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A review by tlbodine
Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen
5.0
A new planet, Obscura, has appeared in the solar system, and its presence is messing with radio signals -- and possibly time itself. After cataclysmic fire, Kyle Wolfe becomes unstuck in time, drifting between two worlds. In both, Kyle's life is slowly beginning to pull apart, and in order to bring himself some peace, he needs to work out exactly what happened -- and maybe find a way to enter another reality, one where he can still save his friends (and himself).
One of the things that attracted me to Obscura Burning was its setting. I spent a large portion of my teenage years near Shiprock, having gone to high school in nearby Aztec. Of course, the town where Kyle and his friends live isn't the real Shiprock, NM, but a fictional variant called Coyote's Luck.
It's an impressive feat, writing a book about northern New Mexico that manages to feel even remotely authentic -- especially when the author lives in Finland and has never visited the Four Corners.
The details are immaculately researched and more accurate than most fiction I've seen set in New Mexico. Still, the research is obvious, not organic, and a few of the details ring false. Simple things -- the use of 24-hour clocks, small verbal tics -- give away the author's European background, for example. There's also a handful of errors -- like referring to Albuquerque as the capital.
Nevertheless, I doubt that anyone living outside of the Four Corners would notice most of the small inconsistencies, and the fact that so much care has been given to detail is something that deserves high praise. Diversity is something often sorely lacking in books -- especially books aimed at teens -- and Obscura Burning has it in spades. Multiple ethnicities, classes and sexualities are represented here without their inclusion feeling "token" or preachy; everyone feels real and flawed and beautifully rendered.
Another of the great strengths of Obscura Burning: Its honesty. It doesn't flinch. Instead, it treats things with the kind of frankness and -- at times -- brutality that they deserve. I respect that in a book, especially a YA title. The prose, too, has several beautifully turned phrases and a handful of snicker-out-loud clever moments that make Kyle endearing as a narrator and show the author's skill.
Obscura Burning is a bit like Donnie Darko, both in subject matter and tone. The plot unfolds smoothly, and the time-travel mechanics are consistent and clever. There's a few tiny hiccups(Why does Dr. Cruz snap instantaneously from "this can't be happening" to "Oh hey, I know all about it, and here's a handy web forum I just happen to be following!"?) , but for the most part I was willing to sit back and enjoy the ride.
And then, of course, there's the ending. It's rare that I'm able to say, honestly, that I didn't see an end coming -- but this one had me writhing in uncertainty until the final page. The ending blindsided me, caught me completely off-guard, despite all of the puzzle pieces laid out in advance to set things up. This is a book that begs to be re-read so you can deconstruct the puzzle and find more clues to divine meaning from the finale.
Some people will probably dislike the ending. It's both untidy and ambiguous. But it also resonates in a way no other ending could have, and leaves you troubled and asking questions. Did it end the way I wanted? No. Most definitely not. But it may have ended the only way it could, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time yet.
One of the things that attracted me to Obscura Burning was its setting. I spent a large portion of my teenage years near Shiprock, having gone to high school in nearby Aztec. Of course, the town where Kyle and his friends live isn't the real Shiprock, NM, but a fictional variant called Coyote's Luck.
It's an impressive feat, writing a book about northern New Mexico that manages to feel even remotely authentic -- especially when the author lives in Finland and has never visited the Four Corners.
The details are immaculately researched and more accurate than most fiction I've seen set in New Mexico. Still, the research is obvious, not organic, and a few of the details ring false. Simple things -- the use of 24-hour clocks, small verbal tics -- give away the author's European background, for example. There's also a handful of errors -- like referring to Albuquerque as the capital.
Nevertheless, I doubt that anyone living outside of the Four Corners would notice most of the small inconsistencies, and the fact that so much care has been given to detail is something that deserves high praise. Diversity is something often sorely lacking in books -- especially books aimed at teens -- and Obscura Burning has it in spades. Multiple ethnicities, classes and sexualities are represented here without their inclusion feeling "token" or preachy; everyone feels real and flawed and beautifully rendered.
Another of the great strengths of Obscura Burning: Its honesty. It doesn't flinch. Instead, it treats things with the kind of frankness and -- at times -- brutality that they deserve. I respect that in a book, especially a YA title. The prose, too, has several beautifully turned phrases and a handful of snicker-out-loud clever moments that make Kyle endearing as a narrator and show the author's skill.
Obscura Burning is a bit like Donnie Darko, both in subject matter and tone. The plot unfolds smoothly, and the time-travel mechanics are consistent and clever. There's a few tiny hiccups
And then, of course, there's the ending. It's rare that I'm able to say, honestly, that I didn't see an end coming -- but this one had me writhing in uncertainty until the final page. The ending blindsided me, caught me completely off-guard, despite all of the puzzle pieces laid out in advance to set things up. This is a book that begs to be re-read so you can deconstruct the puzzle and find more clues to divine meaning from the finale.
Some people will probably dislike the ending. It's both untidy and ambiguous. But it also resonates in a way no other ending could have, and leaves you troubled and asking questions. Did it end the way I wanted? No. Most definitely not. But it may have ended the only way it could, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time yet.