A review by sjj169
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
3.0
The story of the Book of Speculation takes place in two time periods. Modern day and a setting in the 1700's.
Simon is our present day main character. A lonely research librarian that lives in his family home due to the fact that he can't bare to leave it. His mother walked into the water one day and killed herself and his father grieved himself to death. Simon raised his younger sister Enola and then she left.
Simon's family is a special family. All the women in it have been able to hold their breath for long periods of time but they all have died at an early age. From drowning.
Simon receives a book from a collector that unlocks links to his families past. He becomes obsessed with breaking the curse of the mermaids (carnival mermaids) that haunts his family.
Then you have the rest of the story. Amos was the "wild boy" in a carnival. He then was trained in reading the cards even though he is mute. He falls in love with Evangeline, who shows up at the show one day distraught with a special gift of being able to hold her breath under water.
The stories weave themselves together and then for me just flop. I wanted better characters for such a interesting concept of a book.
You have a guy with tentacle tattoos that can light up light-bulbs in his hands for crying out loud!
Disclosure:I picked up this book at the library. For free.
Simon is our present day main character. A lonely research librarian that lives in his family home due to the fact that he can't bare to leave it. His mother walked into the water one day and killed herself and his father grieved himself to death. Simon raised his younger sister Enola and then she left.
Simon's family is a special family. All the women in it have been able to hold their breath for long periods of time but they all have died at an early age. From drowning.
Simon receives a book from a collector that unlocks links to his families past. He becomes obsessed with breaking the curse of the mermaids (carnival mermaids) that haunts his family.
Then you have the rest of the story. Amos was the "wild boy" in a carnival. He then was trained in reading the cards even though he is mute. He falls in love with Evangeline, who shows up at the show one day distraught with a special gift of being able to hold her breath under water.
The stories weave themselves together and then for me just flop. I wanted better characters for such a interesting concept of a book.
You have a guy with tentacle tattoos that can light up light-bulbs in his hands for crying out loud!
Disclosure:I picked up this book at the library. For free.