Well, the cover was striking enough to attract attention, but then the plot summary wasn’t too shabby either.
The end of the world that comes and steals people away in their sleep. Apocalypse ZZZZZ. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. In this new world order, the sleepless reign. The insomniacs, anyone with a sleeping disorder. Not so much reign as desperately struggle to survive, but hey at least they get a chance. This book features a vast cast of characters in a at-times-dizzying switch up of narratives, but the main one follows two friends and people around them as they try to make their way to safety. It seems this was an audiobook first or maybe some sort of podcast and maybe that’s what caused the overwhelmingly multi-player manic approach to this apocalypse, but it works, it all ties in. There is a certain trippiness to the plot, too. The elephant/whale thing…very trippy. And that ending. It’s out there. But the book is fun, exciting, original, and well worth a read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
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Of all the traditional superhero comics out there I’ve reluctantly read over time, Batman is likely to be most in line with the sort of darkness I enjoy thematically and stylistically.
This book is a terrific example of that. A self-contained story, I believe, comprising books one through six, telling the tale of Arkham, one of the most famous/infamous fictional asylums out there. The Joker decimated the place, burning it down, killing most inmates and employees. Some got out. This is their tale. Specifically, one psychologist who may quite possibly be too attached to her charges, but also the grand scheme of a city like Gotham, already quite chaotic and scary, with madness added on top. I didn’t quite love the art, not the way the artist rendered people’s faces, but that’s just regular people, so there was definitely more to see in the book. The Ten-Eyed Man alone is such a striking creation, both visually and narratively. That’s him on the cover at his most elegant. In the book, he’s different but not less fascinating. And there you have it. Gotham. It’s people, it’s monsters…where does one draw the line? A fun, exciting, thrillingly dark read. Recommended. What a strange disturbing collection this was. Three novellas of various degrees of vandalism, usually artistic, some with stronger connection to the theme than others but all hauntingly good.
Fans of literary, well-crafted and thought-provoking scary stories are sure to appreciate this one. I like novellas. It’s oftentimes my preferred format. Their succinctness appeals to me. I love being able to read a story in its entirety on one sitting in a way that doesn’t take over the rest of the day. It’s also a terrific way to find new authors without the commitment of a novel-length work Of the three authors collected here, I only read the last one. This book certainly served as a great introduction to the rest. All are very talented, but their stories different enough to make varied impressions. The first one lagged a bit in execution for me, but I loved the concept of death scene cards. The second one, Samoa-set, was my favorite. An unputdownable terrifying tale of good intentions meeting stark reality. The third one, a dark fairy tale of the transformative power of art and its replications for artists as it echoed throughout generations is a trip of striking beauty. And yes, it is trippy. All in all, an all-star lineup and a very good read. Recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy for review purposes. The publisher’s generosity, while appreciated, had no effect on this reviewer’s opinions. I’m such a fan. I'd rave and rave, but seriously, let’s focus. I didn’t love all of Moreno-Garcia’s books–her fantasy efforts leave me indifferent. But this one…this one appears to be ripped straight out from my imagination.
All the themes I love to see in fiction are here: movies, occult, historical events mixing with imaginary ones, yet another original historical setting (this time early ‘90s in Mexico City), magic (the right kind not the fantasy novel crap), cults, and just oodles and oodles of excitement. This book was SO much fun. Possibly author’s best since Mexican Gothic. Dynamic, thrilling, tough to put down from the first chapter straight down to the explosive (albeit considerably drawn out) denouement. Leave it to Moreno-Garcia to take two lifelong friends and mix them up with a shadowy Nazi occult magician and his followers, who have found a way to pursue arcane ends through modern (well, kinda sort since silver nitrate isn’t really in use anymore) means. They say movies are magic, but Moreno-Garcia puts her own, inimitable spin on that aphorism. Very, very awesome. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. Caroline Kepnes burst onto the scene rather dramatically with you. in a sea of clichéd thrillers, she managed to stand out with her intense, propulsive tale of obsessive love and occasional murder, giving us a notably memorable protagonist who will love YOU to death.
It was fun, it was dynamic, it got made into a TV show–success by any measure. Then, as if to prove, she’s no one trick author, Kepnes wrote Providence, which used a lot of then same techniques less successfully, which apparently discouraged her enough to return to Goldberg, over and over again. And sure, that romantic lunatic IS where the money’s at, but how far should one sell out for a paycheck? In this case, book four in YOU series serves a resolute reminder that the author has gone too far. Which at this point, is embarrassingly so, because the books are by now outdone by their own TV adaptation. And yes, this has happened before, and more than once, but YOU had potential to outperform all that noise. The initial adaptations were very close to the books and then the distance began inching in, proportional, it seems, to the declining uality of books. Granted, both book 3 and season 3 left a lot to be desired, but wherein the TV show rebounded awesomely with a tight whodunit turnaround, book four failed, failed, failed. Details, you ask? Sure, here you go. I read the book first, because that’s how you do things. The book sees Goldberg’s yet another attempt to go legit and swear off love by conning his way into a prestigious writer’s group in an Ivy League school. Goldberg doesn’t belong with all the pretentious twats around him, but he finds a kindred spirit in another “scholarship kid” who immediately becomes his new YOU. So the formula is there, but the execution is garbage. The romance (which is Goldberg’s sole raison d’etre) doesn’t work here, it’s too weak, too rushed. Of course, Goldberg’s romances are never right, that’s kind of the point, but here it never even seems right. The man comes across desperate and bitter, his famous narrative snark goes flat, tinged with angst and resentment in a way that obscures wit and charm and humorous social observations he used to specialize in. Kepnes has done it, it seems. She’s beaten her golden pony to dust. Used him all up and turned him into a sad caricature of himself. Wherein in season four of the TV show (at least the first five episodes since Netflix annoyingly divided them up), Goldberg is fun, fun, fun. Back to form and rocking it. Which is why the TV show is now billed as “inspired” by Kepnes’ books and she is no longer an executive producer. Outdone by TV writers. Outperformed by her own creation. Sad. So, hopefully, Kepnes can now leave Goldberg alone and maybe, just maybe write something new, and maybe it’ll be good and maybe not, but at least it’ll show range and versatility. Because right now her writing is only reflective of good business sense and marketability. The books are getting longer not stronger. Sad, again. Book four will make Goldberg’s fans annoyed. Maybe skip and stick with the TV show. Thanks Netgalley. I didn’t love Smith's when I first read him. Rivers didn’t impress much. But his subsequent works did. A lot. So now I’m a fan. I request his new ARCs from Netgalley without even reading much of the plot summary. And yet this one disappointed.
It was very on brand for the author. The same sort of language and all, but this Southern Neo-Noir just didn’t land quite right with me. Smith does a great job with place as character, bringing to life the sinking south, specifically the Louisiana/Mississippi border, in vivid detail. But that is also the thing that sinks the narrative. Pardon the pun. The overwhelming amount of minute details is just enough for other characters to get lost in. Same with the plot. Or rather there isn’t enough plot here beneath all the precision-chosen words. Estranged father and daughter are reunited a few years after she took off with a much older man. Now, she is fleeing a danger the man brought into her life, the sort of thing where people get caught in crosshairs and die. The characters are interesting and realistic, but there’s such a disjointed quality to the narrative, it’s difficult to follow their individual stories. Kinda muddled, kinda messy. Not quite up to Farris’ standards. Stylish sure, stylistic even, but ultimately leaves you wanting. Still a good read, if only for the language and Oron. That dude was awesome, so much so, I’m going to round up my rating of the book. Also, a closing line for a title? A title for a closing line? Really? Anyway, not author's best, but user mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley. AH, alas, the truth behind the Department of Truth’s greatest counterbalance/counterpart. The Ministry of Lies’s commie red flag is flying high in this volume.
Back from book three’s trip into the past, this volume picks up the main narrative thread with the protagonist falling deeper and deeper into the brave new world of fabricated realities. The journey takes him both far from and all too close to his partner, making for some tough choices. As if people deciding thefundamental truths of the world didn’t have enough of those to deal with. All in all, a stunning story accompanied by gorgeous art. Easily one of the best comic series out there right now, viciously clever, strikingly erudite, and presciently timely. Recommended. Books one and two were very exciting, but followed a more or less conventional narrative structure. Now that all the basics have been established, the creators decided to experiment some. And so book three is largely a prequel. A bunch of origins stories. Done in different artistic styles. And slightly different narrative styles.
Dizzying variety with the original protagonist nowhere to be found, but then again, Tynion is obviously creating a very elaborate universe here so some time-travelling must play a role. And because it is such a clever universe, you go along for the ride. The art never quite hits the same high notes as the original, but it’s conceptually interesting and does serve the stories. So come, find the origins of the truth and department of it, and then return to the original timeline. On to book four. And they’re back. The departure was rather dramatic (Vaughan just went and killed one of the main characters) and it’s been a few years. I wasn’t sure they were going to come back at all, but people love their serials and space operas, and to be fair, Saga is one of the best.
So much so that even this reader who doesn’t like either serials or space operas, loves it. Or at least, likes it a lot. The return acknowledges the few years interval. The kid narrator’s older and just as wily. And her family are still persons non grata in a conflicted war-torn galaxy. It’s been a decade and no one can let go or forget about the unlikeliest of unions between the warring factions. It was all for love. Now it’s all for survival. In many ways, Saga remains the same, with assassins in pursuit, fun quirky weird interesting exciting characters. Oodles of action, graphic sex displays, clever narration. I wasn’t sure how it would go on after the last book, but now the path seems clear. This one can go on and on, all across the galaxy, if only on the strength of what’s already there. And the thing is, I’d read it too. It’s fun. The books are gorgeously drawn. Who knows how long Vaughan plans to let it go, but hey, he did name it Saga. Overall, very good. An exciting space adventure. Recommended. Ah, I’m never going to be able to resist a cult story, but a cult story set in an abandoned creepy amusement park…oh yes, please.
I’ve read Shipp before, but not a lot and a really long time ago, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What it turned out to be is a fun, very well written, and trippy AF adventure with one woman, Phina, short for Seraphina, insinuating herself into a local cult i.e. community of like minds to find out what happened to her sister. The sister by all appearance and evidence has fallen and is now in a coma, so she can’t tell. And the cultish place where this occurred does seem initially suspicions. But these suspicions prove difficult to maintain once Phina actually gets involved with the community. Because at worst they are kooky and at best they are rather lovely, and surely, not murderers, are they? Then again, you never know with people. After all, if they were all as nice as they seemed, who’d be doing all the killing? And so, this trippy character-driven dram is actually a suspense/murder mystery to boot, which is pretty awesome. Plus, it’s fun and reads very quickly. So come, see what searching for purpose may dredge up. Read, enjoy, and be merry. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. |
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