A review by laure
GLEEM, by Freddy Carrasco
5.0
In storytelling, the adage goes that the more specific your story is, the more universal it feels.
Even though Freddy Carrasco's vision of the future (think Missy Elliott videos back in the day) seems like it would feel very distant from anything I've lived, Carrasco puts plenty of details in his stories, that everyone can find something that feels familiar, either to themselves or someone they know.
The themes and feelings he deals with (boredom, loss, escapism) are universal. But it's in the way he shows it to us. It feels very rooted in the worlds and characters he's created.
That, coupled with the personality and quirks he gives his characters, makes the characters feel like real people. It makes you feel invested in them.
I especially felt that way about the young group in the second story ('Swing'). Long after I'd turned the final page of 'Swing', I was still thinking about them and wondering what happened after the story ended and how they're doing now. (Needless to say, 'Swing' was my favourite.)
Read for the Magical Readathon: Charms (read a book with a white cover).
Even though Freddy Carrasco's vision of the future (think Missy Elliott videos back in the day) seems like it would feel very distant from anything I've lived, Carrasco puts plenty of details in his stories, that everyone can find something that feels familiar, either to themselves or someone they know.
The themes and feelings he deals with (boredom, loss, escapism) are universal. But it's in the way he shows it to us. It feels very rooted in the worlds and characters he's created.
That, coupled with the personality and quirks he gives his characters, makes the characters feel like real people. It makes you feel invested in them.
I especially felt that way about the young group in the second story ('Swing'). Long after I'd turned the final page of 'Swing', I was still thinking about them and wondering what happened after the story ended and how they're doing now. (Needless to say, 'Swing' was my favourite.)
Read for the Magical Readathon: Charms (read a book with a white cover).