Reviews

American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

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its_kievan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The epitome of great writing and terrible editing. The story of an ex-cop investigating an ominous 50s Americana town is a great one, with one of my new favourite protagonist. But the mystery itself is almost immediately spoiled, as the viewpoint shifts to

the Lovecraftian monsters inhabiting the town

in the first few chapters. Even the secondary twist is underwhelming as a result. As it is, American Elsewhere is interesting but underwhelming. Cut out about 200 pages, and it could have been a masterpiece.

Content Warnings

bosermoki's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The book was fine. The story line is a relatively straightforward take on the "experiment gone wrong brings beings from beyond to our world" complete with puppet master type entities inexplicably charmed by our existence while also being smug and superior. The pacing bogged down considerably in the middle 50% of the novel. For as otherworldly of a setting, it lacked good descriptiveness. And for as mysterious as it aspired to be, much of the events/twists were heavily foreshadowed leaving little room for surprise, short circuiting any real tension or suspense. It was capably written while not really breaking any new ground. It was a worthwhile read, but also something I'm glad I borrowed from the library.

bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a lovely horror story about the American dream gone badly wrong, to put it mildly. The idyllic small town of Wink in New Mexico is full of well-tended lawns, content housewives and afternoon martinis on the porch. Time seems to stand still (except when Time completely derails)and nobody has set foot outside the town for years. Of course, unspeakable evil lurks in the night, and the inhabitants wisely turn a blind eye to the nasty goings-on in the woods and make "arrangements" in order to maintain their lifestyle. When a stranger arrives and people start dropping like flies, it all goes to hell in a very entertaining way.

It's horror with a heart. The unspeakable evil is pretty mean, but it has its reasons for acting shitty. Nothing a few years of therapy couldn't fix. I like that. There's nothing more boring than evildoers with no motivation for their evildoing. The horror is both quietly creepy and charmingly over-the-top (there are tentacles). It's moving and funny, the plot holds together and the "science" of it all makes sense within that particular universe. What more can you ask for?

I'll tell you what. Well-rounded female characters. Actually, just to find female characters who get to actually do stuff (rather than be used as props) in fiction is not a given. To find females who are believable, tough and funny and above all, not defined by their gender is rare. Bennett creates wonderful women, whether good, evil or in-between, human or not so much. It's a big part of why I found the story so enjoyable - no stale stereotypes to annoy me.

Warmly recommended.