No need to write a review; just watch Mel Robbins鈥� fans lose it on anyone who dares to share anything less than glowing instead of, you know, let themNo need to write a review; just watch Mel Robbins鈥� fans lose it on anyone who dares to share anything less than glowing instead of, you know, let them. That says more than any critique ever could....more
Dull, absurd, and evidently written under the charming assumption that the story doesn鈥檛 need to make sense, as long as it鈥檚 queer. Calling this a 鈥渟tDull, absurd, and evidently written under the charming assumption that the story doesn鈥檛 need to make sense, as long as it鈥檚 queer. Calling this a 鈥渟tory鈥� is already giving this book far too much credit; it鈥檚 more like four unrelated sketches duct-taped together, with a convenient time jump in the middle that saves the author from the hassle of character development.
Not that the characters are that interesting. Interestingly and paradoxically, out of the four, the least self-absorbed is the grieving mother. She is also shown the least compassion and understanding. The focus, instead, is on how she waited too long to announce her son鈥檚 death, how the lung she removed from his body is upsetting the dog (while nobody seems to be concerned about her mental state and how the lung impacts HER), and her lesbian friend鈥檚 unrequited feelings. The moment that chapter ends, the book becomes unsalvageable. ...more
We all know that person; the one who loudly proclaims their weirdness at every possible moment, just in case we hadn鈥檛 already failed to notice. WithoWe all know that person; the one who loudly proclaims their weirdness at every possible moment, just in case we hadn鈥檛 already failed to notice. Without the constant reminders, you鈥檇 never guess they were anything but ordinary, unless you count an overwhelming need to seem different as a personality trait. Jane Flett appears to be one of those people: determined to be edgy, both in narrative and style, but inconveniently short on the necessary talent to pull it off. The result? A parade of so-called 鈥渇reaks鈥� who are less complex characters and more reheated clich茅s with louder voices. In what I assume was an attempt to make them feel authentic and unapologetically bold, Flett instead assembled a cast so obnoxiously petty, cruel, and smug that they manage to out-bigot the small-town folk they supposedly stand apart from. If her goal was to write a morality tale warning us against embracing the different, then congratulations, I guess; but even propaganda usually demonstrates better mastery of writing techniques. ...more
I can barely wrap my head around the fact that this author has won any awards, and it honestly makes me wonder what kind of lottery publishers are plaI can barely wrap my head around the fact that this author has won any awards, and it honestly makes me wonder what kind of lottery publishers are playing when they decide to back writers who, to put it bluntly, can鈥檛 write. Amanda Lee Koe clearly skipped the memo on show, don鈥檛 tell: her idea of character development is dumping clumsy descriptions that wouldn鈥檛 even make the cut in a middle school fanfic. And the characters themselves? Supposedly ancient beings with centuries of experience, yet they behave with all the depth and wisdom of an opinionated teenager on Reddit. ...more
I just don鈥檛 see it. I feel like I鈥檓 drifting alone in this galaxy of glowing reviews, all praising the novel鈥檚 language and imagination, while I鈥檓 leI just don鈥檛 see it. I feel like I鈥檓 drifting alone in this galaxy of glowing reviews, all praising the novel鈥檚 language and imagination, while I鈥檓 left stranded. Sure, the writing is beautiful, but the imagination? For me, it feels like it got swallowed by a black hole, leaving behind only dullness and emptiness.
Many readers seem to think the lack of plot is part of the book鈥檚 charm, but to me, it robs the story of any real meaning. The six characters feel like flat, cardboard cutouts, stuck in a half-hearted mission, endlessly making mental lists and overthinking everything. But none of their thoughts actually sticks with you. Nothing feels memorable.
It鈥檚 not that the book is terrible. It鈥檚 just鈥� empty. Devoid of highs or lows, it ends up as this bland, beige substance, like the kind of tasteless astronaut food that leaves you completely indifferent.
**spoiler alert** This isn鈥檛 a crime novel, and the crime element only highlights its biggest weaknesses. Bonnie Burke-Patel excels at writing complex**spoiler alert** This isn鈥檛 a crime novel, and the crime element only highlights its biggest weaknesses. Bonnie Burke-Patel excels at writing complex, introspective characters - Anna and Hitesh feel raw, real, and, frankly, exhausting in the way they overanalyze everything. If the crime had simply been a device to bring them together, the book might have felt less tedious. Unfortunately, with the investigation taking center stage, we鈥檙e left with a complete lack of suspense or mystery (it鈥檚 obvious from the start that the body is linked to the faceless, nameless narration from 1967). The resolution hinges on Anna 鈥渇eeling a connection鈥� after looking at a photo, and the over-the-top climax feels more suited to a James-Bond knock-off than how this novel had developed until that moment. ...more
This book is a strange one, its purpose is unclear. Why did Andrew Gold choose such a title when he set out to write about cults? A traumatic event, wThis book is a strange one, its purpose is unclear. Why did Andrew Gold choose such a title when he set out to write about cults? A traumatic event, which supposedly inspired his exploration of secrecy and its effects, somehow became an introduction to a lecture on the hidden practices of Scientology and Orthodox Judaism. From there, it veers into biographies of historical figures who, according to Gold, must have kept secrets to achieve success. His condescending 鈥渨ell, actually鈥� tone only makes things worse. With so much well-researched literature on cults out there, there鈥檚 no need to settle for the work of a podcaster with an inflated sense of importance....more
**spoiler alert** The concept is far better than the execution. Unfortunately, the rudimentary and overly simplistic writing diminishes both the suspe**spoiler alert** The concept is far better than the execution. Unfortunately, the rudimentary and overly simplistic writing diminishes both the suspense and the overall enjoyment. A stronger, more refined style might have helped cover the glaring plot holes too. Like some honkaku mysteries, this story leans so heavily on pure logic that it becomes absurd. Take the first of the reveals, for instance: it鈥檚 meant to be so grand and clever, yet the same 鈥渂rilliant minds鈥� who immediately deduce that the key to a riddle about death in childbirth lies in graphic design programs somehow fail to connect the dots between a picture of an old woman delivering a child, a reference to an experienced midwife, and a young couple living with a mysterious third party, and not even once they consider the mother of one of the young parents could be somehow involved. It doesn鈥檛 make the reader feel clever; it just makes the detectives look clueless. That said, I still enjoyed it and am already looking forward to Strange Houses. But the flat, almost childlike writing style undermines even the weightier, more traumatic moments in the story. And that鈥檚 a shame. ...more
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