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A review by pujabberwocky
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
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.