my read shelf:
Started out so strong this week with an unsettling, fairytale/horror debut novel, that I enjoyed very much if I do say so myself. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC.
The Brink by Sophia Adamowicz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
** I received a free digital ARC of this book from NetGalley; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
A wonderful, atmospheric debut folk horror. The prose in this book… I mean… I need Sophia Adamowicz to release more books yesterday. The writing is truly… I can’t even describe it. The setting feels lived in, and the characters feel like real people (they actually have more than one defining feature). The themes of tradition vs. self are also handled quite well. The author also clearly knows her English folklore and keeps the setting feeling authentic.
I only really have one complaint, and that’s the pacing. There are several time jumps backward that pulled me out of it a bit, and some that just fully confused me. The book was only tagged as horror, so I went in expecting a slightly faster pace, which is probably my fault, but the slow pace and building unease still kept me reading. Debut polish shows through in some places, but it is more than made up for by the prose and mood.
Highly recommend for fans of atmospheric historical horror, beautiful prose, English-magic vibes, and Johnathan Sims-style: quiet, building unease. This is a memorable debut, living rent-free in my head for the foreseeable future, and worth the read.
Followed by a bitter disappointment a-la “The Great Santini” by Pat Conroy. Oh, how you have burned me Kindle Unlimited.
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Now, I’m not sure what just happened, but I am sure that I am mad about it. This was The Great Santini levels of disappointment. Until about 60/70 percent this was a solid five star, about 10% more and it’s still OK maybe a 4 star now. Then the bottom just goes out.
There’s very few things that can truly ruin a book for me, but being condescended by the author is right up there at the top of the list. I can’t stand being told how I’m meant to interpret a piece of media, and this includes by the author themselves. It reads very much as “I’m a genius who wrote this wonderful allegory, and you could never figure it out yourself so allow me in my infinite wisdom to tell you how to interpret it” the unadulterated arrogance.
I’m so royally disappointed because the beginning was quite strong, and did capture that cozy vibe I was promised. I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone this book, unless you can manage to get it for free and skip all the preachy portions, and I won’t be checking out anything else from this author.
In case anyone was wondering what I think about “The Great Santini”….
The Great Santini by Pat Conroy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
For the first half of this book, I thought it might be the best book I had ever read. For the first 2/3 of this book, I thought it might be a *great* book. I don’t want to talk about the last third. Ever. Read at your own risk.
I recovered quickly with “There is no Antimemetics Division” by qntm. (A solid five star and new addition to my ‘Absolute Favorites’ shelf). Thank you to my library for stocking this book.
There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What did I just read? This is really a stand out book for me this year, the premise, the prose, everything was so on point. A brilliantly original and frequently terrifying science-fiction horror novel built around one of the strongest conceptual hooks I’ve encountered in years.
This book was definitely a challenging read for me, I was reading up until the day the library book was due. The idea of antimemes (entities that erase themselves from memory and records) is executed with real ingenuity and dread. Unfortunately the deliberate disorientation sometimes tips over into genuine confusion that undercuts the experience.
This book commits so fully to the bit that I was often stuck right there with the characters, completely at a loss as to what the heck was going on. There are also several perception switches, sending you jumping around different characters POVs, which is not one of my favorite devices. Somehow qntm manages to make it bearable, even if I had to reread entire paragraphs and chapters frequently.
I’d definitely recommend to anyone that loves high concept sci-fi, especially anyone who places alot of weight on conceptual horror and atmosphere. Just know the form is as slippery as the subject.
Believe it or not I got another five star (maybe for the first time ever?) immediately after in the form of “The Nudge” by Joseph Fink, who I am a long-time fan of (just give in and listen to ‘Welcome to Nightvale’ and/or read “Mostly Void Partially Stars”). I forgive you Kindle Unlimited.
The Nudge by Joseph Fink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
And closing out nicely with a short story collection that I won the kindle version of in a GoodReads Giveaway, and enjoyed decently, even if it feels like every single story ends in the middle – In fact I think that may be the point.
A Problematic Prophecy & Other Stories by Stephen Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Overall, I think I had a pretty good week, especially considering that I have just started a new semester at school, and as such my reading time has been severely reduced. I hope my reviews are helpful, or at least entertaining, to whomever it is that actually reads these!
Bonus bedtime read (whoops), my favorite so far from Alex O Harb. (No I haven’t read the series associated with this, if my kindle TBR gets any bigger: I will have a come-apart)
Resonance of Silence by Alex O. Harb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
… and this one was quite good as well.
Reader of the Wind by Alex O. Harb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
now I’m actually done, probably