(no subject)
The world is a garbage fire, so here are reviews of a few things I've read so far this year.
What You Don't Know About Charlie Outlaw, Leah Stewart - Famous TV actor Charlie Outlaw is trying to get away from it all via a remote island vacation after breaking up with his long-time girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, he's kidnapped by a small group of rebels hoping to hold an American citizen for ransom. Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, his ex-girlfriend, Josie Lamar, is trying to find work and preparing for the 20th anniversary celebration of the cult hit TV show that she once starred in. I freely admit that this book caught my attention because of a brief write-up in Entertainment Weekly, in which the author said that the character of Josie was partially inspired by Sarah Michelle Gellar (while the character of Charlie Outlaw and what happens to him was inspired by a real event that happened to Benedict Cumberbatch). Predictably, I liked the sections focused on Josie more than the sections focused on Charlie, even though what he was experiencing was much more dramatic. The story is told through omniscient present-tense narration, which I initially found off-putting but settled into after a few chapters. My biggest issue probably ended up being the shallow treatment of the desperate and poor rebels who kidnap Charlie - their characterization is thin compared to that of the two rich, famous, white protagonists. Anyway! I had mixed feelings about this book, but overall I liked it, especially Josie and her struggle to find work after portraying an iconic character. However, I would definitely suggest reading a few pages before purchasing to see if the narration would be a dealbreaker.
Far From the Tree, Robin Benway - YA about three biological siblings who are put up for adoption. The two girls are both adopted by loving families (which is not to say that there aren't difficulties, including an alcoholic mother for one of them), while their brother has bounced in and out of foster homes for most of his life. When Grace becomes pregnant at sixteen and gives the baby up for adoption, it triggers in her a desire to find out more about her birth mother, leading to the realization that she has a brother and a sister. She contacts them, and the three start meeting, looking for connection. I cried at least three times while reading this book. It was really lovely.
Exit West, Mohsin Hamid - In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, a couple meet and fall in love as a violent civil war breaks out around them. They hear a rumor about doorways that will open up and lead them into a different city, so they risk everything to start a new life. This was nominated for a ton of literary awards last year, so it doesn't really need my stamp of approval, but I'll give it anyway. The writing is lovely and lyrical, and the story is fable-like but grounded in the reality of the refugee experience.
Social Creature, by Tara Isabella Burton, and Tangerine, by Christine Mangan - Both have reviews that refer to them as being a gender-flipped The Talented Mr. Ripley, and both have blurbs that compare the authors to Gillian Flynn and Donna Tartt. Neither one worked that well for me, though I'd probably give the edge to Social Creature, which at least updates the story with clever use of social media to cover up a murder. Tangerine has a great cover, but not much else going for it. In both books, all the characters were so unlikable and tedious that I didn't much care what happened to any of them.
Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik - There is one thing that I didn't love about this book, and it's the use of multiple first-person narrators. I'm never a fan of that technique. Otherwise, I love Novik's unique take on an old fairy tale (Rumplestilskin), and her three gutsy, unconventional heroines. With this and Uprooted, Novik has become and auto-buy author for me.
Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann - In the 1920s, the Osage Indian tribe in Oklahoma discovered oil on their land and became the richest people per capita in the world. Then, they started being murdered. This true crime story reads so much like fiction at times that it's gutting to take a step back and realize how much the Osage lost. This also won bunches of awards, and deserves them.
That's enough for now. I hope you're all well, and, if nothing else, at least finding good books to read.
What You Don't Know About Charlie Outlaw, Leah Stewart - Famous TV actor Charlie Outlaw is trying to get away from it all via a remote island vacation after breaking up with his long-time girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, he's kidnapped by a small group of rebels hoping to hold an American citizen for ransom. Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, his ex-girlfriend, Josie Lamar, is trying to find work and preparing for the 20th anniversary celebration of the cult hit TV show that she once starred in. I freely admit that this book caught my attention because of a brief write-up in Entertainment Weekly, in which the author said that the character of Josie was partially inspired by Sarah Michelle Gellar (while the character of Charlie Outlaw and what happens to him was inspired by a real event that happened to Benedict Cumberbatch). Predictably, I liked the sections focused on Josie more than the sections focused on Charlie, even though what he was experiencing was much more dramatic. The story is told through omniscient present-tense narration, which I initially found off-putting but settled into after a few chapters. My biggest issue probably ended up being the shallow treatment of the desperate and poor rebels who kidnap Charlie - their characterization is thin compared to that of the two rich, famous, white protagonists. Anyway! I had mixed feelings about this book, but overall I liked it, especially Josie and her struggle to find work after portraying an iconic character. However, I would definitely suggest reading a few pages before purchasing to see if the narration would be a dealbreaker.
Far From the Tree, Robin Benway - YA about three biological siblings who are put up for adoption. The two girls are both adopted by loving families (which is not to say that there aren't difficulties, including an alcoholic mother for one of them), while their brother has bounced in and out of foster homes for most of his life. When Grace becomes pregnant at sixteen and gives the baby up for adoption, it triggers in her a desire to find out more about her birth mother, leading to the realization that she has a brother and a sister. She contacts them, and the three start meeting, looking for connection. I cried at least three times while reading this book. It was really lovely.
Exit West, Mohsin Hamid - In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, a couple meet and fall in love as a violent civil war breaks out around them. They hear a rumor about doorways that will open up and lead them into a different city, so they risk everything to start a new life. This was nominated for a ton of literary awards last year, so it doesn't really need my stamp of approval, but I'll give it anyway. The writing is lovely and lyrical, and the story is fable-like but grounded in the reality of the refugee experience.
Social Creature, by Tara Isabella Burton, and Tangerine, by Christine Mangan - Both have reviews that refer to them as being a gender-flipped The Talented Mr. Ripley, and both have blurbs that compare the authors to Gillian Flynn and Donna Tartt. Neither one worked that well for me, though I'd probably give the edge to Social Creature, which at least updates the story with clever use of social media to cover up a murder. Tangerine has a great cover, but not much else going for it. In both books, all the characters were so unlikable and tedious that I didn't much care what happened to any of them.
Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik - There is one thing that I didn't love about this book, and it's the use of multiple first-person narrators. I'm never a fan of that technique. Otherwise, I love Novik's unique take on an old fairy tale (Rumplestilskin), and her three gutsy, unconventional heroines. With this and Uprooted, Novik has become and auto-buy author for me.
Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann - In the 1920s, the Osage Indian tribe in Oklahoma discovered oil on their land and became the richest people per capita in the world. Then, they started being murdered. This true crime story reads so much like fiction at times that it's gutting to take a step back and realize how much the Osage lost. This also won bunches of awards, and deserves them.
That's enough for now. I hope you're all well, and, if nothing else, at least finding good books to read.