by Jane | May 9, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Madwoman or spiritualist? The way in which you define Imp will determine the genre in which The Drowning Girl: A Memoir belongs. One view is that Imp is a madwoman, and everything that happens to her can be explained as delusion. Even the fact that Abelyn, Imp’s girlfriend, once saw the mysterious Eva could be explained as Imp’s delusion. However, there are indications in the “Back Pages” at the end of the book that Eva may have, in fact, been supernatural.
The Drowning Girl is an interesting book to read. The author Caitlin R. Kiernan lets us into the mind of India Morgan Phelps (Imp) through writings in Imp’s journal. It’s quite a ride as Imp tries to discover what is real and what isn’t. But the book is not only ramblings by Imp, but also short stories written by her and a constant breaking of the fourth wall, which combine to make this work quite unique.
My only issue, if you can call it that, is confusion as to the genre. Much of the book centers around Imp’s encounter with a naked woman (Eva) by the side of the road. If you believe that Eva is a supernatural creature, it is fantasy. Otherwise, it is literary. And based on Kiernan’s writing, I would have no problem placing it in the literary category. It is beautifully written and focuses directly on Imp and her travels through her own mind. But questions still remain in the mind of the reader: Who or what is Eva? Does she really exist? And if so, how many Evas are there?
Yet, however you define it, it’s well worth a read. Although the back-and-forth accounts of Imp can be confusing, that only brings us more into the mind of a schizophrenic and how she thinks. It’s a wonderful book. Thank you, Ms. Kiernan for allowing us to know Imp.
by Jane | May 7, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
This post is the first of a new series comparing books and the movies based on them. People are often saying that books are better than movies, and I want to find out why. The first book/movie I have decided to analyze is World War Z.
One thing that I am very aware of is that the way you view the two versions of the same stories is dependent on which you experienced first. I saw the movie World War Z first, despite all my friends’ warnings against it. They were right. I hated it. Brad Pitt is a good actor, but this was a terrible vehicle for him. In the movie, there is a disease that reanimates people when they die, then they swarm around, eating any meat they can find, animal or human. Of course, if a person is bitten, he or she dies and turns into a zombie and rises to infect more people.
The problem with the movie was that I just didn’t care. First, there were the people. I felt some sort of empathy for Gerry Lane, played by Brad Pitt, but I hated his family. They were wooden and stereotypical, giving Mr. Pitt nothing to work off of. Also, I hated the fast zombies. It wasn’t until I read the book that I realized the zombies were supposed to be fast, but it didn’t work for me in the film. Slow zombies are scary; fast zombies are comical.
That being said, there were a couple of things I liked about the movie. One was the special effects, especially the scene where the zombies are climbing on top of each other to scale the wall into Jerusalem (one of the very few scenes stemming from the book). Unfortunately, the zombies reminded me more of cockroaches than of anything really scary.
The second thing I liked was the scene where Gerry Lane was in the zombie-infested wing of a health facility working on a cure. There was some real tension and suspense in that scene, reminiscent of the movie Alien and its sequels. This was really the only part I enjoyed. Even the ending left me cold. They had made progress against the zombies, but were far from eradication, a result move-goers expect. (I just found out there is to be a sequel, which is probably the reason the zombie crisis was not resolved.)
Now to the book. I picked up the book (written by Max Brooks) only because the friends who told me the movie was bad, told me the book was good. OK, this time I listened to them. However, I was very surprised when I started reading. Gerry Lane was nowhere to be found, and the whole focus of the movie (finding the antidote) was also not in the book. Huh?
This is why the order in which you experience the book and movie is important. The book is written as a series of interviews detailing the experiences of people around the globe at the beginning, middle, and end of the zombie war. There is no main character — we don’t even know who the interviewer. So, I spent the first third of the book wondering where Gerry Lane was and when the real action would start. After a while I realized that wasn’t going to happen and sat back to enjoy the book as written.
It wasn’t suspenseful; it wasn’t a book of horror. The dispassionate style of writing may even take it out of the realm of science fiction and into literary fiction. After all, it is a New York Times #1 Best Seller, so it isn’t just a book for readers of genre. Also, rather than relying on plot, it is more concerned with the human condition, a hallmark of the literary novel. Once all my preconceived notions were gone, I enjoyed the book.
Now, having read the book, I feel for screenwriters Matthew Michael Carnahan and Damon Lindelof, having to create a movie-worthy plot out of it. They had to start from scratch, using the basic premise of the book, and create something entirely different. I assume director Marc Forster had something to say about it as well. But like I said, for me, the movie fell flat, and I can’t imagine what the sequel will be like. Hopefully, I won’t have to see it.
by Jane | May 2, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
At the beginning of the book Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, most of the Abnegation faction and some of the Dauntless have taken refuge with the Amity. Tris is there with her boyfriend Tobias (also known as Four), her brother, and a few friends who survived the attack. But there are also enemies there: Tobias’s father Marcus, who is planning something with the leader of Amity, and Peter, who had tried to kill Tris in the earlier book.
But the real problem is that Erudite is looking for the Dauntless. Tris and Tobias must leave Amity headquarters and travel around the City, taking sanctuary where they can find it. Sometimes in unlikely places. Sometimes with unlikely people. Throughout the book, Tris is unsure whom she can trust, including her boyfriend Tobias and members of their families. There are twists and turns, deceptions and counter-deceptions. I would love to tell you more, but don’t want to give any spoilers.
My only issue is that there is a sluggishness here which wasn’t present in the first book. The two protagonists go from one locale to another, meet different people, get betrayed, repeat. I prefer books that constantly move forward, while this one doesn’t seem to do so. Don’t get me wrong. Insurgent isn’t a bad book; it may just be that it pales in comparison with Divergent. Tris’s decision she must make at the beginning, her initiation into Dauntless, her feelings toward Four: all these elements kept that book moving for me.
But having said that, there is a big surprise waiting at the end of Insurgent, which alone makes it worthwhile, There are also some important events occurring in this book, necessary to move the series along. So, by all means, read Insurgent. You’ll need the information for the final book Allegiant, which I will review next month.
by Jane | Apr 18, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
The Killing Moon by N. K. Jemison is the story of a world in which mercy killing is supervised by the religious group Hetawa and carried out by members of that group known as Gatherers. “Dreamblood” is then drawn from these “tithes” and can be used to heal other people. Unfortunately, because the collections can also include people who are corrupt, it opens the door to use these killings for political reasons. And that is exactly what the Prince, ruler of Gujaareh, is doing.
There are three main characters. Ehiru is a Gatherer who is starting to question some of his assignments, and Nijiri is his wide-eyed apprentice. On their first assignment together, they are sent to collect a tithe from Sunandi Jeh Kalawe, an ambassador from Kisua, a land where Gatherings are considered murder. These three band together to try and uncover the treachery misusing the Hetawa.
This book reminds somewhat of Throne of the Crescent Moon, another Nebula nominee that I reviewed earlier, partly because of the desert setting and partly because of the relationship between Ehiru and Nijiri. In both books, there is a somewhat contentious relationship between apprentice and mentor. In The Killing Moon, Nijiri must learn to trust Ehiru as they fight against the evil in the land.
I enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t what I would call a page-turner. Each of the main characters had lessons to learn and sacrifices to make. A moderate amount of suspense, along with very strong characters, kept me interested.
by Jane | Apr 11, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is the story of Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin imprisoned in the salt mines of Ardolan. She is released in order to compete for the position of King’s Champion. If she wins and serves the king for four years, she will be granted her freedom. Twenty-three men stand between her and the prize, but two men are there to help her: Prince Dorian, her sponsor, and Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, who acts as both her trainer and guard.
Though under constant guard, Celaena manages to make a friend, Princess Nehemia, from a land recently conquered by Ardalan. But she also has many enemies, not just the other candidates and their sponsors but also a jealous woman who doesn’t like the way the prince looks at Celaena.
Training is hard, but Celaena manages to pass test after test, while forming an unlikely relationship with the Captain. The problem arises when competitors begin to be slaughtered in a grotesque and unnatural manner. With the help of her friends and a long-dead monarch, Celaena discovers secrets in the castle. Through these discoveries, some questions are answered but even more are raised.
Throne of Glass is a very engaging book, told through Maas’ excellent writing style. The training and competition remind me of both Divergent and The Hunger Games, but Throne of Glass brings us more. There is treachery all around Celaena, and she is unsure at times who she can really trust. She also must deal with the two men in her life, while learning about political maneuverings and forbidden magic. All these elements lead to a build-up of tension which keeps the reader involved and is resolved at just the right time.
An excellent book, which leaves me anxious to read the next in the series: Crown of Midnight.
