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A review by ojtheviking
Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw
4.0
3.5 rounded up.
Some books are hard to pinpoint. As far as I can tell, Strange Practice wasn't promoted as a young adult book, but it certainly has that quality. I'm also a bit unsure in terms of the vibe; is it intentionally quirky at times or just quirkily written? Don't get me wrong, the majority of my thoughts and my overall impression of this book is positive. But as for the story itself, it had some strengths and some weaknesses, although that depends on which criteria I base my evaluation. More on that in a bit.
First of all, I did enjoy it. I liked the idea, I think the characters were enjoyable for the most part, I found the novel to have some sprinkles of interesting world-building, and I definitely approve of the timelessness where it was set in modern times but had a whiff of an old, gothic/Victorian tale, as I always find that this vibe is very fitting for supernatural and mythical elements.
When it comes to the aforementioned world-building, I like the idea that supernatural creatures simply live among us in society, and that there is inclusive wording to address it. Instead of calling vampires "undead bloodsuckers" they are here considered to be "sanguivores" and "the differently alive." It's a nice touch. Dr. Helsing generally uses specific medical terminology based on the nature of the different creatures, implying that there are scientific reasons why garlic affects vampires, there's a rehabilitation program for ancient mummies, and so on. It's the right blend of silliness and plausibility.
I also love that Shaw has introduced the concept that the various creatures have their own community, culture and traditions. It reminds me of a more morbid version of the various alien cultures in the Star Trek franchise.
Furthermore, I actually think it's smart that Shaw never explains how these humans and creatures for the most part co-exist in society; it just is. A brief backstory may have worked in the context of something like the True Blood series, but in this book it wasn't necessary.
As for what I mentioned above, that I have be certain of which criteria to evaluate the story upon, here is where that comes in. My comments on plot/action vs. world-building/character development will vary from one book to the next, to the point where two separate reviews of mine may seem contradictory. But it really depends on what the book is trying to be. If a book wants to be fast-paced and action-packed, then I will give it bonus points for succeeding with that. If the author is trying to write an emotional, gripping story, but it falls flat and/or becomes pretentious and superficial, that's a negative.
There are just some minor gripes. For example, the pacing was somewhat uneven, as was the balance between story and action. It had this paradoxical feel of being rushed and dragging on at the same time, especially portions of the story's finale. We have some bursts of suspense, but then there are long sections of dialogue that stand in danger of halting the story a little bit. I'm never opposed to exposition, but if it's solely a segment of just verbal back-and-forths without offering a bit of character development on the side, it can get tedious and can come across as padding.
The point is, Strange Practice doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it is. It's short and sweet, lighthearted and plot-driven, with both suspense, horror, and humor thrown into the mix. All of which is fine. This story is also a case where the main plot doesn't necessarily offer anything extremely original, but is charming enough to still be enjoyable.
I just personally had some minor issues with the aforementioned structure of the story arc, and the fact that we weren't given the chance to fully connect with the characters. This additionally puts the villains of the story in danger of being clichéd and one-dimensional.
Basically, there was nothing to directly hate. I liked it, even enjoyed it. I just wish I could have absolutely loved it. I still look forward to getting started on the follow-up!
Some books are hard to pinpoint. As far as I can tell, Strange Practice wasn't promoted as a young adult book, but it certainly has that quality. I'm also a bit unsure in terms of the vibe; is it intentionally quirky at times or just quirkily written? Don't get me wrong, the majority of my thoughts and my overall impression of this book is positive. But as for the story itself, it had some strengths and some weaknesses, although that depends on which criteria I base my evaluation. More on that in a bit.
First of all, I did enjoy it. I liked the idea, I think the characters were enjoyable for the most part, I found the novel to have some sprinkles of interesting world-building, and I definitely approve of the timelessness where it was set in modern times but had a whiff of an old, gothic/Victorian tale, as I always find that this vibe is very fitting for supernatural and mythical elements.
When it comes to the aforementioned world-building, I like the idea that supernatural creatures simply live among us in society, and that there is inclusive wording to address it. Instead of calling vampires "undead bloodsuckers" they are here considered to be "sanguivores" and "the differently alive." It's a nice touch. Dr. Helsing generally uses specific medical terminology based on the nature of the different creatures, implying that there are scientific reasons why garlic affects vampires, there's a rehabilitation program for ancient mummies, and so on. It's the right blend of silliness and plausibility.
I also love that Shaw has introduced the concept that the various creatures have their own community, culture and traditions. It reminds me of a more morbid version of the various alien cultures in the Star Trek franchise.
Furthermore, I actually think it's smart that Shaw never explains how these humans and creatures for the most part co-exist in society; it just is. A brief backstory may have worked in the context of something like the True Blood series, but in this book it wasn't necessary.
As for what I mentioned above, that I have be certain of which criteria to evaluate the story upon, here is where that comes in. My comments on plot/action vs. world-building/character development will vary from one book to the next, to the point where two separate reviews of mine may seem contradictory. But it really depends on what the book is trying to be. If a book wants to be fast-paced and action-packed, then I will give it bonus points for succeeding with that. If the author is trying to write an emotional, gripping story, but it falls flat and/or becomes pretentious and superficial, that's a negative.
There are just some minor gripes. For example, the pacing was somewhat uneven, as was the balance between story and action. It had this paradoxical feel of being rushed and dragging on at the same time, especially portions of the story's finale. We have some bursts of suspense, but then there are long sections of dialogue that stand in danger of halting the story a little bit. I'm never opposed to exposition, but if it's solely a segment of just verbal back-and-forths without offering a bit of character development on the side, it can get tedious and can come across as padding.
The point is, Strange Practice doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it is. It's short and sweet, lighthearted and plot-driven, with both suspense, horror, and humor thrown into the mix. All of which is fine. This story is also a case where the main plot doesn't necessarily offer anything extremely original, but is charming enough to still be enjoyable.
I just personally had some minor issues with the aforementioned structure of the story arc, and the fact that we weren't given the chance to fully connect with the characters. This additionally puts the villains of the story in danger of being clichéd and one-dimensional.
Basically, there was nothing to directly hate. I liked it, even enjoyed it. I just wish I could have absolutely loved it. I still look forward to getting started on the follow-up!