Josh Krysak
This was so unique, so smart, so fun and laugh-out-loud funny. It's full of heart, too. An urgent love letter to our world with all the trappings, good and bad, that comes with it.
*4.5 stars. The primary reason I can't give it five full-fledged and gleaming stars is that I wanted more. I loved the storytelling and the simplicity of all that is Bob Comet. I wanted more in the senior home and from delightful cast of characters there. I wanted to stay by the sea with 11-year-old Bob and see how his sojourn would have continued with his unique companions. I wanted to understand the tragedy of early 20s Bob. And, I wanted to know what he was reading. All along, his books meant so much, but we weren't offered that glimpse. I loved this book but can't help but finish it feeling a bit melancholic and a tad disappointed, but perhaps that is the point entirely.
Unfortunately, this book is not good. It is flimsy, poorly drawn and the characters are hollow and pretty vapid. Disappointed.
*2.5 stars. There are some brief passages of exceptional writing. There are ideas here that have so much promise and are pretty interesting and unique concepts. There are slight flickers of James Hilton and H.P. Lovecraft. But there is also a lack of cohesion. There is poorly executed epistolary style. There is B movie drama blanketing poorly developed characters, despite what seems like great pains to give them depth but ultimately makes them hollow. I was intrigued, then disappointed.
I am so disappointed that this wasn't for me. I had great expectations, as I love tomes and horror, but for a myriad of reasons, this one didn't connect.
Baffling, bizarre, slow, claustrophobic, thought-provoking, satirical. This was something. I totally get it won't be for everyone, but I like weird and ambiguous and I liked this.
Golden is my white whale author - I have loved the start of so many of his novels but I am always disappointed in every second-half and ending. I want him to finish one of his promises one of these times. If he keeps writing them I'm gonna keep opening them and hoping, because the imagination and the writing ability is there. This one came closer than most, but it still fell flat by the final third, for me.
*4.5 stars. This novella isn't perfect, but it's laugh-out-loud funny, surprisingly touching, and weirdly inspiring. Imagine Andy Weir writing about backyard astronauts, then toss in a big dash Carlton Mellick III, a touch of T.C. Boyle and a bit of Kevin Wilson masquerading as Hunter S. Thompson and you'll be on the right track. I enjoyed the hell out of this irreverent ride and I am so thankful Hendrix decided to update and release. It's a shame that ampersands coded incorrectly in the printing on several occasions - hitting the page like “& amp ;” each time - but who cares. I'm just happy this little nugget of ridiculous dissonance is in the world.
*4.5 stars. This wasn't perfect but pretty darn close. It was beautiful, haunting, and riveting.
Stories that are equal parts thoughtful and melancholic expertly interwoven in unique high-stakes situations appear to be Brooks-Dalton's wheelhouse. I gave her debut novel four stars this one four and a half creeping toward five. I cannot wait to read what she writes next.
A thrilling read and a nice start to a new year of reading. Braverman paints the challenge that real nature presents with expertise. Some ambiguity may cause some readers to sour, but life is full of ambiguity.
After initially considering dropping this to 3.5 stars, I have found myself remembering it fondly and feeling it had large swaths filled with what has always made the best Stephen King novels exceptional - incredible storytelling. So, it's a 4-star final rating for me.
Enigmatic, brooding, sharp, sarcastic, intelligent, vain, humorous, cantankerous, pompous, and keenly observant, Rickman was a self-possessed but also kind and certainly led a fascinating, star-filled life. I very much enjoyed reading his musings and thoughts in this collection of his bullet-form diary entries.
*2.5 stars. There were passages here that had Malerman qualities that love, but he can be very hit or miss for me. This one - was a miss with too much repetition and too much teen-speak.
