My Heart is a Chainsaw Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

And so ends this delectably wonderful month of horror! I had to rush my previous review and this one in time for my Halloween photoshoot today, but I feel productive when I have too many things to juggle.

The synopsis for My Heart is a Chainsaw is provided by Goodreads:

In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for

Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.

Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges… a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.

Reference:

   Booksellers e-newsletters began promoting this several months ago and after loving The Only Good Indians I was ready to be first in line to get his new book.

Review:

   Horror, you have overall been very good to me this year. 

   What happened? 

   Like I mentioned I was quick to get Jones' next novel as soon as it hit shelves. Even though I'm not a diehard slasher or horror fan (although he was making me one from TOGI), even though I could care less about the 80s (this isn't set in that decade but there's a plethora of references), I wanted to see how the author would spin a 80s inspired horror show. How did it end up this way then, that I feel like this was the wrong book for me? (AHS: 1984 is one of my favorite seasons so I was really hoping by the end of the book it would go down this route . . . but continue below.)

   I'd like to address early on it kind of breaks my heart I couldn't get into this. Reading the Acknowledgments at the end Jones mentions how he had started this book long ago and had to put it in a For Later drawer because it just wasn't working at the time. I love hearing about books from authors that couldn't find life at first but then the author tried again and made a space for them on store shelves years later. 

   I think my clashes with MHIAC came down to Jade, our protagonist. Her dark, snarky, flippant humor was non-stop for 400 pages and it made 400 pages 800. There is an explanation for it, however does it balance out the belly of this novel by the end and put it to justice? In my eyes? No. I think I would've appreciated Jade as a side character. I've mentioned before in another review but as much as I adore Edna Mode, I can only appreciate her for a 5 minute scene. I would get annoyed after a while if there was a whole feature film devoted to her. 

   Then there's the root of this book, which is Jade's obsession: slasher films. Again, we get an explanation where the obsession starts and why—however then there is 400 pages of non-stop slasher films and characters being thrown at me (which to be fair went over my head since I haven't seen any of the OG slasher/horror films. Like even Jaws. I've never seen it so I sort of read Jade's secondhand account of the events as if I were reading the morning paper.) Jade's loner, outcast reputation keeps her ramblings and obsessions about slashers ongoing without much interactions, arguments, or conversations with the other characters. 

   It took me until the last 125 pages to get properly invested, which is the why to my low review. The first 275 pages should've been slashed by at least 75 pages. And it's a shame because Jones knows how to write these hauntingly vivid images that makes skin crawl and spines turn to jelly. Especially in the climax. It was one thing after another and I kept constantly yelling (no not literally) at the book: "This, Jones, this is why I love your books!" Showing the full rainbow; pulling together at the end all that came before it. He's such a fantastic plotter. I wasn't a fan of Jade but I still loved the action (when any of the action happened—there's a lot of walking around Proofrock that made living in a small town seem as boring as it sounds.) 

   I never heard of the Final Girl until AHS: 1984 and if you never heard of it either it's a trope in horror where there's, you guessed it, a final girl who survives the terrors of the killer by the end. Jade clings onto this trope with all she has, but not for herself, which is interesting, but for a new student in town: a Letha Mondragon, daughter to an uber rich media mongul, a founder for the new development across the town from Proofrock called Terra Nova. Jade is so certain Letha is this final girl, undertoned or maybe not so subtly permeated by her attraction towards her, and does her damnedest to prepare Letha for the Big Night which is not Halloween but July Fourth. (A nice twist. At least for me, I always picture horror taking place in fall.)

   Jones does a fantastic job of bringing the less discussed atrocities of Native American communities and tying it into the horror even if there are supernatural elements present. While not as prevalent and at the forefront as TOGI, Jones in MHIAC writes the atrocities done to voiceless members of the community with an evocative—not flair but—aptitude. This is only my second novel by Jones but I can imagine he addresses indigenous life in modern times with the same respect the people in these communities deserve and spotlighting the attention they should receive throughout his other novels. And I honestly can't wait to check them out. While MHIAC in particular didn't work out for me, I don't doubt there are other books by him that will.

I give this book 2.5/5 stars.

Quote:

"Out in the open, good, good. . . You don't know if you can trust me yet. You've got to be careful, I might be the one doing all this. Shit, I should have thought of that."

". . . the slasher is a bloody coin flipping through the air, showing a smile for a flash, then a frown, and then another smile."

-Stephen Graham Jones, My Heart is a Chainsaw

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next to Read:

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

Spoilers:

   Hand to the good book, I missed over half of the deaths that happened. Or the shaded deaths I prefer to say. Jones paints horror like a Caravaggio but the rest of the slower-paced narrative felt more Abstract Expressionism, at times ambiguous, at times unimpressive. Like the pacing I had a load of start-stop halts when reading this. And sometimes the deaths melted in between the lines and I missed them entirely. It didn't help there were a lot of names (in-world characters not just from films), of which we don't get a real sense of personality or characterization than simplified first encounter descriptions like on graduation day.

   I liked how the elk corpses and the creepy lake girl Stacey Graves mystery tied together and got an explanation, however her appearance was so sudden at the end that it felt flat for me. Even her 20 page killer rampage felt wasted. (Spoiler for The Only Good Indians ahead ye be warned! : We have the Elk Head Woman in TOGI who is constantly there or frequently visited, so her finale is justified.) But Stacey Graves is a shadow at the best of times, so to have a theater-sized full picture of her thrown at me wasn't as effective as it could've been. And I couldn't tell, could she possess people? Jones hinted at, or at least phrased it regarding Theo, but I couldn't be sure to take that literally or metaphorically. 

   And regarding the biggest are they dead? are they alive?: Mr. Holmes for most of the novel and Letha at the end are the biggest holes. At the end of the day I know yes for the former, maybe not? for the latter, but their sudden disappearances from the novel left me confused and less satisfied.

   Finally, how did Letha get free??

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

P.S. I hope you enjoyed all the puns as much as I hated omitting "pun intended" every time I made one. ;)

In the Hall with the Knife Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

It's difficult for me to resist a book series that is based off of one my favorite movies of all time. Let's see how Peterfreund handled the classic. 

The synopsis for In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund is provided by Goodreads:

A murderer could be around every corner in this thrilling YA trilogy based on the board game CLUE!

When a storm strikes at Blackbrook Academy, an elite prep school nestled in the woods of Maine, a motley crew of students—including Beth “Peacock” Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry—are left stranded on campus with their headmaster. Hours later, his body is found in the conservatory and it’s very clear his death was no accident. With this group of students who are all hiding something, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a motive for murder. Fans of the CLUE board game and cult classic film will delight in Diana Peterfreund’s modern reimagining of the brand, its characters, and the dark, magnificent old mansion with secrets hidden within its walls.

Reference:

Probably scrolling through Goodreads. I honestly can't remember. But I read two books from this author before and loved them so I figured I'd enjoy this too.

Review:

   Like Friends, I can't pick a favorite Clue character from the film. They're all so unique. It's what I was hoping for in this fun retelling. So discovering that this story follows Orchid's POV for the majority of the time, who I parallel with Mrs. White—who had some of the best lines in the movie—I was ecstatic. Overall, the female characters stand out like stars, however apart from Mustard, most of the male characters, including Green and Plum, sort of blend into the same person at times.

   Oh the thrills of a murder mystery during a nightly thunderstorm (from an audience standpoint of course). Nothing like being out of reach of civilization and falling upon a dead body and not only having to share the same roof with them but then investigate the cause of death and if there's a murderer about. We follow the six stars and a few others not mentioned in the synopsis, so this isn't entirely a whodunnit between six suspects.

   I don't read YA too often but in ITHWTK I didn't feel like I was reading one. Which is a relief, because it would've put a mark against this author (who I've read from before and liked) when messing with a classic. 

   The twists and turns weren't as heart racing as a typical thriller but I think as you read on and as the relationships unfold and the motives behind the characters are revealed, you'll be satisfied and inclined to read on. 

   The book was a much-needed break after the behemoth I read previously and if you're in the lookout for a fun book, this will set you straight.   

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Quote:

"Well, it's a matter of life after death. Now that he's dead, I have a life."

-Mrs. White, Clue (1985)

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Spoilers:

   I didn't know this was gonna be a series until near the end when there was still unanswered questions about the pasts regarding Orchid and Mustard and future of Oliver. I ordered the rest of the trilogy the day I finished and while I might not review them, you can definitely see how they fared against the first of the series on my Goodreads.

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

House of Leaves Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

Oof, this is a hard one. 

The synopsis of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is provided by Goodreads:

      Years ago, when House of Leaves

was first being passed around, it was nothing 

more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying 

story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth—musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies—the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely 

arranged pages but also discovered a way 

back into the  lives of their estranged children.

   Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.

    The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story—of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

Reference:

A booktuber/bookstagrammer I've followed since roughly 2013 named Katie, who also goes by the username ChapterStackss, has mentioned this book several times in her videos over the years. It took me until earlier this year when it popped up again somewhere, probably a bookstore e-newsletter under the Horror category, to consider giving it a read.

Review:

   The first thing that comes mind upon finishing this is what a mind. Seriously, how intricate, how exploratory, how vivid, how encroaching. No one can approach House of Leaves with pre-conceived conventions. Horror is on every single page. Bumps in the night or in the shadows of memories. I want to heartily thank Mr. Danielewski for sitting down with his publisher and saying, "Just trust me on this."*

   The novel follows two separate storylines, with multiple branches stemming from the main ones of Will Navidson, the filmmaker behind the documentary: The Navidson Record, and Johnny Truant who organized and added notes from a man named Zampanò who before him, obsessed to provide a cohesive and coherent understanding of the documentary. 

   It reminded me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, part epistolary, part story within story, but then Danielewski got experimental because furthermore it's: part poetry, part documentary, part essay, part novel, part art, part obsession, part meta, wholly avant-garde. I carried this book, and spun it around, held it up and flipped back and forth because of the innumerable ways to read this. One of my favorite parts was when Danielewski would briefly hint at something mysterious going on from the perspective of one character, and then later on show the other side of the mystery from a different perspective so that we come full circle to a complete understanding of what the first character saw or said. I would be remiss to omit how down the rabbit hole you go with this. Almost never-ending, but in a way, do we want to find the end? Love me some Alice in Wonderland shenanigans. I did a quick check for an audiobook version (haha there is none) mostly just to see if it was possible to have this read in that format. I apologize for anyone that is legally blind. Secretly, a small part of me is glad that it can't be stolen by another medium. It's a book, and a book that cannot be bought. Try as it might, I don't think Hollywood would be able to bring this story justice.

   Perhaps the most daunting thing aside from the length is the vocabulary. Which slowed my reading pace, however nourished my mind. (For any Outlander readers, let me know if it reminded you of Gabaldon.) Ah, to whet the mind, in the age of bustle and time is money, to sit and read a book, really read. Soak in the essence of a story, the voice of an author or the characters, be immersed in a world that makes me glad I live in this one.

   I, for one, am not a horror fan. I don't voluntarily go to Halloween Horror Nights or be the first in line to the theater with popcorn and soda for the next horror blockbuster. It's a genre I treat myself to on occasion. And yet funnily enough, two of my top five reads this year have been in horror. Whodofthunk! As you've probably surmised by now throughout my reviews, I like to jump around genres; not committing this blog to any particular one. I have a gravity toward being an eclectic reader and it's something I try hard not to shy away from. 

   The nature of this novel after some time becomes very cultish. Not just within the novel. While I had a personal goal of finishing this in a week, requiring me to spend copious amounts of my free time focusing on reading this, I still found myself unable to put this book down. I had obligations elsewhere and I said no,  and returned to the House. That's the pull this book has on you. Intertwining you the way Johnny becomes consumed by Zampanò's legacy of scribbles and notes.

   Part of this appeal was the fact, like I mentioned earlier, this was so many stories in one. Not short stories, but stories within stories, within stories, within stories . . . Very Inceptionesque. A case of Storyception? Okay, I'll leave the humor to Johnny. The point is the structure was fascinating to me. If I had to ask one question to the author it might be how long it took him to try and structure this because it took forever reading, imagine having to figure the order out.

   Now, as much as I extol, it would be untrue for me to say it's—from page 1 to the last—non-stop engrossing. I'll admit the times I put it down were in certain segments where the book became a little too experimental. (Mostly in Johnny's parts. Sorry Johnny.) In the rather droning, pedantic, edging toward pretentious scholarly structure of myths and philosophies dictations. But even these parts that dulled me were still a contribution to the tone of the story that, maybe, I couldn't appreciate the first read around. 

   House of Leaves is about obsession. It's about facing the truth you've refused to confront. Monsters and terror and gritty disappointments in life. One hat cerebral, one hat heartbreaking. 

   I rave about books because they offer something I've never seen before, something that enthralls me, and what I believe will capture you too. A challenge then, to find another novel that comes close to this. 

   Can there be another?

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Quote:

"We all create stories to protect ourselves."

"This is not for you."

—Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

Spoilers:

   I apologize. I honestly believe it's a disservice to spoil House of Leaves. There are a myriad of reviews, discussions, and spoilers on the interwebs that may explain any thoughts I might have better anyhoo. 

   Forgive me.

   I will however add a fun fact and a question:

   Fun fact: It didn't take me until pg 535/662 to realize there were actual real texts being cited. Not all granted, a lot of them are fake, but there were some real ones and when I realized that so close to the end I was embarrassed. But not enough to not share with you. :0)

   Question: What was the third dream in chapter 17? Did I read that chapter too fast? Was it the Navidson Record itself??

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

P.S. I like to listen to instrumental/film scores and here are a couple I recommend pairing while reading House of Leaves:

• Scenes from a Marriage Soundtrack by Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine
• The Revenant Soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto, alva noto, and Bryce Dessner
• The Haunting of Hill House Soundtrack by The Newton Brothers
• The Haunting of Bly Manor Soundtrack by The Newton Brothers
• Tales from the Loop Soundtrack by Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan

P.P.S. Take notes reading this.

*not literally. (unless this really did happen . . . then baller) 

Mexican Gothic Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

Happy Spooktober! It's the beginning of the bumper-to-bumper seasons extravaganza with the months flowing into the other like leaves on a breeze. October begins my annual challenge of reading four horror reads during the month, and a little over a week in, I've completed my first book. So far not bad.

The synopsis of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is provided by Goodreads:

                                                             After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin

                                                         begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom,

                                                            Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the

                                                          Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her

                                                           cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, 

                                                        and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as

                                                               Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and 

                                                           madness.

                                                             And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive

                                                          world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever 

                                                    leave this enigmatic house behind.

Reference:

This book was a big commercial release of 2020 and I had to wait a few months for my library to have the loan available earlier this year, but I returned it not long after starting. I've decided to give this book another try, which I will elaborate further below.

Review:

   Mexican Gothic falls under the type of novel that gets a lot of hype and try as it might, doesn't deliver. 

   Cosmetically, the inciting incident, the climax, the resolution . . . there were only faint traces of demanding stakes from start to finish. But those are just the poles to the tent, what about the canvas of characters? While the colors described in Mexican Gothic were bold (intentional), the characters were not. In part it was the small cast of characters, in part the characters feeling flat through their dialogue, in part the focus on romance which could have been sidelined so there was more focus on the protagonist's ambitions to help her cousin and with her interactions with the townspeople of El Triunfo. 

   Being that Mexican Gothic follows one key figure, I'll focus on Noemí. The downfalls of writing in a later era than what the novel is based on is that contemporary ideas tend to seep in, and while attempting to make the novel and its characters "progressive," it does the opposite. Her headstrong independent mind erodes into a submissive handcuffed one the longer she spends at High Palace, the Doyle family home and setting of the novel. The threats that transformed her weren't strong enough for me to believe her character or her personality to shift so dramatically. There's an eager trend in novels of the past decade to have a "strong" female protagonist. One that "don't need no man." That doesn't care about others opinions on her. In that respect, Noemí hits the mark, she's a spoiled, detached young woman who wants to pursue becoming an academic by earning her university fees by accomplishing this one family matter to protect the family reputation. However, there are many female protagonists in literature that are like that and when reading through their perspective feel like they have muscles, bones, and nerves under the skin. Noemí felt more of a caricature than a leading role character. Silly. And while living a "wild" life, on the cusp of uninteresting, And considering I'm always excited to read about a Latina protagonist in mainstream literature (especially when it involves a little bit of magic or magical realism), it's a greater disappointment when the characterization doesn't pan out in a satisfactory manner.

   In general, the main characters weren't standout or multi-faceted despite the bright colored clothes and descriptions of the gloomy mansion. If anyone stood out it was the house High Palace: over Noemí, over Catalina—Noemí's cousin, and Virgil—Catalina's husband. There were a few select scenes that started to dive into the horror of this gothic tale, but then it was cut off and reduced to a trope. Suddenly the mysticism of the novel was sapped. It didn't help that the writing of the narrative didn't blow me away. My interest was most piqued when Moreno-Garcia showcased Noemí's knowledge on chemicals; for me—the smartest part of the novel, if it wasn't going to be written like a craft. Ironic, Beauty was a major theme.

   I'm not an expert or extensive reader of gothic tales but I know Beauty was an integral placeholder in society and common theme in novels during the height of the Gothic era. People were given opportunities and set up in love matches based off of the superficial characteristics of a desired party (which of course isn't so much different from nowadays but let's set that aside, and I'm ignoring classism because emphasis in this novel was on the superficial), so it makes sense for Beauty to make an appearance in Mexican Gothic. Not just once or twice, beauty is mentioned to an exhaustive, annoying degree. I won't be remiss to admit this ties in with the patriarch Howard Doyle's beliefs, but after a point the incessant mention of beauty and people's looks became gaudy, almost cheap. What irked me was that Noemí wasn't just beautiful, she was an exotic beauty with her darkness and unorthodox behavior amidst the pale European members of High Palace. More of a spectacle like a circus act than a person who happened to have different physical features. Which leads me to one of my biggest problems with the novel.

   While being set in Mexico and having a young woman who has the characteristics of many Latinos, this is very much a Eurocentric novel. Nearly every cast member has pale features, has a white name, or speaks only in English. In fact it's stated early in the second chapter that only English is allowed in High Palace. Even a Latina can't be a worthy enough protagonist in a "Latin-set" novel. Noemí's the promiscuous, rebellious, rich young lady with dark features that is the poor influence on the sanctimonious, sterile, pale Doyles. Noemí is Othered in appearances in the household. She is disruptive of the household customs with her talking and smoking. Her one redeemable, likeable trait is having concern for her cousin, but then that is overshadowed by the desire (not love) triangle between Noemí, Virgil, and Francis—Virgil's cousin. Not to mention she is ultimately doing this so her father will pay for her university fees—so if there were no stipulations would Noemí be as willing to travel to this place? I think not. Also the author mentions American scientists left and right, which reflects research from a modern author on a past time than a 1950s woman who, if is actually pursuing to be taken seriously as an academic, would know of any or at least a few prominent scientists in her native country during her time. I'm sure there were at least a couple, c'mon. So yes, technically it's set in Mexico, and there is Spanish thrown in there once or twice, but push those details aside (which the novel does) you would assume this was taking place in England or even New England.

   Hands down the American First Edition cover is gorgeous. I'll be bold to say one of my favorite book covers of all time, however that's where the promise and spellbinding efforts of the novel comes to a halt. The twists and horrors of the novel were predictable and reminiscent of other stories that accomplished similar tropes and narratives more successfully. I mentioned in the Reference that I tried reading this earlier this year and gave it up quickly and decided to give it another try for October for several reasons. One, I heard this was being made into a Tv show and am one of those esoteric readers who prefers to read the book before watching the film/Tv show. (At least try to, if it's for a new novel with an adaptation that hasn't been released yet or for an older film/tv show that I didn't know was adapted from a novel beforehand.) Two, sometimes I just start books at the wrong time and it skews my experience of reading and ruins a perfectly enjoyable story, so second chances are well earned. Three, a friend recommended this to me Hey Kelly! :) and if someone recommends a book, especially when it's one I've heard a lot about in reading circles, I consider picking it up more.

   While the novel had other issues that made me clash with the basest of bases of reading a book—simply enjoying it—I'll wrap it up here. This is my second novel by Moreno-Garcia, previously having read Gods of Jade and Shadow and enjoying that one more only by a sliver, and this will most likely be my last of this author's novels. Two is usually my limit for an author. If they can't draw me back in by the second book, I won't consider them again. Great marketing, first-rate book designers, alluring titles names, however at the end of the day the story needs to be the real beauty.

   I give this book 2/5 stars.

Quote:

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

—Oscar Wilde

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Spoilers:

   A lot, and I mean a lot of people who talk about Mexican Gothic and want to compare it to other Gothic/Dark Fantasy entertainment out in the world almost always compare it to Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak. Which is a disservice because the legend gave us Crimson Peak, Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and shoot even Hellboy. 

   

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Beloved Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

I'm rather curious fellow readers. What kind of music do you listen to? I like a bit of everything, which I know everyone says until you spit every genre of music but the only one they actually listen to, but I consider myself an honorary member of the eclectic music listener club. Latin music? Yeah! Show tunes? Cue De-FYing Gravity! Opera and Kpop? Sure! Rock, country, R&B? I love playlists that mix them altogether like Trail Mix. Scores? All. Day. Every. Day. I will say there are a few genres that don't quite fit anywhere in my library: Death Metal and Screamo. This all has nothing to do with the book review but we can depart and if anything, you'd have likely skipped this paragraph by now.

And I didn't plan this but we're reaching the end of National Book Banning Week on October 2, so I'm glad I got to share one of the works of an author prominently and frequently on that list. How books can be banned I'll never understand. Books set us free. 

So even if we don't read the same books, I say enjoy my friends. Read anything and everything.

The synopsis for Beloved by Toni Morrison is provided by Goodreads:

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a 

spellbinding and dazzlingly innovative portrait of a woman 

haunted by the past.

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.

Combining the visionary power of legend with the 

unassailable truth of history, Morrison’s unforgettable novel

is one of the great and enduring works of American literature.

Reference:

   I read her first novel The Bluest Eye with my sister early last year and wasn't as drawn into the story so much as drawn by her writing. However I loved her voice so much I wanted to give another one of her books a chance. (It tickles me to remember how I used to think a book without plot, even if it has nice writing, wasn't worth reading. Oh how times have changed!) 

   What drew me to reading Beloved now and not adding it to my growing TBR pile with some books remaining untouched for over ten years (eek!) was watching her documentary: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) currently available on Hulu. 

   I humbly ask, please, even if you aren't interested in reading this book, at least give the documentary a watch. It's two hours long but by the end I think you won't be able to resist picking up one of her books.

   Two years since she's passed but it's an honor having lived when she lived. 

R.I.P. Ms. Morrison. 

Review:

  Wow.

  It isn't frequent a book takes root in my head. There are layers and layers of depth and patience the author conveys through her characters: Sethe and Paul D and Denver. Firstly I think what struck me most and what hooked me to the story from the first chapter was the fact this novel had magical realism. I didn't expect anything beyond the cadences of mainstream literature and, being set shortly after the Civil War, explicitly social issues. To that I say shame on me because this is one of the few literary award winners that I've read that I actually agree deserved to win. Our Toni Morrison wouldn't make a story that easy to read. She would've wanted us to ache and grieve and hope and forgive and live.

   Now as a fantasy fan I'd like to remark that the magical realism isn't superficial. It's simply another character, one that plays a pivotal role in the novel. Magical realism was the second element that drew and hooked me in after her writing.

   The novel is set in a small town in Ohio, where not only did slaves seek freedom in, but the author herself lived in her youth. She remarks in her documentary, which I mentioned in the Reference section above, that she lived in a town in her youth with as much diversity as the American Melting Pot metaphor implies. Diversity in ethnicity, but with all the complexities seen in novels normally depicted as white people. Morrison had been interviewed and critically reviewed being asked why she focused so much of her narratives through the lens of black people. She phrased it along the lines of being that most narratives in fiction that people read or that people are taught are through the white gaze. She wrote her narratives like many white writers did. Because she wrote the stories she wanted to tell. Because it shouldn't warrant explaining. Her stories revolve around black people; they don't explain them or make them idealized. Her characters feel real because of the attention and devotion Morrison felt toward these people who deserve to have their stories told. A recurring theme: understanding that just because you didn't live it, doesn't mean you can't feel for them and learn to understand their thoughts and emotions. Which are valid. Beautifully. 

   Beloved follows Sethe, a single mother who exists day by day, not living a life worthy of an escaped slave because of the traumas of her past. The owners of Sweet Home, the estate she escaped from, find her and push her to act in one of the most vicious acts committed on earth. Eighteen years after committing the act the past still lingers. In the walls of 124, where Sethe and Denver live alone but not alone. A ghost, manifested. Their isolated life is disrupted when Sweet Home comes calling again, but this time it isn't a slaveowner but a former slave. Paul D, a friend of Sethe from Sweet Home, brings the world back into their lives, beginning a chain of events that will lead them to confront what they've refused to confront. 

   Sethe's fear consumes her and Morrison intricately weaves that fear through the past and present, allowing triumph in despair and redemption in despondency. Sethe's fear transferred to her daughter Denver, who never leaves 124 and is in fact afraid to leave 124 on her own. Denver's reliance on Sethe and dissatisfaction with the arrival of Paul D is an element of dependency Sethe was unconsciously instilling in her daughter. Sethe wanted freedom for her daughter but didn't encourage social interactions or world trekking. She wanted freedom for her daughter but never explained the life altering events eighteen years prior to the beginning of the novel. Denver only had rumors, whispers, and ghosts.

   A mother's love can't be defined. A mother's love is more than what nature instills in human beings. What it dictates should be right and wrong. The violence and extremes a mother takes is something that not every mother can commit, but maybe something every mother can understand because they know what it means to bring a life into this world and be responsible for it, in the baby's life or not. As for the rest of us, what enigmas mothers are. How powerful and intuitive and caring and loving. 

   Word choice should always be deliberate and none more so than when naming characters. At first reading the novel I thought Morrison chose such interesting names, but when I learned how they were given their names, I couldn't believe there was a way of loving Morrison even more. Names are possessions and I never framed it that way before reading this.

   Amy is a character that for some reason reminds me of Tom Bombadil from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. She comes out of no where and is unexpectedly not what the reader imagines her to be and is extremely likable. She's the Edna to Sethe and Denver's Incredibles.

   It's challenging describing this book. Is it sad? Yes. But there are so many small droplets of love constantly throughout that you don't realize the tragedies and cruelties of the world because you're in a rain storm of love. It reminds me of how I felt after finishing the novel Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. The beauty of living even when it seems like life is nothing but a never-ending tragedy.

   Beloved has heart and scars. It has soul and speaks loudly in the quietness. 

   After writing my review I feel it unworthy of her novel. I just ask, please take the time to fall in love with Beloved. You'll see.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Quote:

"Anything dead coming back to life hurts."

—Toni Morrison, Beloved

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Spoilers:

   I will keep my spoilers short because Beloved isn't necessarily a novel focused on plot and action. There isn't an endgame that the characters have to reach. Not externally. Beloved's about forgiveness. About acceptance. Opening up hurts so you can trust again. About loving. Yourself, others, the world.

   My biggest question I never found clarity in was how Sethe left prison after only a short time there. She murdered her daughter, even disregarding the added element of the daughter being considered property in the eyes of the schoolteacher and slave hunter, murder had to have given her more time in prison. Denver was with her mother out of prison going to a school when she was around eight so Sethe was in prison for less than a decade. And why did anyone or Baby Suggs let Sethe take Denver with her to prison in the first place considering she literally tried to kill all of her kids? It just doesn't sit right. Perhaps another reread!

   Nearing the end of the book Morrison becomes experimental which I loved, loved, loved. We jump perspectives between characters almost like a parent winding down a young child at the end of the night with a bedtime story. We have a chapter of Beloved's insightfully unique perspective where one chapter is written without punctuation as if there is no beginning and end in Beloved's eyes. Another chapter where dialogue is written like free verse. 

   Morrison gives us vividly graphic images, two in particular, that gives me goosebumps every time I think about them. A baby breastfeeding with the blood of her murdered sister mixed with the milk. Amy describing the scars on Sethe's back as a chokecherry tree.

   The end where Sethe tries to kill Mr. Bodwin is more of an ambiguous ending to me than Beloved disappearing. I liked that Morrison showed Beloved becoming less vocal, as if all the words were now out and she should return back to the realm she arrived from. Denver getting a job to take care of her mother, learning to grow up even after having little reason to motivate her, making friends with the townspeople, I was just overall very proud of her.

   Excellence in women lifting other women up. I'm all for it.

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

The Fifth Season Book Review

 Rawr Reader,

For the first time in years I feel like we're having a normal Florida summer. Refreshing! Rainy afternoons becoming a daily expectancy makes cozying up in my favorite reading corner and diving head first into the pages of a book and not coming up for air until the last page has turned somewhat . . . achievable . . . What???

Books that win awards for me are usually mine fields. A good portion of books that I pick up with a pretty sticker about winning such and such award usually are the books that I end up disliking. But there are the diamonds in the rough, which is why I still deign to pick them up.

The synopsis of The Fifth Season is provided by Goodreads:

                                                        This is the way the world ends. Again.

                                                      Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around 

                                                     her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

Reference:

Fun little story. I first learned about N.K. Jemisin in college about seven years ago. I was perusing my local Barnes and Noble's Fantasy section when I browsed over a title. After sliding it from the shelf I fell in love with the cover. Not an hour later I was bringing it home with me after being drawn into the synopsis. The title? The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I can't say hand to Bible it was my first fantasy with a main character who wasn't white and wasn't male, but it was the first that made a lasting impression: recognizing how few POC leads we see in the genre. Thankfully in the past seven years that has changed and it's made goliaths like The Fifth Season get the recognition and acclaim it deserves. 

BUT I'm getting ahead of myself, let's review!

Review:

   N.K. Jemisin is a writer I wish more people outside of the book world knew about. She has this otherworldly talent of creating worlds dipped with so much culture and energy that matches the pace of our world, with all the buckets full of complexities called human emotions which is flooded in regular fiction but rarely given its due in fantasy. Reports say she is in the works of producing her trilogy to film/television and it's hard for me to resist imagining how amazing this tale will be in that format. To be fair, every time they announce a new fantasy show I go crazy for even a teaser trailer.

   The Fifth Season follows three perspectives: Damaya, our youngest recruit into the Fulcrum's fold learning to become an orogene; Syenite, an established but not yet independent adult orogene; and Essun, a weathered orogene who has suffered the worst tragedies a mother could experience. 

   Over the course of the novel we learn about orogenes, people with the ability to feel and control seismic vibrations and earthly substances; and second-rate citizens in the nation called the Stillness. Their powers are leashed by overseers known as Guardians, who show very early on in a young orogene's education the lengths they will go to maintain control over them. They are not alone, this world has other creatures who are as mystifying and powerful as orogenes and Guardians with their own enigmatic culture.

   It helps when I write down names for novels with large casts, and while this one has a lot, I felt like the players came and left reminiscent of actors on stage. In general, I particularly like when we meet new people late in the novel or when people who appear once in the beginning still have significance by the end even if they aren't mentioned for hundreds of pages. It's part plot structuring, part realism, part fluid storytelling. Jemisin isn't a newbie writer, her command of the skin and muscle of this world made stepping into it navigable. With the assistance of a glossary and appendix at the end, it reminded me of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and like then was much appreciated because large casts are one thing to handle, new vocabulary and slang is another.

   The three protagonists are burdened with more than their uneasy pasts, they represent generations stuck in a world where their very futures are set out to fail them. It's easy to slide into the shoes of Damaya, Syenite, and Essun as we navigate the Stillness through the eyes of those limited in their power because culturally and physically their hands are bound. Their anger, frustration, and feelings of injustice becomes ours. Because how can someone with so much power be put to heel? Usually it is the very display and demonstration of power that makes these sorts of people in fantasy rule over others. But in the Stillness, they are Othered, they are not respected. People fear what they do not understand and fear what they do not wish to understand. Fantasy is our world through another lens. 

   Nearly every chapter ends with verses from an implied religious text, lyrics from songs, lines from poems, and excerpts from history textbooks. Remember the culture and energy I mentioned before? I adored these inclusions because it wasn't necessarily tied with anything specific in the narrative. Appearing over our heads maybe. It's just a part of this world like ours has its own written and oral compositions. The language felt organic and sacred.

   Stories, and most all fantasy, focus on relationships. Relationships between characters, relationships between nature and characters, and in fantasy we usually find the plot is pulled forward by its supernatural elements. You can't just have magic happening without people or creatures to control said magic. I can't even think of a fantasy where that happens. But the magic within the Stillness, the orogeny possessed by a select, special, random few is as much a presence because of its mammoth potential. Controlling the elements as a superpower is a dime a dozen (not that that's bad—it's visually stunning and tangible, which translates easily either reading or watching on film), however it is how Jemisin handles this power of controlling the earth that is uniquely impressive. Not only is the militarily-enforced restraint of power an interesting dynamic to have within the confines of an unbalanced place, but on a grander scale the great power propels greater consequences: the fifth seasons. Lasting months to decades, the fifth seasons are extended winters due to the manipulation people have placed on the earth. The earth responds to what is done to it. Fantasy is our world through another lens.

   Of course I'm focusing on the themes which stood out the most to me, but maybe I've gone too below the surface. What about the skin, the perfumes, the dressing of this novel? Jemisin (*I'm hoping*) isn't trying to fool the reader but as you approach the end you realize what she has been doing structuring this novel the way she has. Spoilers of course, but the positioning of the story blocks and as you follow them one by one, you begin to put together that those blocks had in actuality been steps and those steps were leading you to the top of a view that leaves you breathless and prepared to dive into the next novel with a greater perspective of your surroundings. 

   The Fifth Season is a world with many creatures. I mention the orogenes but there are others that reveal themselves and maybe (hopefully) others that haven't been brought to light yet but that we'll meet in future books. The enigmatic nature and actions of one of these creatures is one of the brightest feathers on this parrot. As readers we want answers to many if not all our questions, however the fact that the peoples of the Stillness know so little about this certain race of creature (which I'll divulge has to do with stones) makes their presence and prevalence less of an accessory standing beside orogenes and more of a novelty. There is more to be learned and more to surprise us. Not all the mysteries of the world can be explained. And while I have my next few reads for Spooktober already chosen, I can't wait to return to the Stillness.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars.

Quote:

"Some say the Earth is angry
Because he wants no company;

I say the Earth is angry

Because he lives alone.

                                            —Ancient (pre-Imperial) folk song"

-N.K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season

My Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Spoilers:

   Is it funny to anyone else how the premise of the book is sort of never actualized? Being that this is a trilogy I guess it goes without saying that one of the major plots would continue to be addressed in the following installments, however we spent more time with one of her deceased children than the one we're chasing after, not to mention the youngest, Uche, who was killed before the beginning of the book. I don't want to say this is misleading, but it's definitely one of the heaviest failures I found for the book, which by my review, doesn't have many at all.

   Are there any Hoa fans out there? I tried to keep my raving of him in my review to a minimum but my goodness, learning Essun's chapters were actually from his perspective made my jaw drop. He is certainly more than he's made himself out to be, and I can't wait to see him and Essun team up with Alabaster in the next book.

   The open relationship between Syen, Alabaster, and Innon was beautifully choreographed. The insecurities and power-plays in an individual level were expanded on in a relationship platform that worked well because of who the players were. All three are orogenes, all three powerful and with something to offer each other. Physical or emotional support, I loved their dynamic and how they each respected one another. Alabaster being the most powerful of the three yet being the most vulnerable and insecure made him quirky and relatable despite his first impressions. But the exchanges between himself and Syen, how they maintained their friendship and respected one another was one of the greatest achievements on a character level. They were creatures assigned to one another to breed but they in their own way successfully came to an understanding. Surviving the lesser passionate elements of marriage, they came to rely and depend on one another in a way more admirable than other thrilling narratives of a traditional relationship.

   I would be remiss if I didn't share my thoughts on the whole three people are actually one twist. We learn who they are a little over 100 pages from the end and come on, it was unexpected (at least for me!) because it was revealed so fluidly. It totally gave me Netflix's The Witcher vibes. Or even 2016's Arrival.  We think we're following a traditional narrative only to discover time is subjective and it takes going through the hurdles to find at the end we've come full circle. Beginnings, ends, the story can have more than one of each. It all depends on the perspective.

   Fantasy is our world through another lens.

   

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel