certainly an author to watch. ...more
I would actually rate this just under a four (maybe a 3.75 or so). The ending and a few irritating things knocked it back for me. Eventually I will getI would actually rate this just under a four (maybe a 3.75 or so). The ending and a few irritating things knocked it back for me. Eventually I will get around to reviewing it....more
I think I would have liked this as a kid. It reminds me of what I read then (RL Stine, Christopher Pike), and though I haven't reread any of those recI think I would have liked this as a kid. It reminds me of what I read then (RL Stine, Christopher Pike), and though I haven't reread any of those recently, I feel like Smith's writing is not quite at the level as the other two (not that Stine is necessarily great, though I remember continuing to be impressed with Pike). It was light and fun and utterly predictable, which may be fine when you're twelve, but for not much longer after that. It was often overly simple, in structure and substance. But as it's the first in the series (and as I have an omnibus edition with the first three volumes in it) I will give the others a try and see if they improve. Either way, they are a super quick, couple hour read....more
Ash is one of those books that seemed to catch like wildfire in the blogosphere. One day, you've never heard of it, and the next, it's everywhere, andAsh is one of those books that seemed to catch like wildfire in the blogosphere. One day, you've never heard of it, and the next, it's everywhere, and you have to read it. And like most suddenly ubiquitous books, I have mixed feelings...
Ash is a non-traditional retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. Ash is a young girl who loses her parents and finds herself thrust into the care of her newly made family: a callous step-mother and distant, spoiled step-sisters. She is removed from her distant home village and all it's country traditions and beliefs to a city near the capitol, where fairy tales really are just tales, and everything Ash has always believed and pursued is laughed at or looked down on. But Ash finds herself the object of attention of a very unusual being named Sidhean, and though she likes this attention, she finds herself torn between Sidhean and the King's huntress, Kaisa. Both have the ability to drastically change her life...
Sounds good, right? I was super excited for a number of reasons. 1) I love fairy tale retellings. 2) I was intrigued by a Cinderella with a LGBT slant. 3) EVERYONE seemed to be raving about this. 4) The cover close up is gorgeous, and I am a sucker for a good cover, we all know that.
And though I did like this, I like it with reservations, so I'm going to break this into two parts of each aspect: the good (fairy) and the bad (fairy).
Aspect One: Ash The Good (fairy): I loved watching Ash develop. It's the Cinderella story at it's core: you watch a charming/pretty/intelligent girl who doesn't realize what she's capable of, or what the world holds for her blossom into the woman she is meant to be. When Sidhean enters the story, Ash perks up a bit, but when Kaisa comes in, she blooms, and the story is truly enjoyable from then on.
The Bad (fairy): Kaisa doesn't enter the story until quite a ways in, and until then, it's not nearly as enjoyable. It's not that it's ever really bad, but I didn't find myself drawn in, nothing really came alive until Kaisa, except for the brief moments with Sidhean.
Aspect Two: Love The Good (fairy): One of my absolute favorite things about this, and one of the best decisions I think Lo made while crafting this story, is how she dealt with the idea of love. I know there are people who will worry when they hear it is a gay retelling of Cinderella, and they will think that it's going to hit you over the head with it, or be anti-straight, or try to "convert" you, or some other equally ridiculous thing. Of course, it did not do that. What Lo created was a world where love is love. When Kaisa and Ash begin to find themselves drawn to each other, they are not looked down upon. Attraction is attraction, people are people, love is love. There is also some nice pull and ambiguity between the three: Ash is drawn to Sidhean, who is a man, as well as Kaisa, who is a woman, and no issue is ever made of that. I liked that aspect a lot, and it was handled nicely.
The Bad (fairy): is a spoiler*, so if you want to know, it's at the bottom.
Aspect Three: Language and Writing The Good (fairy): There are times when this flows beautifully, and when Ash's world is completely engaging and light. As I said before, this is mostly when Kaisa comes into the story.
Through much of the story, I think the writing is writing. I wouldn't put it heavily on one side (good) or the other (bad).
The Bad (fairy): Mostly, though, I wanted more from the writing. I kept waiting for something to really stop me in my tracks or take my breath away. I am a quote person, and I tab things that catch my fancy. I didn't feel a need to tab. Ash's narration felt disengaged and overly formal, especially for a sort of backwoods girl. There was a stilted feel, and I had a hard time at first getting into the story because I just didn't find the narration engaging. Also, I felt like Lo didn't take full advantage of everything. Things could have been more: taut/exciting/powerful, but they were sometimes glossed over or let slide. Now, I know some of this is pickiness on my part, and some people may not notice it at all, but it irritated me, especially as I saw potential for gems, potential for great writing, but I didn't get to see that potential fulfilled often enough. I think Lo will get there, I just don't think she's quite there yet.
Aspect Four: World and story overall. The Good (fairy): There were some things (the occasional gems I mentioned) that I just loved. I already talked about Lo's treatment of love and relationships, which I enjoyed. I also really liked how "Prince Charming" was basically ignored. He never did a damn thing, so why give him more page space. In this, he was basically what I have always suspected, but I'll leave that to you to see... Also, I really enjoyed the irony** involved in the situation between Ash and Sidhean and her mother, but that's another spoiler, so it is way down there.... (where's a down arrow when you need one?)
The Bad (fairy): Some elements of the story and the world felt heavily influenced by other stories/movies, etc (Ever After, Wicked Lovely, Daughter of the Forest, etc.). Again, not something everyone will notice, and not necessarily intentional, but it still ate at me.
*The Bad (fairy) about love: SPOILER ALERT! Ash makes an agreement with Sidhean, and must go with him before she can be with Kaisa. This happens, but we don't get to know a word of it. They disappear, and then it's over, she's back and on to find Kaisa. It felt really hollow to me, and I like, just because Sidhean wasn't the main love interest, he got short-changed. This was true all around. I found him fascinating, but the reader is never really given enough to understand him. I think this was intentional, as he is the non-human in the story. It was meant to make him mysterious, but it left me feeling like things were unanswered.
**SPOILER about irony: I loved that the curse Ash's mother had put on Sidhean to make him feel love for a human and understand the torment he's caused sort of backfired (or at least wasn't quite what she'd intended) in that he fell in love with and pursued Ash, her daughter, and not some random human. It seemed a very appropriate and fitting fairy tale-like twist, which was a brilliant move on Lo's part, to add that layer....more
This is one of the most engaging stories/narrators I have read in awhile. I tried hard to think of something I didn;t like, just for some balance (notThis is one of the most engaging stories/narrators I have read in awhile. I tried hard to think of something I didn;t like, just for some balance (not because I am such a negative person), and I still have yet to come up with something. There's a great magical realism/tall-tale feel to it, which is refreshing in a ya book.
Savvy is the story of Mibs (Mississippi) Beaumont and her rather unusual family. At 13, every member of the Beaumont family discovers they have a "savvy," a special power of some sort. Mibs' brother, Fish, can manipulate the weather (he caused a hurricane on his 13th birthday), and her brother Rocket manipulates electrcity (his 13th birthday was pretty unusual, too). Mibs' father is the only member of the Beaumont family with no special powers, having married in. When he is involved in a terrible car accident the day before Mibs herself turns 13, Mibs stops wishing for a grand, mind-blowing savvy and wishes instead for something that will help her save her father. With two of her brothers and her pastors kids in two, Mibs leaves her tiny community in the middle of nowhere, between Kansas and Nebraska (or Kansaska-Nebransas, as they call it -- Kansaska Monday-Wednesday, Nebransas Thursday-Saturday) to get to her father and work her savvy. The resulting story is a discovery of self for each character, from their own talents and savvies, to their loves and feelings and inner stength.
I know I made that sound really cheesy, but it's not. Ingrid Law deals with some heavy stuff in a light and engaging manner. The language and Mibs' narration is absolutely perfect. It's charming and funny and unusual. It's addictive, begging to be read aloud. The alliteration and silliness of the language may irritate some people, but I adored it. I don't see how it's possible not to fall in love with Mibs and the Beaumonts, and all of the peripheral characters.
For more, and for some neato bonus material, check out my expanded review on my blog....more
This volume continues to present side stories of the peripheral characters of Emma, among them Erich and his squirrel, the Merediths and their maids, This volume continues to present side stories of the peripheral characters of Emma, among them Erich and his squirrel, the Merediths and their maids, and a trio of opera singers, as well as the story of how William met Hakim. I almost rated this a 4, simply because it's harder to absolutely love a series of side stories instead of the orig. chronicles of Emma. But the fact is, I love this world. Kaoru Mori is so attuned to her characters and the details. She can tell a story with no words for many panels (sometimes pages) and still keep it clear and entertaining. Her attention to detail amazes me, and her ability to inject subtle humor and outright cuteness. She could manga-up the phonebook and make it intricate and fun for me. And of course, her silly afterword manga is perfect as always. Sometimes I think, as much as I love the books, I love her afterword manga more. I was very disappointed to find out that there is only one more volume and then she's done with Emma. Don't know what I'll do with myself. Think I'm going to have to move on to Shirley Volume 1....more
I was very excited to read this book when I read about it, and though it wasn't necessarily as exciting to read, it did live up to my expectations in I was very excited to read this book when I read about it, and though it wasn't necessarily as exciting to read, it did live up to my expectations in some ways.
The story follows a group of people living on Nollop Island (named after Nevin Nollop, the "quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" guy,)somewhere off the coast of South Carolina. Nollopians are devoted to language, and though they live in contemporary times, they have little technology, and they speak like inhabitants of some antiquated English village. When the letters of Nollop's famous pangram begin dropping off of his statue in the town square, the town council begins banning the use of those letters. The first offense for using a banned letter (in writing or in speaking) is public chastisment; the second is flogging or being placed in a head-stock (you're choice!); the third is banishment on pain of death. The inhabitants must learn to function and communicate in a community that is rapidly dwindling in language and size; some learn they must fight back against oppression.
I was put off at first by the language (which was extrememly grandiose in the beginning), but I knew that it was going to provide contrast for the end, so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. The story is told through a series of letters, so the reader gets to experience with the Nollopians the loss of each letter (they begin to jump out when someone uses one that is banned). It's fun to watch as language is chipped away and the characters become increasingly desperate finding ways to communicate. From this aspect, it is a fun and somewhat silly read.
But it's good on another level, too, in that there really is something serious going on here. In such a slim book on such a silly topic, Mark Dunn is able to get to the heart of governmental oppression and abuses of power. There are some strong statements here, and as it's sort of like seeing oppression in fast-forward (everything happens so quickly), it becomes apparent how it's the little things to pay attention to. It may seem silly to ban the letter 'z', and of little importance, but this silly little thing is a rather large sign. From that aspect, I thought the book was very successful.
It's also fun just as a lover of language. Some of the made-up words in the beginning are irritating, but in the context of the story, it works and you get used to it.
My one warning is that if you don't have a large vocabulary (not necessarily even one you use, just your understanding of language), and you are not a "word person", there's really no point in reading this, and you likely won't enjoy yourself.
Pop over to my blog for some truly perfect bonus material that I couldn't put here....more
We Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of the Blackwoods, a hill-country family more well-off than their neighbors, and maybe just a littlWe Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of the Blackwoods, a hill-country family more well-off than their neighbors, and maybe just a little more off than them, too. Told from the POV of 18 year old Mary Katherine Blackwood, the youngest, we learn that the remaining Blackwoods -- Merricat, her older sister, Constance, invalid Uncle Julian, and Jonas the cat -- are shunned by the townsfolk to the point of Frankensteinian pitch-fork crazy. Mary Katherine, or Merricat, as she is called, is a thoroughly fascinating character. She reads like I Capture the Castle's Cassandra Mortmain if she were maybe OCD and slightly disturbed. In fact, the whole thing reads like the Mortmains with a dash of gothic crazy thrown in. Through Merricat, it is slowly revealed that the reason the Blackwoods are shunned, and the reason there are only three left, is because the rest of the family was poisoned over dinner six years prior -- and Constance stood trial for it. Now, they keep to themselves in their secluded house with agoraphobic zeal, with Merricat making dreaded weekly trips into town for supplies. They could go on this way forever, avoiding people, avoiding life, living in Merricat's fantasies -- until a visitor comes and things will never be the same.
So, that's the basic story, without giving too much away. What I loved about this, what I found absolutely compelling, was the tone of this story. Jackson, known for her insanely famous tale "The Lottery," is a master of tone. Her stories always seem to have a presence; you can feel them in the room with you. Everything about Merricat's world seems present and ominous and dangerous. The town has a presence, the forest and fields have a presence, the Blackwood house -- more so than anything -- has a presence. In only 200 or so pages, Jackson makes everything come alive, which is an impressive feat.
Merricat, as the narrator, is quirky and volatile and possibly brilliant. She is very much haunted and slightly odd, and as the reader, you become completely absorbed in Merricat's view: you know the world is against you, and you find yourself going along with the things she does. It's easy to root for Merricat, even when you start to doubt her. The peripheral characters are fascinating and difficult and compelling.
In short, if you can handle a healthy dose of weird and/or crazy, this slim story pulls no punches. Definitely add it to your list (Halloween-time reading is recommended).
The rest of my review (with BM and whatnot) is here...more
This was read aloud by Jadin at the Dorsch Memorial Library for the summer reading program, and this is possibly the best read aloud she's done for thThis was read aloud by Jadin at the Dorsch Memorial Library for the summer reading program, and this is possibly the best read aloud she's done for the program so far. It was very entertaining, from her voice to her faces, and she brought life to the story well. Whether I would have rated the book a 4 without her reading, I don't know, but that shows that this is the type of thing to read aloud and get your kids into....more
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