Mohanraj does a much more convincing job of explaining the growing conflicts in Kaab & Tess' relationship, as My favorite episode so far this season!
Mohanraj does a much more convincing job of explaining the growing conflicts in Kaab & Tess' relationship, as that always-fraught taking-the-loved-one-to-meet-the-family occurs at a formal dinner - and does not go well.
In addition, we finally meet the much-spoken-of, but rarely glimpsed Honora, Diane's daughter. This is another family relationship that's strained, to say the very least.
Well-done drama in this segment...
Merged review:
My favorite episode so far this season!
Mohanraj does a much more convincing job of explaining the growing conflicts in Kaab & Tess' relationship, as that always-fraught taking-the-loved-one-to-meet-the-family occurs at a formal dinner - and does not go well.
In addition, we finally meet the much-spoken-of, but rarely glimpsed Honora, Diane's daughter. This is another family relationship that's strained, to say the very least.
The author has a very readable, light and fun style - but that doesn't make up for her complete lack of research. Pretty much everyone in this book menThe author has a very readable, light and fun style - but that doesn't make up for her complete lack of research. Pretty much everyone in this book mentions that they went to RISD - but there is not a single detail mentioned about the school, what it's like there, what Providence is like - anything. There's a scene at an auction at Sotheby's, and again - pretty sure the author never attended one. Also quite sure she never worked at an art gallery or requested a portfolio review. Equally convinced that she has never worked with law enforcement, nor did she actually look into the world of art forging in preparation for this book.
The protagonist might not the the brightest bulb, but I failed to believe that a college grad would not think to do a quick Google search to find out about the existence of expedited passports - and then, it never comes up in the book that such a thing exists and that she got scammed, either!
Oh, and I'm not even getting into the author's shaky grasp of how NFTs function. (See also: computer databases, &c.)
And to top it off... I expected some kind of explanation for the unconventional spelling of the character's name... but instead, the book mentions - I think, three times - that her name is "the blue-green color." Umm, that's "Viridian" not "Veridian." Did the author and every single editor simply miss that this is not how the color is spelled?
The description of this book made it sound like it was in the vein of Iain Pears' "Art History Mysteries." That whole series is EXCELLENT. Go read those instead....more
I love classic gothic novels, so the description of this book pulled me in. The mix of gothic and fantasy elements reminded me a bit of Tamsyn Muir's I love classic gothic novels, so the description of this book pulled me in. The mix of gothic and fantasy elements reminded me a bit of Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth series, but unfortunately this book doesn't go nearly as far over-the-top. While a few times it verges on some serious vampire sexiness, overall it ends up feeling very restrained. I wanted more... more weirdness, more atmosphere, more gothic darkness. It's a YA book, and while I often love stories marketed to young people, I guess this one was too 'teen' for me. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read the next in the series......more
I picked this up because I was impressed and challenged by Pinsker's 'A Song for a New Day.' This was the second book I've read by her. However, this oI picked this up because I was impressed and challenged by Pinsker's 'A Song for a New Day.' This was the second book I've read by her. However, this one was less ... impressive. It was still good, but I found it to be more of a light read.
A slacker-type young woman, Mara, is given a job as a production assistant by a relative who produces a home-improvement reality TV show. The gimmick: all the houses turn out to be haunted. Mara soon learns that a good part of her job is to provide 'evidence' of the hauntings for the cameras. But soon enough (unsurprisingly) some of the spooky activity doesn't seem to be faked...
However, the main focus of the book is really Mara's self-discovery, introspection and growth as a person... (Which she really does need... the level of her ignorance as portrayed by the author sometimes feels more believable for a 16-year-old than a twenty-something)... but the spooky horror element really takes a backseat to those themes, which was a bit disappointing at times. ...more
Really funny, clever and insightful, as well as timely. I had to stay up really late to finish it, and then the next morning I was really sad it was dReally funny, clever and insightful, as well as timely. I had to stay up really late to finish it, and then the next morning I was really sad it was done! I've already been recommending it to friends.
I don't want to say too much about it, because it's all about the slow reveal and the mystery. It's really well-written.
This is actually the first book I've read by Pargin - but it won't be the last!...more
The second 'mainstream' book from Chuck Tingle continues to be excellent entertainment with some pointed and timely social commentary. Set in the HollyThe second 'mainstream' book from Chuck Tingle continues to be excellent entertainment with some pointed and timely social commentary. Set in the Hollywood entertainment industry, Misha is a successful horror screenwriter who's still subject to the whims of his studio - and now they're pressuring him to 'kill off' two of his characters - a popular lesbian couple. Misha is reluctant to bow to this pressure - but when creepy stalkers dressed as his fictional characters start threatening him, he realizes this has escalated past normal office politics. And soon, we've moved right across the border into actual horror territory. The book is a true page-turner, but also is effectively thought-provoking and a great jumping-off point to seriously consider the role of popular media in our society and how the stories we're told function to reinforce social norms....more
You know how in a lot of books, there's a prologue that's written in really flowery, poetic language? It might be retelling a myth or legend, and it's You know how in a lot of books, there's a prologue that's written in really flowery, poetic language? It might be retelling a myth or legend, and it's it's probably set a long time ago and somewhere far away?
And then it ends, and you get to Chapter One, and things are suddenly 'normal' and there are relatable characters introduced, and regular dialogue, &c, &c. And it's always a little disappointing.
Well, this whole book is like that prologue. It tells the story of a demon/avatar that is devoted to a city, and the fearsome angel assigned(?) to destroy that city.
Whether you like it will largely depend on whether you enjoy the writing. The language is beautiful - it's like a long prose-poem. But the writing style also makes the setting and characters feel very abstract and distant. ...more
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