Same Song, Different Dance

November 1st, 2010

It is almost a guarantee that at some point in my literary journey I will experience bouts of deja vu.  I cannot expect to read stacks of books a month and never pick up on the similarities, but reincarnation? Talk about ironic.

Last week I reviewed Lauren Kate’s novel “Torment” which, (in short form) is a love story based on the inevitability of reincarnation. “The Eternal Ones?” Same lyrics, different music.

Haven is a high-school senior, well… not just any high-school senior, Haven is a high-school senior who blacks-out and has visions of a past life.  No biggie right? Not so much.  Growing up in a small town Haven’s visions have been tagged as the work of a demon, and to make matters worst, her grandmother is a bible toting, judgement hurling, watch-out she just might be the sister of Stalin, thorn in her booty.  Constantly affronted by visions of a cute boy and memories of New York buildings she’s never actually been too Haven sets off to get answers.  Armed with nothing more than a hand full of questions and a photographic memory she suddenly finds herself in the middle of something much deeper than she ever intended.  Is Iain Morrow really her mystery man? Why is it so important she stay away from Ouroboros Society, and who the hell are the “Gray Men?”

My 1 sentance review? I did not like this book.

The concept was great. Reincarnation, love, mystery, the suspicion of deceit, but the execution was less than fantastic. (think 5 hour layover in Tajikistan with no water.) The entire first half of this novel (when the heroine was still in her humble little town in Tennessee) drug, and I’m not talking slow paced, I’m talking so slow it looped on itself.  The characters kept repeating themselves, and to make matters worse, we got the hear the non-sensical ramblings of her grandmother in VERY extensive (completely meaningless) detail.  Now… if that alone was not enough to turn you off how about this… with the exception of 1 drug addicted artists, I disliked ALL of Miller’s players.  Where I should feel drawn to a character I was turned off, and in the end I would have been just as happy to close the book at 80% and assume they all got whacked.  The only redeeming quality I can even begin to point out is Miller’s spectacular ability to create several fluid lines of mystery at once.  It’s just to bad her lines of mystery focused on a tortured love story that read more “eh” than “ah.”

My final thoughts? Save your money. $11 is a little steep for a heaping pile of frustration.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember:  sometimes you get Deja Ooo and sometimes it’s Deja Poo.

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(2/5)

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Did I Really Just See That?

June 15th, 2010

There’s a couple of things I have learned after reading a few of Scott Nicholson’s novels. 1.  I think he should see a psychologist. 2.  I am never EVER going to the Appalachian Mountains, and 3.  He gets better with every thing he writes.

While most authors fluctuate in their ability to properly express themselves from novel to novel,  Scott seems to get more creative, and structurally sound every time he puts pen to paper.

Psychological thrillers and Supernatural Mysteries are 2 of the more complex of genres to write, they not only require a well thought out and established plot but they also require insight into the side of human psyche that society as a whole likes to disregard… the dark side, and to be able to pull off not 1 but at least 8 of these is more than impressive… it’s astounding.

“Drummer Boy” is just one more example of what Nicholson does best.  He takes folk tales (whether the tales are in his head or real is beyond me) and then spins them into a battle of wits between a large and complex cast of characters.

The Mountains are speaking, but the tiny town of Titusville isn’t exactly prepared for what they are saying. More focused on their upcoming Civil War reenactment than the whispers, the towns citizens chalk up a rash of mysteriously dressed soldiers to, too much booze or visiting actors, its just to bad that they blow off the fact that these same men seem to flicker and disappear with the blink of an eye.  Are these men really a troop of ghostly soldiers hell bent on finding a deserter and changing their fate, or are they just figments of a towns already over active imagination?

Nicholson’s characters were (once again) beautifully detailed and the overall plot was so “twisty turny” that it could keep any mystery junkie on their toes and flipping pages.

All in all…quality writing…good read. I don’t think it gets much easier than that.

Get it, Live it, Love it…pass it on.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if you hear banjos… I do not recommend running for the hill, there is some pretty creepy shit up there.

For a complete book description click image

(4/5)



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