Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for capturing the '50s ('40s? '30s? I don't know enough of the history of the mob, but she captured it well), in all its atmosphere and otherwise, and she does the same here, even when she's working on what's basically a horror story.
This is a one-sitting read, which is good, but the day after I finished, I had to go back and re-read the ending because I couldn't remember how it ended. That's not a fault of the story, though, so much as it was me racing through it, due to its readability, and not paying close enough attention to the details. Still, Abbott is a good storyteller, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
Merged review:
Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for capturing the '50s ('40s? '30s? I don't know enough of the history of the mob, but she captured it well), in all its atmosphere and otherwise, and she does the same here, even when she's working on what's basically a horror story.
This is a one-sitting read, which is good, but the day after I finished, I had to go back and re-read the ending because I couldn't remember how it ended. That's not a fault of the story, though, so much as it was me racing through it, due to its readability, and not paying close enough attention to the details. Still, Abbott is a good storyteller, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books....more
The more I think about this book, the less I like it. It's serviceable at best, but it's hard to get truly engaged because the characters don't have mThe more I think about this book, the less I like it. It's serviceable at best, but it's hard to get truly engaged because the characters don't have much depth. Plus, it was weird going into this book with my only experience with Colfer being the Artemis Fowl series. This is on the other end of the spectrum as those books; it feels like he's trying his hand at being Joe Lansdale and ... well, not being that successful at it.
I didn't like the deliberately folksy/swampy lingo used throughout the book, either. It felt forced....more
I knew I was going to read this as soon as I first saw it. A Latina author giving us the backstory of Vasquez from Aliens? Sign me up!
I wish it had liI knew I was going to read this as soon as I first saw it. A Latina author giving us the backstory of Vasquez from Aliens? Sign me up!
I wish it had lived up to my expectations. It was still a decent read, but only about a quarter of the novel is about Jenette Vasquez; the rest is about her kids. It makes sense, though; the book is titled Vasquez, not Jenette Vasquez, after all.
I've read another book by Castro, and I liked its themes, though I had some quibbles with the narrative itself. The same is true here. She tends to have her characters give speeches instead of giving them real dialogue, and there's a lack of subtlety to how she writes that makes it less effective than it could be.
Still, this is an Aliens book unlike any other Aliens book that I've read so far. Sure, there's Weyland-Yutani there trying to find a way to weaponize and capitalize on the Xenomorphs, but this book is more about family than anything else. Hell, the Xenomorphs don't even play a major role in the book until three-quarters of the way through. I'll take that over another discovery-of-the-aliens or destroy-everything-that-moves Aliens novel....more
There's not a lot here that the die-hard Douglas Adams fan doesn't already know, but it's well worth the read, because (a) Douglas Adams, and (b) NeilThere's not a lot here that the die-hard Douglas Adams fan doesn't already know, but it's well worth the read, because (a) Douglas Adams, and (b) Neil Gaiman. This is about as close as we can get to a true collaboration, and it's a real shame that we never got one....more
This is another solid, "Yep, that's a Star Wars" book, which is a little misleading, since I'm enjoying the series overall. It's an interesting coda tThis is another solid, "Yep, that's a Star Wars" book, which is a little misleading, since I'm enjoying the series overall. It's an interesting coda to the Legacy of the Force series, since it's about getting answers to questions left after its conclusion. It's also about the natural progression of the galaxy after a power vacuum has been left behind, which is also pretty cool. The three authors (Allston, Golden, and Denning) are doing a good job of it all.
Bringing the Sith race back, though, is odd to me. It seems like a last-ditch effort to bring something new to the EU (which I suspect no one realized was coming to an end at the time). It was even more odd because I read these books in chronological order, so Lost Tribe of the Sith was one of the first books I read when I started reading the EU books, and now feels like ancient history. That book was actually a prequel for this series, originally released just before Fate of the Jedi. This is just further evidence that I need to read the canon novels in publication order so I have a proper sense of the worldbuilding....more
I always want to like Bellairs' books more than I do. I love his writing style, and the way he so effortlessly blends the serious with the humorous, bI always want to like Bellairs' books more than I do. I love his writing style, and the way he so effortlessly blends the serious with the humorous, but in the end, I like the ideas of his stories much more than I do the stories themselves. I saw another review say something to the effect of, "Great writing, but not much story", and I have to agree with that assessment. I read this one because (a) I saw it was standalone, and (b) I saw it was the only book he wrote for adult readers. What's interesting is that I kept thinking this book would be perfect for young kids.
I will say that Terry Pratchett and Robert Asprin owe a lot to this book, though, for Discworld and Myth Adventures, respectively. I doubt this was the first comedic fantasy novel, but the way it reads and the way it balances the humorous and the serious reminded me a lot of those two series....more
I went into this thinking it was an original story for this graphic novel (it's not; it's an adaptation of "Forbidden Brides" from Fragile Things), buI went into this thinking it was an original story for this graphic novel (it's not; it's an adaptation of "Forbidden Brides" from Fragile Things), but it's hard to feel disappointed when this is the kind of story that begs to be illustrated in the lurid tones that Shane Oakley uses here. It's a perfect blend of story and style, made all the better with the twist at the end of the tale.
Hardcore fans will definitely want to read this; casual Neil Gaiman fans (are there even such people as that who exist in this world?) should probably read one or the other. I'd recommend this one....more
I wish I could think of something positive to say about this book (it's Alan-Freakin'-Moore, after all), but I can't. I don't understand the point of I wish I could think of something positive to say about this book (it's Alan-Freakin'-Moore, after all), but I can't. I don't understand the point of it, unless it's just to tear down the magic of movies and show you how terrible everyone who's ever been a part of it is. It's relentlessly dark, overly gruesome, and completely nihilistic. There's not even any signature Moore deconstruction to give you a chance to reflect on the intellectualism of the genre; it's just one terrible, true story after another.
This is supposedly the last comic that Alan Moore ever wrote, and if that's the case, then good riddance. If this was where his career was going, I wouldn't have been along for the ride anyway....more
I think I would have liked this more had I (a) read more Gothic fiction, or (b) seen more old Hammer movies. It's was a well-told tale, but the languaI think I would have liked this more had I (a) read more Gothic fiction, or (b) seen more old Hammer movies. It's was a well-told tale, but the language was stilted like it was written in the 19th Century, the bad guys were over-the-top evil, and I felt like it did more telling than showing (which may have more to do with him trying to make it sound like an authentic Gothic novel). Janz did an excellent job of capturing the era, just through his narrative (I knew this was a turn-of-the-century story before he set the place or the characters), and I feel like I would have found this sufficiently eerie if I hadn't been rolling my eyes at what I kept seeing as cliches, but I now realize were just his homages to the genre. He does subvert some of the characteristics of Gothic literature, but it took me far too long to realize it.
So, yeah: Two stars, but in an "It's not you it's me" kind of way. I would read more by Janz (which should be easy; this guy has a ton of stuff), but I think I'd avoid his Gothic fiction. Fans and students of Gothic literature should have a field day with this....more
I can't remember if the other collections published by IDW had forewords by other artists and authors in the comics industry, but I noticed there's noI can't remember if the other collections published by IDW had forewords by other artists and authors in the comics industry, but I noticed there's not one in Crossroads. It's kind of a shame; I liked reading how Sakai had affected others in the field, and seeing how many different people these stories have touched. Then again, we're up to volume 37 here, so maybe there aren't enough people left who haven't already written one ... ?...more
Maybe I've been lowering my expectations along all of the EU books, expecting them to be solid three-star reads, so that these later books are feelingMaybe I've been lowering my expectations along all of the EU books, expecting them to be solid three-star reads, so that these later books are feeling more like actual stories and not just events from the history of the Jedi told to us, but I liked this book. It helped that I felt actual emotion at a major event in the story, but beyond that, the story was just much more engaging and personal....more
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