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jstilts's reviews
84 reviews
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well, this is embarrassing as I'm interviewing the author soon - I'm going to read at least three more of his books before then so pray for me! Hopefully, as a comedian, he'll see the funny side in this.
Basically I was surprised to find I didn't really enjoy this murder mystery book, as it seems to have become an absolute phenomenon, with TV adaptations and multiple sequels and rave reviews with the general public! For me I didn't find the light tone particularly funny, there were a few too many similar main characters (I could never get Erin, Katherine and Lucy straight in my head), the mystery-of-the-past being unravelled was incredibly labyrinthine and itself prone to unnecessary twists (even up to the final page post-solution) and frankly I didn't really care enough about it compared to the present-day murders (which, unfortunately for me, were obviously intrinsically linked). I mean kudos to the author for working this all out but I needed a whole wall with red string connecting people and times and places and motivations and how they changed.
The book makes a big deal out of following a set of rules and deconstructing and mocking the genre - which is fine, it's more than ripe for it - but somehow this peek-behind-the-curtain wasn't very interesting to me and kind of took the fun out of what was left while not even really sticking to the *spirit* of the rules anyway. Probably if the rules were not constantly referred to this wouldn't have bugged me so much - it was like it was trying to be clever at the expense of being engaging.
Bad sign: when the murderer's identity was revealed I actually physically rolled my eyes (there should be a LOL'd equivalent for that - RME's?). Looking back it's probably the smartest thing about the book (and I reckon it'll play GREAT on the television adaptation) but with the rest of the plot being so hard to chart I was all out of patience for another wrinkle. Considering the whole book is about interpersonal dramatics and this is a big moment, I can't believe the rest of the characters were so blasé about it! Surely now is the time for extreme emotions and OTT reactions! It's one of the few times I can confidently say the book made a genuine mistake rather than just being not for me.
Possibly this book may have been on a hiding to nothing with me because I'm not really interested in family dramas (had too much of that in real-life thanks) - and this is ALL family drama ALL the time. If I were to write a positive review I'd call it "a juicy family murder mystery where secrets of the past must be unravelled before something something something".
On the positive side: it eventually grabbed me enough to make me see it through, there was one GUT PUNCH of a memory of a death about halfway through that brought a tear to my eye, and I did laugh occasionally. I don't buy the last minute romance though, but I was amused the most by their interactions throughout the book.
So my two star rating might be a little harsh, but honestly if I didn't have to read it for an interview I might have given up early. Sorry Ben!
Basically I was surprised to find I didn't really enjoy this murder mystery book, as it seems to have become an absolute phenomenon, with TV adaptations and multiple sequels and rave reviews with the general public! For me I didn't find the light tone particularly funny, there were a few too many similar main characters (I could never get Erin, Katherine and Lucy straight in my head), the mystery-of-the-past being unravelled was incredibly labyrinthine and itself prone to unnecessary twists (even up to the final page post-solution) and frankly I didn't really care enough about it compared to the present-day murders (which, unfortunately for me, were obviously intrinsically linked). I mean kudos to the author for working this all out but I needed a whole wall with red string connecting people and times and places and motivations and how they changed.
The book makes a big deal out of following a set of rules and deconstructing and mocking the genre - which is fine, it's more than ripe for it - but somehow this peek-behind-the-curtain wasn't very interesting to me and kind of took the fun out of what was left while not even really sticking to the *spirit* of the rules anyway. Probably if the rules were not constantly referred to this wouldn't have bugged me so much - it was like it was trying to be clever at the expense of being engaging.
Bad sign: when the murderer's identity was revealed I actually physically rolled my eyes (there should be a LOL'd equivalent for that - RME's?). Looking back it's probably the smartest thing about the book (and I reckon it'll play GREAT on the television adaptation) but with the rest of the plot being so hard to chart I was all out of patience for another wrinkle. Considering the whole book is about interpersonal dramatics and this is a big moment, I can't believe the rest of the characters were so blasé about it! Surely now is the time for extreme emotions and OTT reactions! It's one of the few times I can confidently say the book made a genuine mistake rather than just being not for me.
Possibly this book may have been on a hiding to nothing with me because I'm not really interested in family dramas (had too much of that in real-life thanks) - and this is ALL family drama ALL the time. If I were to write a positive review I'd call it "a juicy family murder mystery where secrets of the past must be unravelled before something something something".
On the positive side: it eventually grabbed me enough to make me see it through, there was one GUT PUNCH of a memory of a death about halfway through that brought a tear to my eye, and I did laugh occasionally. I don't buy the last minute romance though, but I was amused the most by their interactions throughout the book.
So my two star rating might be a little harsh, but honestly if I didn't have to read it for an interview I might have given up early. Sorry Ben!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Vomit and Abandonment
Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend by Donnie Sergent
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
It does what it sets out to do - present factual material on the Point Pleasant Mothman sightings of the 1960s, which - regardless of your beliefs of what was really going on - certainly had a very big impact on the people of the city at the time. The book consists of a potted history of Pt Pleasant from 1770s onwards, eyewitness reports written in the days after the original sightings, a very large number of newspaper clippings, personal correspondence between author/investigator John Keel and his contacts in Pt Pleasant - and most interesting - a recent interview with the primary eyewitness Linda Scarberry that differs slightly from her original account.
While these historical documents are presented plainly (often scans of the originals alongside the typed transcript) a little context would have been appreciated: who took down and stored the original eyewitness accounts - John Keel, the police, someone else? The newspaper clippings are often undated, and a timeline to go with them would have helped. Strangely the Silver Bridge collapse is barely mentioned and doesn't feature in the clippings aside from a passing comment in an obituary. The letters from John Keel fair a little better, but a timeline would have helped greatly here too.
I appreciate the authors ideal to present the materials without conjecture, but there's nothing wrong with adding a little context. With the historical documents so well presented it would have been easy to visually seperate the documents from a narrative.
In summary: despite it's shortcomings this book is worth getting just for the fascinating recent interview with Linda Scarberry (and her original eyewitness account). It's a touching interview that casts a new light on the whole affair, and gives us a very human connection to the strange events that created such a sensation in the city and in the press.
While these historical documents are presented plainly (often scans of the originals alongside the typed transcript) a little context would have been appreciated: who took down and stored the original eyewitness accounts - John Keel, the police, someone else? The newspaper clippings are often undated, and a timeline to go with them would have helped. Strangely the Silver Bridge collapse is barely mentioned and doesn't feature in the clippings aside from a passing comment in an obituary. The letters from John Keel fair a little better, but a timeline would have helped greatly here too.
I appreciate the authors ideal to present the materials without conjecture, but there's nothing wrong with adding a little context. With the historical documents so well presented it would have been easy to visually seperate the documents from a narrative.
In summary: despite it's shortcomings this book is worth getting just for the fascinating recent interview with Linda Scarberry (and her original eyewitness account). It's a touching interview that casts a new light on the whole affair, and gives us a very human connection to the strange events that created such a sensation in the city and in the press.
The Jaws Log: Expanded Edition by Carl Gottlieb
funny
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
It's rare I get through a non-fiction book so quickly, and I was a little surprised as this book - first published in 1975 - alternates between being quite dry and oddly jovial but in a very old-fashioned kind of way, so not an obvious page-turner.
Indeed it's slow to start as it covers the ENTIRE making if the movie starting with purchasing the rights for the book through to the first test screenings - but it becomes quite compelling from about Chapter 4 onwards when it becomes clear to the reader and the crew that nobody had ever made a film like this before, with challenges that just couldn't be properly planned for.
It's not an entirely satisfying book - way too much is crammed in to go into as much annecdotal detail to truly bring it to life, and coming from just one voice gives the whole book too much of the same flavour.
Nevertheless this is still essential reading for anyone who has ever been interested in what goes in to making a movie, especially a movie as great as this and as insanely ambitious in how it was shot. Almost any one incident in the shooting of this for any other movie would make you go "wow, what a crazy thing to happen, lucky that movie ever made it to the screen!" but here it's an endless stream of wild occurrences that should have ruined the movie or resulted in the death of cast, crew or destruction of finished film, sets and equipment.
Indeed it's slow to start as it covers the ENTIRE making if the movie starting with purchasing the rights for the book through to the first test screenings - but it becomes quite compelling from about Chapter 4 onwards when it becomes clear to the reader and the crew that nobody had ever made a film like this before, with challenges that just couldn't be properly planned for.
It's not an entirely satisfying book - way too much is crammed in to go into as much annecdotal detail to truly bring it to life, and coming from just one voice gives the whole book too much of the same flavour.
Nevertheless this is still essential reading for anyone who has ever been interested in what goes in to making a movie, especially a movie as great as this and as insanely ambitious in how it was shot. Almost any one incident in the shooting of this for any other movie would make you go "wow, what a crazy thing to happen, lucky that movie ever made it to the screen!" but here it's an endless stream of wild occurrences that should have ruined the movie or resulted in the death of cast, crew or destruction of finished film, sets and equipment.
What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A charming little book of short repetitive-in-structure tales of people wandering into a library just as they are at a turning point in their careers, and indirectly finding the inspiration they need to make a wise choice from the slightly unearthly librarian.
As with similar Japanese books the structure may stay the same but you see it differently through the fresh eyes and differing perspectives of the starring character of each story, keeping the book fresh yet cosily familiar - and eventually the stories, set in a small ward, start to overlap in pleasing little ways. It's rather a shame when it all comes to an end - while it took a few chapters to warm to this book, I could read more and more.
As with similar Japanese books the structure may stay the same but you see it differently through the fresh eyes and differing perspectives of the starring character of each story, keeping the book fresh yet cosily familiar - and eventually the stories, set in a small ward, start to overlap in pleasing little ways. It's rather a shame when it all comes to an end - while it took a few chapters to warm to this book, I could read more and more.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism
Bread and Honey by Eric Carle, Ivan Southall, Avan Southall
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A strange book full of foreboding, less a coming-of-age than a very strange turning point in a thirteen year old Australian boys life. Michael spends ANZAC day missing his family, pondering his transitional phase from boy to man, exploring a beach with a mysterious younger girl - and being pursued by the awful town bullies.
An almost stream-of-conciousness book filled with dread, confusion and wonder - and never quite going in the directions you expect it to. While this is presumably aimed at teens of Michaels age, it's tense and complex and unexpected - definitely worth reading by adults.
An almost stream-of-conciousness book filled with dread, confusion and wonder - and never quite going in the directions you expect it to. While this is presumably aimed at teens of Michaels age, it's tense and complex and unexpected - definitely worth reading by adults.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Blood
Michael Chabon's the Escapists by Brian K. Vaughan, Michael Chabon
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A comic book about 3 people trying to make a comic book - pretty straightforward relationship stuff, but quite touching in the end.
There's love, grief, obsession, corporate greed, guerrilla marketing and a sort of coming-of-age - except the age is probably around 30!
Reads like a true story, but turns out this is a loose graphic novel sequel of sorts to the novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by a different author who writes an introduction to this. It's completely stand-alone though, I only discovered this when trying to work out why it's called "Michael Chabon's The Escapists" when Michael only writes the introduction.
That introduction also reads like a true story - a touchingly funny anecdote about a close-to-blind man getting lost in a hotel looking for the bathroom - but is also fiction, and makes me want to read the original novel now.
There's love, grief, obsession, corporate greed, guerrilla marketing and a sort of coming-of-age - except the age is probably around 30!
Reads like a true story, but turns out this is a loose graphic novel sequel of sorts to the novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by a different author who writes an introduction to this. It's completely stand-alone though, I only discovered this when trying to work out why it's called "Michael Chabon's The Escapists" when Michael only writes the introduction.
That introduction also reads like a true story - a touchingly funny anecdote about a close-to-blind man getting lost in a hotel looking for the bathroom - but is also fiction, and makes me want to read the original novel now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
Archie vs Predator by Rich Koslowski, Fernando Ruiz, Alex de Campi, Jason Millet
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Probably not the right book for me, I've never read a "regular" issue of Archie, so a "What If" comedy was never going to land for me.
Still, even taking that into account this is pretty lightweight stuff, and I can't see it being much more funnier nor interesting than it appears to be - which isn't very much.
Full of objectification "jokes" too, which is pretty yawn.
Still, even taking that into account this is pretty lightweight stuff, and I can't see it being much more funnier nor interesting than it appears to be - which isn't very much.
Full of objectification "jokes" too, which is pretty yawn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship
10 Dates by Bridget Van der Eyk
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is tough to review as I'm reading well outside of my comfort zone - and my low rating may well be a reflection of that!
This book follows the bitchy exploits of a group of young up-and-coming wannabe celebrities that have formed a "Brat Pack" on the Hollywood scene, where infighting, envy and a burning desire to uncover scandal threatens to pull the group of friends apart. With friends like these who needs enemies?
If this sort of drama - with lashings of fashion brand name-checking - is your thing, this book has it in spades. It's also a romance - one that takes a while to truly kick off, and rather a sweet one if you can get past the central conceit of a man blackmailing his way into dating somebody.
What stands out in the long run is the main character very slowly has the superficial glamour and bitchiness peeled away, revealing a genuine person beneath - it's only unfortunate that her true character remains very well hidden for a large chunk of the book. Certainly I had trouble sticking with it as she and her friends take so much time criticising their peers, being annoyed by each other and belittling people they see as beneath them. I had particular trouble with an early scene involving an unfortunate waitress who got mocked without short or long term remorse.
Still, even if the main character didn't exactly develop she did instead become slowly better revealed, and I'm interested to see if the sequel can take her in directions I find more palatable now she is away from her awful "friends" !
This book follows the bitchy exploits of a group of young up-and-coming wannabe celebrities that have formed a "Brat Pack" on the Hollywood scene, where infighting, envy and a burning desire to uncover scandal threatens to pull the group of friends apart. With friends like these who needs enemies?
If this sort of drama - with lashings of fashion brand name-checking - is your thing, this book has it in spades. It's also a romance - one that takes a while to truly kick off, and rather a sweet one if you can get past the central conceit of a man blackmailing his way into dating somebody.
What stands out in the long run is the main character very slowly has the superficial glamour and bitchiness peeled away, revealing a genuine person beneath - it's only unfortunate that her true character remains very well hidden for a large chunk of the book. Certainly I had trouble sticking with it as she and her friends take so much time criticising their peers, being annoyed by each other and belittling people they see as beneath them. I had particular trouble with an early scene involving an unfortunate waitress who got mocked without short or long term remorse.
Still, even if the main character didn't exactly develop she did instead become slowly better revealed, and I'm interested to see if the sequel can take her in directions I find more palatable now she is away from her awful "friends" !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Stalking
Finn's Folly by Ivan Southall
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Considering the young age group this book was aimed at (it was published by Puffin) this is an absolutely devastating tale, masterfully told - and definitely not something to read a few chapters to the kids just before bed, or even in one go as it ends at an unexpected moment that had me incredulously shouting at the long-deceased author. I have SO many questions and I dread the answers - it's cruel to the reader but absolute genius!
I'll avoid spoilers and add some words of encouragement - this book was written a while ago and the vernacular used by the children (especially in the first few chapters) was a little strange to me, and the attitudes between brother and sister can seem a little misogynistic - but this isn't untypical between some bickering siblings, and it's worth pushing through this. The meat of the tale involves four children left in bed one night while their mother picks up their father from the train station. After time has passed and unusual noises are heard on the distant road, the children become afraid their parents are not coming back.
One aspect that only initially struck me as problematic is the way the children talk and think about their intellectually disabled brother, which I took at first as a "sign of the times" - but no, that's deliberate authoral intent to depict the children that way as later there are chapters from David's point of view, and it's a fascinating and sympathetic portrayal that shows how misunderstood he is in the book by adults and children alike.
I highly recommend this book - once read it's not easily forgotten.
I'll avoid spoilers and add some words of encouragement - this book was written a while ago and the vernacular used by the children (especially in the first few chapters) was a little strange to me, and the attitudes between brother and sister can seem a little misogynistic - but this isn't untypical between some bickering siblings, and it's worth pushing through this. The meat of the tale involves four children left in bed one night while their mother picks up their father from the train station. After time has passed and unusual noises are heard on the distant road, the children become afraid their parents are not coming back.
One aspect that only initially struck me as problematic is the way the children talk and think about their intellectually disabled brother, which I took at first as a "sign of the times" - but no, that's deliberate authoral intent to depict the children that way as later there are chapters from David's point of view, and it's a fascinating and sympathetic portrayal that shows how misunderstood he is in the book by adults and children alike.
I highly recommend this book - once read it's not easily forgotten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Misogyny and Vomit