Reader's Corner
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Isabel Allende is probably most famously known for her book, The House of the Spirits, however, she’s written a number of other works that are also quite interesting. We usually read her essay “Writing as an Act of Hope” in class, so when I saw Daughter of Fortune on a shelf at one of my favorite Durham bookshops (shout out Letters Bookshop!), I decided to grab it. It has the Allende staple of magical realism that we see in many Latin American works, but it also tells a truly beautiful story of friendship and love.
The story begins in Chile, and follows the life of Eliza Sommers, who is left on the doorstep of a wealthy English merchant and his spinster sister. Eliza is raised in the lap of luxury, having her every wish and desire fulfilled, until she meets her first love and follows him to San Francisco at the height of the California Gold Rush in 1849. The people she meets and trials she faces along her journey end up shaping her in a way that she never would have imagined. I’ll admit, a lot of what I read is for pure entertainment purposes and doesn’t necessarily fall into the “good literature” category, but this book definitely does. Allende’s writing is truly beautiful. Take this line: “Joaquin Andieta lived the torment of a political romanticism that had no echo in that country of practical and prudent people (Allende, 112). There is SO MUCH to unpack in that sentence and it just flows so beautifully off the tongue that I literally just want to read it out loud over and over again. First, what is political romanticism? Let’s really think about that. So Joaquin (also a name that is really fun to say...pronounced wa-KEEN) is this kind of lost soul that has “romanticized” politics, meaning he believes that politics is the solution to all of his country’s (or really his) problems. He approaches politics in a pure, almost childlike way. But he’s tormented by this. So this beautifully pure thing that he believes in is also the proverbial Achilles Heel of his existence. And then Allende describes this country that Joaquin is so invested in fixing as one that has neither “practical” nor “prudent people.” Oh my alliteration. And the IRONY of it. You have a guy who is passionate about the world that surrounds him, he thinks deeply about it, he romanticizes politics, he thinks it will solve all problems - and yet, not a single person around him could care. The injustice apparent in that one line! And her novel is full of these types of lines and scenarios that are both beautifully crafted and also break your heart or move you emotionally in some kind of way...have I geeked out too much? Ok, I have. Time to come back to reality. If, like me, you appreciate some truly beautiful writing, then this is certainly one to put on your list. I mentioned earlier that this book tells a beautiful story of love and friendship, and I truly mean that. The plot is engaging, the magical realism is present, the writing is beautiful. What’s not to love?
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If you’re into suspense and like a good surprise ending, you’ll want to pick up Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown. It has a kind of Girl on the Train or Gone Girl vibe that leaves the reader going “what the heck just happened?” Have I peaked your interest?
So, the plot. Olive Flanagan lost her mother Billie, a year ago. The worst part, Billie’s disappearance was never solved. No body was ever found, no death certificate was ever signed. Billie simply went for a hike one day and never came back. But now, a year later, Olive has started seeing her mother - not really seeing her - but having visions of her that are so real Olive is sure her mother is still alive. Despite her father thinking she’s crazy, Olive embarks on a determined journey to find out what happened to her mother a year ago. Weaved in through Olive’s narration, is a story that Jonathan Flanagan is writing about his beloved lost wife. Through this perspective, we learn that Billie wasn’t always the perfect wife and mother she pretended to be. As Jonathan continues to dig into Billie’s past, he learns that she had been hiding a lot of dark secrets, and he begins to wonder -- did he even really know the woman to whom he was married? If you’ve read any of my other book reviews, you know I’m a fan of a good switch in narration. I don’t know if it’s my ADD brain or the fact that I feel like I’m getting a more well-rounded account of the story, but I love it. I think this switch in narration is done particularly well because it lends itself to a lot of dramatic irony. Both Olive and Jonathan are essentially trying to figure out the same thing, what happened to Billie? But, for a myriad of reasons, neither wants to share what they are learning with the other. So, as the reader, you start to figure things out before the characters even do, and that’s kinda cool. Another thing I like to read about in a story is a good villain -- and let me tell you this one’s got a good villain. I wont say too much about this because I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, but let’s just say this villain comes outta nowhere, but once discovered, this villain is LOATHSOME! You’re gonna hate ‘em. And of course, there’s a couple of cool plot twists which kept me guessing. Because, who wants to know the whole story before it even happens? That takes away the joy of reading - and reading should bring joy! The idea of waking up on the same day over and over again is not a new concept in entertainment. Movies like Groundhog Day, and Edge of Tomorrow, and TV shows like Supernatural and Russian Doll have all played with the concept of repeating the same day on a loop. However, in The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton takes the idea and runs with it, creating a murder mystery in which the reader loops through the same day, experiencing each day in the body of a different guest. Sound interesting? It is.
To give you a quick plot overview, Evelyn Hardcastle, wealthy heiress, will die at 11 p.m., in front of a large crowd, at a party full of her family’s “friends.” And she will continue to die, until someone figures out who killed her. Everyone is a suspect. So there are a couple things about this book that I really like. One, there are a TON of plot twists. This book kept me guessing the entire time. I had NO idea who did it until the very end...and then there was ANOTHER plot twist. It’s crazy y’all. Seriously crazy. I don’t know how Turton managed to keep it all straight. The only thing I can say is that he must have had one serious outline prepared before he started writing. The second cool thing about this book is that it switches narrators throughout the entire story. This story really plays around with the concept of perspective. The reader wakes up in the body and brain of eight different guests, some of whom are more reliable than others - and some whose experiences and understandings of events directly contradict others. Knowing who you can trust as a narrator will keep you guessing the whole time and keeps things really interesting. I will say, I spent the first few chapters really confused. Like...really confused. But, I promise if you stick with it, it will all make sense. Just know that you are not alone in being confused and that Turton actually WANTS you to be confused. The plot is full of action and moves fairly quickly through events. There is some character development for the guests that the narrator inhabits, but otherwise this is more of a plot-driven novel. Totally fine by me, but if you’re a fan of Tolkien and really like heavy character development, this is not what you’re looking for. Honestly, I loved this book. I grew up playing Clue as a kid and reading Nancy Drew books, so this book was right up my alley. If you, too, like a good mystery, definitely check this one out. If you like sci-fi mixed with fantasy in a utopian/dystopian society, this series is for you. Initially, author Pierce Brown intended to write a trilogy, and he did, but the books gained such popularity that he continued on to write FIVE books and counting, starting with the namesake of the series, Red Rising.
Red Rising takes place in a world where humans no longer live just on earth, they have learned how to make all the planets in our solar system (and moons too) inhabitable. Darrow lives on Mars and works underground as a miner, running a clawDrill, the most dangerous job one can have. Darrow has never seen the sky. He thinks that everyone on Mars lives underground mining helium-3, which will one day make Mars habitable for everyone - what he doesn't know is that he is on the lowest rung in a very complex caste system. He is labeled a Red and his whole life is defined by this label - his job, who he can marry, where he can live, what he can eat, even how long he will live. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say Darrow is not one to allow himself to be walked all over, and when those in charge take his wife for daring to want a better life - daring to look at the sky, Darrow sets out on a mission to make those in charge pay for their crimes. I'll admit, I'm not a huge sci-fi person but this series has me hooked. I've read the initial trilogy and have the latest book Dark Age sitting on my nightstand. If you're looking for a series to get into, this is it. The books do a great job of weaving together character development with a lot of plot action, so there are very few "dead" areas. I'm also one who tends to guess the endings or plot twists, but this series keeps surprising me which I REALLY appreciate. I was literally gasping in surprise by chapter 2. So, to summarize: sci-fi/fantasy/utopia/dystopia - check, well-developed characters you can get behind - check, amazing plot with lots of unexpected twists - check. What's not to love? |