A review by ramseyhootman
Black Swan Rising by Lisa Brackmann
4.0
Mmmm... this is a tough book to review!
Is this a good book? Yes.
Is it "fun" to read? No. It was difficult to read, actually, because the subject matter is all too real, which is why I didn't devour it in 48 hours like I usually do.
Does it ask good questions? Yes. It's challenging. And frustrating. Kinda like our current political environment.
Is there a satisfying conclusion? No. Because that would be too easy. (Although I really do wish there had been more of a resolution with Wyatt.)
Is it hopeless? No.
I liked that the three main point of view characters were all women in different hard positions, trying to make the right decisions for the situations they found themselves in. I also liked the window into both a political campaign and the local newsroom, both worlds I knew nothing about. Casey in particular gave me insight into why reporters do what they do - an impulse which is very foreign to me, but in Casey, very sympathetic. Overall, Black Swan Rising is a different kind of story than Brackmann's other novels, but at the same time very much her thing, if that makes sense. It's a solid, suspenseful addition to what (in my bookcase) is becoming "her shelf."
Also I'm pretty sure the title implies a sequel, so, uh, I'll be waiting.
Is this a good book? Yes.
Is it "fun" to read? No. It was difficult to read, actually, because the subject matter is all too real, which is why I didn't devour it in 48 hours like I usually do.
Does it ask good questions? Yes. It's challenging. And frustrating. Kinda like our current political environment.
Is there a satisfying conclusion? No. Because that would be too easy. (Although I really do wish there had been more of a resolution with Wyatt.)
Is it hopeless? No.
I liked that the three main point of view characters were all women in different hard positions, trying to make the right decisions for the situations they found themselves in. I also liked the window into both a political campaign and the local newsroom, both worlds I knew nothing about. Casey in particular gave me insight into why reporters do what they do - an impulse which is very foreign to me, but in Casey, very sympathetic. Overall, Black Swan Rising is a different kind of story than Brackmann's other novels, but at the same time very much her thing, if that makes sense. It's a solid, suspenseful addition to what (in my bookcase) is becoming "her shelf."
Also I'm pretty sure the title implies a sequel, so, uh, I'll be waiting.