Intro
Hello beauties!
Welcome again to my own brand of mini reviews! I never thought I'd do minis, until I recapped a few of my long reviews in some digest post in 2014, and then guest-posted some shorties for a blogging event in 2015. And Karen from For What It's Worth started praising my short recs/recaps 😊. Just to be clear, I'm NOT taking a break from writing long reviews - no such luck LOL (though for anthologies, shorter books or books that I didn't enjoy/I don't have enough to say about, I decided to stick to minis). But while I'm making up my mind about a new book I've read, I might as well give you the short version 😉. Just be warned - this feature will be VERY random!
Note: all the mini blurbs (in italics) are of my own creation.
Note: all the mini blurbs (in italics) are of my own creation.
In Universes by Emet North
A sometimes non-binary woman experiences different, yet uncannily overlapping lives in multiple universes, while searching for redemption and the true meaning of her existence.
***
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Penguin Random House UK/Cornerstone for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way. Also, please note: this isn't technically an ARC review, since I was approved for the UK edition, but the book first came out in the US in April.
Original, captivating and genre-encompassing, this book reads like a collection of (increasing surreal) short stories with a series of open endings...except in a way it's a single narrative, prismatically fragmented and partially reflected in each separated story, and at the same time bleeding from one of them into another, with a last chapter that does offer closure, all while transcending reality as we know it. Don't let the sci-fi premise deter you from reading In Universes: most of the stories firmly reside in the magical realism camp, with the occasional contemporary or post-apocalyptic detour, and you don't need to understand quantum mechanics in order to enjoy it/them. As a matter of fact, there's very little to none sci-fi content in this one, but instead there's a lot of heart and compassion and intelligence and sadness and tenderness and pain and existentialism (also not threatening), sharp observations about womanhood and motherhood (A Solid Body, Fractured is a gem), and poetical, yet fluid and accessible prose. If this is Emet North's debut, I can't even fathom the level of awesomeness that will follow, and I'm eagerly anticipating whatever they'll come up with next.
Note: as a rule, I review every book that I rate 4 to 5 stars in full, unless it's a novella or an anthology. But I decided to write a mini review for this one because, due to its peculiar structure, one of my average-sized reviews would have ended up being redundant and probably too spoilery...not to mention that, as I noted above, this book technically falls under the short-story-collection umbrella, though of course it also doesn't...
Formatting note: my ecopy had a blank a page toward the end, but since I decided to buy a physical copy for my collection and for reread - and in order to support the author, it goes without saying - I was able to read the whole thing.
Content note: Lyraand has a comprehensive list of trigger warnings and other content observations here.
The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs (ARC Review)
★★★
A teen runner involuntarily awakens an ancient horror that starts stealing people in her small town, including her best friend/crush, and has to race against time and reconnect with her Mohawk roots in order to vanquish it and hopefully get her friend back.
***
Rated 3.5 really.
Weaving a myth from the Haudenosaunee culture with a (poignant) legend of her own invention, Isaacs spins a tale of teen love, friendship and self-growth on one hand, generational pain and belonging on the other. First off - The Unfinished is, indeed, a horror story, but one filled with tension and spooky imagery as opposed to gore, though the danger is very real (especially since it isn't acknowledged by the majority of the characters). Squeezed between insecurity and bravery, Avery is a believable protagonist who will resonate with teens willing to change the status quo/fight for what they desire or believe in, but afraid to break their routine even when it becomes a burden. The uncomplicated writing and straightforward narrative make a YA book for actual teens out of this one more than a YA book that will appeal to adults, which is why I didn't rate it higher (that, and the fact that the antagonist's origin story is quite fuzzy). And that's fine! But I did enjoy it, and I saw what it was trying to do, and I can attest that it succeeded 🙂. Bonus points for the Doctor Who mention 😀.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram (ARC Review)
★★A man suffering from depression and anxiety disorder decides to end his life in a subway station, but winds up being trapped in a looping, abandoned and nightmarish version of the same place.
***
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Edelweiss. Thanks to Titan Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
As a rule, Titan Books titles are right up my alley, and I've never rated one of them less than 4 stars - so it pained me to throw the towel on this one, but as short as it is, I didn't have it in me to read the whole thing. I made it almost to the middle, though the writing style was keeping me at an arm's length (think Cassandra Khaw-light, minus the neverending string of f-words...not exactly purple, maybe more like medium-orchid, but still - I had to reread certain sentences twice, and my eyes glossed over others). I powered through the body horror, up to a point. But when the latter became too gross for me, I had to give up. I skimmed to the end, and what I can say is, even if I had decided to finish the book, I'm not sure I would have cared for the literary device the author employed in the last section. I'm the type of reader who enjoys open endings, but you have to give me a story, not a puzzle game. Again, sorry to rain on the author's debut-book parade, but despite the exciting premise, this one was most definitely not for me.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later, and of course I don't plan to reread this book).
So, have you read/are you planning to read any of the above? And if you have, what do you think of them? Do you post mini reviews? Do you like to read them?
Some good and some not so good. The Universes sounds interesting but strange.
ReplyDeleteStrange books are the best books LOL.
DeleteI've got The Unfinished on my TBR! I kind of thought that it might be a little lackluster for an adult reader, which is why I haven't jumped on it for this spooky season's reading. But I'm happy to hear it at least succeeds at what it sets out to do, even if it isn't the most compelling.
ReplyDeleteYou'll probably like it but find it less compelling than other YA books. Anyhow, there's YA that skims the adult line and YA that stays more in its lane, and it's OK! Not everything must have double appeal. The trick is finding the books that may work better from an adult perspective, but it isn't always easy to make the distinction.
DeleteSo, I pre-ordered Coup de Grace and I am so sad that you didn't like it! I am still going to give it a chance, but... probably not super soon heh. I also am so glad that you loved In Universes! I liked it a lot, and I agree- it is almost impossible to review without giving away the whole premise! The Unfinished hadn't been on my TBR and it'll probably stay that way- just too many books, too little time! Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteDon't despair yet...maybe CDG will work better for you, since you're far more tolerant than me about certain things (or so it seems to me).
DeleteYou can probably skip The Unfinished and don't lose much, but I'd definitely recommend it to younger readers.
A series of open endings would be my downfall, but it seems that structure was successful with In Universe.
ReplyDeleteThey're stories set in different universes, so it makes sense. There's a less vague ending...in the end.
DeleteI love the sound of In Universe. It's a bold concept, so I'm happy it all comes together.
ReplyDeleteAlso, so well written!
DeleteI was curious about The Unfinished but I've seen some "meh" reviews. I also have an arc of Coup de Grace and I may still give it a go. I love your mini reviews.
ReplyDeleteThe Unfinished was good for the appropriate age range. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on CDG...I usually do gross up to a point, but that one was a bit too out there for me, plus it lacked other things that make me stomach gross stuff...
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