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stelladallas's review against another edition
Cool idea but far too eager to explain itself. I felt like I was 10 steps ahead of protag. Also so boring when aliens are basically just humans. Like really, would they have mommy issues. We have enough of those .
popeurbanthegrey's review against another edition
3.0
My first foray into horror in a while. It wasn't scary at all...
rayereads's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the Founders trilogy so much that I wanted to check out some of Bennett’s earlier work.
Very much enjoyed this- my biggest criticism is that it’s a bit long and as a result hits the same narrative beats a few too many times. Still, I found the combination of tropes unique and compelling, enjoyed the horror aspects, the science fiction aspects, and the dark retro Americana vibes. Did it maybe remind me of the best parts of playing through Fallout, complete with creepy found documents in abandoned laboratories? Perhaps.
This is one of those rare books where you can really feel the author’s enthusiasm and it becomes infectious- I have read weaker versions of this novel, but in Bennett’s hands I was happy to go along for the ride.
Heads up: It’s pretty violent and pretty gory! It didn’t bother me, but if you are someone who struggles to read vividly described gore and/or light body horror, I can’t recommend it.
Very much enjoyed this- my biggest criticism is that it’s a bit long and as a result hits the same narrative beats a few too many times. Still, I found the combination of tropes unique and compelling, enjoyed the horror aspects, the science fiction aspects, and the dark retro Americana vibes. Did it maybe remind me of the best parts of playing through Fallout, complete with creepy found documents in abandoned laboratories? Perhaps.
This is one of those rare books where you can really feel the author’s enthusiasm and it becomes infectious- I have read weaker versions of this novel, but in Bennett’s hands I was happy to go along for the ride.
Heads up: It’s pretty violent and pretty gory! It didn’t bother me, but if you are someone who struggles to read vividly described gore and/or light body horror, I can’t recommend it.
bamugo's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half or two-thirds of this book. They'd get a 4- or 5-star rating. But somewhere around that point, it switched genres from horror to fantasy, and the author stopped respecting the reader (things that should have remained unstated for the reader to mull over themselves are stated outright, etc.). Knowing that RJB switched to fully writing fantasy after this book now makes a lot of sense.
caseofspades's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pujabberwocky's review
5.0
Man, I am on a roll here. Reading only the books recommended to me is working out greatly in my favor.
So, American Elsewhere. I've had such trouble describing this book while reading it. It's got a pinch of American Gods, a dollop of Twin Peaks and a generous helping of Lovecraft. The protagonist is a Hispanic woman who is a complete badass, but never once a dude with long hair. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most nuanced portrayals of a female lead that I've seen by a male author. Mona Bright is the BOMB.
There are parts of this story that are predictable by fans of the genre, but with enough twists to where I was never entirely sure about what would happen. There are also parts of this book that are ENORMOUSLY GORY/GRAPHIC so be prepared to grimace a lot if you're a visual person.
[Side Note: I thoroughly enjoyed how you could tell this book was written by a Texan. The Oklahoma joke early-on made me straight up snort out loud in public!]
As for the audiobook, the narrator was fantastic. I was worried about a male narrator for a book where the protagonist is a woman, but Graham Winton quickly showed me I had nothing to worry about.
So, American Elsewhere. I've had such trouble describing this book while reading it. It's got a pinch of American Gods, a dollop of Twin Peaks and a generous helping of Lovecraft. The protagonist is a Hispanic woman who is a complete badass, but never once a dude with long hair. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most nuanced portrayals of a female lead that I've seen by a male author. Mona Bright is the BOMB.
There are parts of this story that are predictable by fans of the genre, but with enough twists to where I was never entirely sure about what would happen. There are also parts of this book that are ENORMOUSLY GORY/GRAPHIC so be prepared to grimace a lot if you're a visual person.
[Side Note: I thoroughly enjoyed how you could tell this book was written by a Texan. The Oklahoma joke early-on made me straight up snort out loud in public!]
As for the audiobook, the narrator was fantastic. I was worried about a male narrator for a book where the protagonist is a woman, but Graham Winton quickly showed me I had nothing to worry about.
38_simulated's review against another edition
4.0
This is proper B movie stuff, and I mean that most approvingly. Scientists meddling with things that Man Was Not Meant To Understand, small town America under threat from mysterious outside forces, a lone drifter who rolls into town to save the day...it's all great fun. Robert Jackson Bennett is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, and this only reinforces that