bunnieslikediamonds's review
5.0
I think it's safe to cross out Niagara Falls from your travel wish list. It appears to be a dreary hellhole where nothing good ever happens, if Craig Davidson's novel is any indication. Unless you're a super outdoorsy type and really into greyhound racing, illegal dog fights and boxing, you have no business there. The men are mean and the dogs do not cuddle. Smelling of cookies is not a good thing in this book.
Technically I guess it's correct to describe this as grim and gritty, as some blurbs do, but that's not exactly how I think about it. Yes, it's brutal and dark, but it's so much more than that. The writing is stunning. A critic called it "a punch to the chin", which made me think it might be the kind of writing people used to call "muscular", which is a creepy way to describe prose and makes me think of oily body builders getting stabby with a pen, but it wasn't. It was just beautiful and thoughtful and breathtaking. I had to read it in two sittings because I couldn't stop, not on account of the suspense but because the words just wouldn't stop coming at me. Enchanted, I was. How on earth did this not win the Giller prize?
Technically I guess it's correct to describe this as grim and gritty, as some blurbs do, but that's not exactly how I think about it. Yes, it's brutal and dark, but it's so much more than that. The writing is stunning. A critic called it "a punch to the chin", which made me think it might be the kind of writing people used to call "muscular", which is a creepy way to describe prose and makes me think of oily body builders getting stabby with a pen, but it wasn't. It was just beautiful and thoughtful and breathtaking. I had to read it in two sittings because I couldn't stop, not on account of the suspense but because the words just wouldn't stop coming at me. Enchanted, I was. How on earth did this not win the Giller prize?
edud5's review against another edition
4.0
This was chosen by our local library as the book to read this year; I enjoyed it. Wonderful, lively connections to so many arenas - amateur fighting, being a kid on your own, dog racing, and urgh! just needing to get out of this town. Uses plot well, an easy read. I found the specific textual references to "Cataract City" within the book a little heavy handed; although the city figures prominently in the story, it stands alone well and doesn't require the explanation. It wasn't too regional, which I had worried a bit about initially.
mkaminski34's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written if slightly flawed. I was not expecting all of the directions this book went in after going into it expecting a straightforward coming of age story. Highly recommended and I can’t wait to dive into this author’s other works
sjj169's review against another edition
4.0
[a:Craig Davidson|49903|Craig Davidson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1300783703p2/49903.jpg] aka [a:Nick Cutter|6984661|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1373913431p2/6984661.jpg] makes me wonder why he changed to writing horror after reading this book. It's honestly the best of his books that I've read.
Don't get me wrong though, it's one of those dark, head in the oven books. Two friends named Owen and Duncan are the two main characters in this book, and Davidson makes you care about both these characters.
They share a bond that developed when they both ended up stranded in the woods and have to survive with the help of each other. (Never trust a wrestler)
I thought that bond would carry them through life, but life happens. They grow apart as Owen has a chance at being a star on the basketball court and Duncan tries to make it out of the life sucking Bisk (cookie factory) future.
Then they both end up wanting the same girl.
Ed had some hellion in her, too, a wildness that reminded me of comic book vixens" Red Sonja, the Black Widow. Her long, dark hair fell straight down and when the sun hit it right, it shone like a curved mirror.
It's not a love triangle book so don't get your panties in a wad. It's about as far from it as you can get.
The two boys do come back together later on in the story as Duncan finds two greyhounds in a garbage dumpster.
There is dog racing, bare knuckle fighting and just grimness in this book. The boys end up on the different sides of the law and a test to their friendship.
You can't hate your best friend for taking the opportunities he'd been given. That would be the worst sort of hate, wouldn't it? Because it would mean you hate yourself, too.
You have to understand this: Cataract City is possessive. The city has a steel-trap memory, and it holds a grudge.
Don't get me wrong though, it's one of those dark, head in the oven books. Two friends named Owen and Duncan are the two main characters in this book, and Davidson makes you care about both these characters.
They share a bond that developed when they both ended up stranded in the woods and have to survive with the help of each other. (Never trust a wrestler)
I thought that bond would carry them through life, but life happens. They grow apart as Owen has a chance at being a star on the basketball court and Duncan tries to make it out of the life sucking Bisk (cookie factory) future.
Then they both end up wanting the same girl.
Ed had some hellion in her, too, a wildness that reminded me of comic book vixens" Red Sonja, the Black Widow. Her long, dark hair fell straight down and when the sun hit it right, it shone like a curved mirror.
It's not a love triangle book so don't get your panties in a wad. It's about as far from it as you can get.
The two boys do come back together later on in the story as Duncan finds two greyhounds in a garbage dumpster.
There is dog racing, bare knuckle fighting and just grimness in this book. The boys end up on the different sides of the law and a test to their friendship.
You can't hate your best friend for taking the opportunities he'd been given. That would be the worst sort of hate, wouldn't it? Because it would mean you hate yourself, too.
You have to understand this: Cataract City is possessive. The city has a steel-trap memory, and it holds a grudge.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
First off, in case you didn't know Craig Davidson is also horror writer [a:Nick Cutter|6984661|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1373913431p2/6984661.jpg] who blasted onto the scene in 2014 with [b:The Troop|17571466|The Troop|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397768496s/17571466.jpg|24510359] -- the book Stephen King declared scared him. Davidson, writing as Cutter, then went on to publish two more horror novels in quick succession -- [b:The Deep|21412284|The Deep|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421037680s/21412284.jpg|40713268] and [b:The Acolyte|24497842|The Acolyte|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421252620s/24497842.jpg|44093225]. I binge read all of them as fast as he could get them published (actually, truth be told I couldn't even wait for the books to be published; so smitten was I from the start I begged, borrowed, stole advance reading copies any way I could get them).
You could say Nick Cutter was my gateway drug to finding Craig Davidson. Once the connection was made it was only a matter of time before I picked up a Davidson novel to see what his other more literary, less genre focused, alter ego was capable of. Let me just say, no complaints here. Not a single one.
If like me, you're finding your way to this book because you've loved any or all of Davidson's Cutter books, just know that Cataract City is not graphic horror but rather contemporary literature. Yet, there is a lot of similarities in the intensity and emotionality of the writing. The character development that defines his horror writing is present here as well, taking possession of the narrative and of the reader in a way that's as addicting as it is signature.
Cataract City is Canada's version of grit lit or country noir in the tradition of [a:Daniel Woodrell|65135|Daniel Woodrell|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1276358809p2/65135.jpg], [a:Frank Bill|3983305|Frank Bill|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1366952773p2/3983305.jpg] and [a:Donald Ray Pollock|784866|Donald Ray Pollock|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240540889p2/784866.jpg]. And now I'm going to do something lazy and narcissistic and quote myself here from a blog post I wrote about this genre:
These are tales about ordinary folk trapped in dead-end places in dead-end lives who don’t even have the wherewithal or wisdom to get the hell out of Dodge even if it means chewing their own goddam leg off to do so. No matter how beautifully written — the stories reveal a kind of brutalization lined with a deep and abiding sadness. People are desperate — or deranged — and behave accordingly. Sometimes it’s because of crushing poverty, other times it is because of inheriting a mantle of family violence that stretches back countless generations. I don’t know what that says about me that this sort of visceral reading experience appeals to me, but it does. Perhaps it’s the cold comfort that no matter how bad my life seems at any given moment on any given day, it will never be as bad as that.Cataract City is not rural noir in the strictest definition, but it is close enough to get you a cigar. It's small town life, it's being trapped, it's facing lack of opportunity and tragedy with grace, or reckless ineptitude. And reading it is going to break your heart.
This book is many books in one. It starts out a coming-of-age story worthy of Stephen King -- two 12 year old boys, best friends, lost and starving in the woods. Then Davidson moves his narrative along to include dog racing, dog fighting, and bare-knuckle brawling. The stakes are always high, the details so sharp and expansive that vivid pictures are created in your head whether you want them there or not. Davidson is not shy about being graphic -- this is cinematic, visceral writing at its finest. You will feel the blood spatter across your face, you will taste the aluminum tang of adrenaline. You will grip this book in your hands white-knuckled and hang on for dear life.
I couldn't put it down. I could have binge read this in a few days, but I was glad life and work got in the way. Because it forced me to slow down. I was able to savour the prose -- let the sentences roll around in my mind and on my reader palate like smooth whiskey and unfiltered cigarettes. I am in love with Nick Cutter, but I will gladly have a torrid affair with Craig Davidson.
badmc's review
Not interested in wrestling or boy/manhood rivalries, and so not a book for me.
lilliangretsinger's review against another edition
2.0
I am not sure what to make of this book. There is a line in the book something to the effect of "same shit different day." Which is apt considering that the book pretty much ends the way it began.
There were some issues with some of the details of the book that made me wonder. Such as, how does a convicted criminal get across the board weeks after he is released from prison?? That just wouldn't happen. I think the words that best describe this book is gritty, violent and depressing.
Also, who really calls Niagara Falls Cataract City?? What not just call it Niagara Falls, since we all know that is where the book takes place?
There were some issues with some of the details of the book that made me wonder. Such as, how does a convicted criminal get across the board weeks after he is released from prison?? That just wouldn't happen. I think the words that best describe this book is gritty, violent and depressing.
Also, who really calls Niagara Falls Cataract City?? What not just call it Niagara Falls, since we all know that is where the book takes place?
jo_in_bookland's review against another edition
4.0
Craig Davidson, also known for his works of horror under the pen name Nick Cutter, writes a gritty tale that takes place in Niagara Falls. Even though this is not horror, there are still plenty of horrific, nail-biting, tense moments.
The two main characters Owen and Duncan face more than their fare share of obstacles in their lives, as kids and adults, and the ugly side of the city rears its head as their tales unfold.
The story spans about 30 years and includes the 80s when the boys are coming of age. Bonus, as I always enjoy references to that decade in books.
The story is a slow burn for a good part of the book, but the last section was very intense and I had a hard time putting it down.
No matter under which name this author writes, you can be sure I'll be reading it!
The two main characters Owen and Duncan face more than their fare share of obstacles in their lives, as kids and adults, and the ugly side of the city rears its head as their tales unfold.
The story spans about 30 years and includes the 80s when the boys are coming of age. Bonus, as I always enjoy references to that decade in books.
The story is a slow burn for a good part of the book, but the last section was very intense and I had a hard time putting it down.
No matter under which name this author writes, you can be sure I'll be reading it!
lostinagoodread's review against another edition
4.0
This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read
I absolutely love being able to feature Canadian books on this blog, and CATARACT CITY is such a strong book and I am glad to see it on the longlist for the Giller because it definitely deserves recognition. This is a story about a strong friendship between two boys that have been through so much together.
I really enjoyed the history of Niagara Falls inserted into this book, there was so much I didn't know about the people that lived there, and I had no idea it was called "Cataract City". It's great when I can learn history in a book like this. This book is told from both Owen and Duncan's perspectives as they are now and as they remember the past and what led to where they are.
I was really intrigued by these two characters, they are both very flawed and that makes their story interesting to follow to see where they take their lives from how they grew up. Owen and Duncan experience something in childhood that bonds their friendship and yet also breaks their friendship when their parents decide that they need time away from each other. Over the years there are things that continually bring these two together even though they are on different paths.
I loved that this book takes readers into a darker part of Niagara Falls with dog-racing, fighting, and smuggling of items. This is a Niagara Falls that I never thought existed and I'm interested to really learn more about this dark side. This is real life and it is scary to know that this existed.
Craig Davidson has brought these characters to life and really shown a beautiful friendship that is able to withstand many issues, they are brothers and help each other out. I loved their interactions with one another as their friendship grows and falls apart, and yet still they come back together. I'm happy to have read this book because it really makes me appreciate the friendships I have in my life and I want to hold onto those.
This is a great book with a lot of emotions running around as these two boys grow to find themselves and what they want to do with their future.
I absolutely love being able to feature Canadian books on this blog, and CATARACT CITY is such a strong book and I am glad to see it on the longlist for the Giller because it definitely deserves recognition. This is a story about a strong friendship between two boys that have been through so much together.
I really enjoyed the history of Niagara Falls inserted into this book, there was so much I didn't know about the people that lived there, and I had no idea it was called "Cataract City". It's great when I can learn history in a book like this. This book is told from both Owen and Duncan's perspectives as they are now and as they remember the past and what led to where they are.
I was really intrigued by these two characters, they are both very flawed and that makes their story interesting to follow to see where they take their lives from how they grew up. Owen and Duncan experience something in childhood that bonds their friendship and yet also breaks their friendship when their parents decide that they need time away from each other. Over the years there are things that continually bring these two together even though they are on different paths.
I loved that this book takes readers into a darker part of Niagara Falls with dog-racing, fighting, and smuggling of items. This is a Niagara Falls that I never thought existed and I'm interested to really learn more about this dark side. This is real life and it is scary to know that this existed.
Craig Davidson has brought these characters to life and really shown a beautiful friendship that is able to withstand many issues, they are brothers and help each other out. I loved their interactions with one another as their friendship grows and falls apart, and yet still they come back together. I'm happy to have read this book because it really makes me appreciate the friendships I have in my life and I want to hold onto those.
This is a great book with a lot of emotions running around as these two boys grow to find themselves and what they want to do with their future.
rachelini's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book so hard to read, but oddly compelling nonetheless. The story of two boys growing up in Niagara Falls, with the depressing reality of what that means for their lives, it was so brutal (the wrestling, the fighting, the dog fighting) I found myself flinching. Good story, though.