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A review by kellylynnthomas
The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni
5.0
I noticed a lot of reviewers giving this book low stars and complaining about the book's "plausibility." In my opinion, these reviewers are completely missing the point of the book.
The book's two protagonists take on the identities of comic book characters, and in many ways, begin to become them. The line between reality and fiction blurs for the characters and the reader. Coyotes serve as messengers, guides, friends. Things get a little weird. The prose gets slippery. The writing is a journey in and of itself, but one well worth taking--whether you come into it liking comics or not.
The author explores identity and our places in the world, and how we inhabit them or refuse them and go out in search of different, perhaps better (but perhaps not) places. The characters reject the identities they were given by their parents and the people around them and become new people, and while they set out to save another person, they wind up saving themselves -- even if it looks like they are getting into a giant mess. The author explores place as not just a physical thing, but a thing made up of the people and objects around us.
I thought the ending brought all of the books disparate strands together beautifully, with one exception -- we're left wondering what exactly happened to Sheila/Gwen's coyote companion. Perhaps this was on purpose. The author does not wrap things up neatly, there are many questions for the characters that don't get answered, and I'm fine with that. Bringing things together doesn't necessarily mean tying them up into a nice package. I like a book that leaves me wondering, even if I hate it at the same time.
The book's two protagonists take on the identities of comic book characters, and in many ways, begin to become them. The line between reality and fiction blurs for the characters and the reader. Coyotes serve as messengers, guides, friends. Things get a little weird. The prose gets slippery. The writing is a journey in and of itself, but one well worth taking--whether you come into it liking comics or not.
The author explores identity and our places in the world, and how we inhabit them or refuse them and go out in search of different, perhaps better (but perhaps not) places. The characters reject the identities they were given by their parents and the people around them and become new people, and while they set out to save another person, they wind up saving themselves -- even if it looks like they are getting into a giant mess. The author explores place as not just a physical thing, but a thing made up of the people and objects around us.
I thought the ending brought all of the books disparate strands together beautifully, with one exception -- we're left wondering what exactly happened to Sheila/Gwen's coyote companion. Perhaps this was on purpose. The author does not wrap things up neatly, there are many questions for the characters that don't get answered, and I'm fine with that. Bringing things together doesn't necessarily mean tying them up into a nice package. I like a book that leaves me wondering, even if I hate it at the same time.