Katherine_M

Look What You Made Me Do is touted as "a black comedy of love, trust, resentment, and entitlement."

From Booker-longlisted author John Lanchaster, this revenge tale revolves around two women: Phoebe, writer of the British hit TV series 'Cheating' (and her partner Tony), and 'baby boomer' Kate (and her architect husband Jack). Kate believes she sees her decades-long marriage in the details of the show and enacts revenge on Phoebe.

The story is told through first person accounts, with long sections of stream of consciousness, with some major plot points only slowly being revealed through meandering thoughts. Some of them are enjoyable, like an indulgent peek into the minds of narcissists; as a result, staying focused on the plot of the book was sometimes difficult.

The characters in this London-set novel, are wholly unlikeable—and I generally don't have an issue with this—but in this case, I didn't have a stake in what happened to these people. The full consequences of their actions aren't revealed until the final pages of the book, and the payoff was a little unsatisfactory and rather abrupt. There is little suspense to this battle of betrayal, given the outcome.

For a novel that is centered around a revenge plot, this is a character-driven story and it takes a long time for much to actually happen; the characters' relationships are essentially the focus, rather than the actions of the characters. It takes cleverly crafted writing to pull this off, but it may not work for a reader who expects the storyline to be more clear. This sets this book squarely in literary fiction territory, rather than suspense or women's fiction (or any other category that the character's actions, or readership that the novel may suggest).

There is very little time devoted to the 'Cheating' TV show (there are some script pages included); the novel may have been strengthened with more focus on the TV series.
The novel is incredibly British (I say this as a Brit living in the States), so be aware of this if you think you will be bothered by English punctuation and spelling differences; there are many expressions like "getting off with" someone and mentions of English places and shops (US readers might have to look them up, if they don't recognize them). These things may add to the charm or may drive a reader bonkers. But the language is essential, given the choice of perspective that Lanchester chose for this novel. I would have loved more comedy from this 'black comedy;' the topics of affairs and revenge might not be funny for some readers, but the dry humor could have been pushed a little further in this case.

If you enjoy a revenge tale with a literary bent, one that delves into the minds of resentful, snotty people, this is it.

Loner Singaporean schoolgirl Adeline Siow, can summon the power of the fire goddess, flames to her fingertips, and only realizes the full scope of this power when her mother is killed in a home blaze. At the fiery heart of this story is revenge for this killing, discovering that her mother was the head of a girl gang called Red Butterfly. When Adeline loses her mother and immerses herself into the Butterflies, she becomes close with Ang Tian, another Butterfly. Adeline's life changes completely, moving from a world of school rules and homework at St. Mary's, and becomes immersed in the dangerous gang world of Singapore's red-light district.

Set in post-colonial Singapore, 'When They Burned the Butterfly' is filled with ancient magic, seedy brothels, and warring territorial gangs. The book is set in 1972 Singapore, a newly independent country experiencing a period of rapid change; there was a lot of change and modernization throughout Southeast Asia at this time, even with the Vietnam War still going on. It's a country with many different nationalities, immigrants, and languages, which resulted in a distinct culture. It's an interesting backdrop that inspired Singaporean author Wen-yi Lee to write this novel.

To set a book in such a distinct time period should invite rich historical details, especially when a book describes itself as a historical fantasy: everything from the colonial buildings, the funeral parlors, clothes drying on laundry poles in windows, food markets, street vendors, European cars, to the seventies fashions of the time. There was also a lot of poverty in some areas, which incentivized public campaigns to 'clean up' Singapore. Lee grew up in Singapore but in years far later than the one portrayed in the book; Singapore became a sanitized and strictly ruled country, and I couldn't help but feel that this affected the way Lee wrote (I may be wrong). She could have gone further in describing the red-light district and the violence, especially in an adult novel. It was hard not to think of the sensory elements that 'Butterfly' could have been expanded upon (I was fortunate enough to grow up in Hong Kong, and visited Singapore for the first time as a child, and traveled to many countries in Asia).

The strength of the novel lies in the relationship between Adeline and Tian, who develop deep romantic feelings for each other; their bond adds complexity to the story in general, and it encourages Adeline to discover more about herself. Rage drives Adeline throughout the novel; this overarching theme is the anchor and motivation for her actions, driving her to avenge her mother's death. Despite the length of this novel, it's still somewhat hard to feel close to the main character; there are so many side characters and different gangs to keep track of. It's easy to forget Adeline is a teenager, given her behavior and background. The magic and power system could have been more purposefully described; it comes across as relatively vague. Readers who enjoy this element of fantasy may yearn for more when it comes to understanding how this fire magic works. I found it a little jarring to leave the world of young girls at school, to a world of prostitution and violence (the former being abandoned in an instant). Perhaps there could have been a choice to make Adeline older, instead of another adult fantasy focusing on a teen character; it seemed that Lee shied away from doing so, maybe for fear of losing YA readers.

This is the adult fantasy debut of Wen-yi Lee, whose first novel was a young adult horror, so the author is taking the leap from YA to adult literature, something that seems to be quite common, particularly in the fantasy and horror marketplace. Lee is lyrically gifted, but I would trade some of the dialogue, places on a map, and characters, for more dynamic world-building and action. All that said, 'When They Burned the Butterfly' has a unique setting and Lee is a fresh new voice, who will only get better as she writes more; I hope she writes more books set in Singapore.

A Land So Wide begins with the discovery and settlement of the town of Mistaken, its name suggesting a brutal and imposing landscape, a wilderness that doesn't seem to want these 18th-century Scottish explorers there. The Canadian wilderness provides physical challenges and harsh weather, along with the bounty of natural resources; the townsfolk are at the mercy of bears, wolves, and ruthless beasts known as Bright-Eyed. The town is protected from these monsters by Warding Stones, and the townsfolk make offerings to an invisible Benevolence to keep them safe.

Greer MacKenzie feels trapped in Mistaken, bound by its traditions, but is deeply in love with Ellis Beaufort, someone who is not deemed worthy of partnership by her father, wealthy landowner Hessel MacKenzie. She dreams of continuing to draw maps and exploring the wider world that she knows must be beyond the stones' boundaries.

This dark fantasy, Erin A. Craig's adult debut, is divided into two parts: Mistaken and The Wilds. The first half, set in the town of Mistaken, is steeped in the ideas of the 'old country,' including one where young women must commit to The Hunt, which happens once every seven years. They must hide in the woods, and the men seek out their new wives. Rich folklore and backstory occupy this space but do little to move the plot forward (the first half is similar to The Grace Year by Kim Liggett).

The second half tells a quite separate story, where Greer goes into the woods to search for Ellis, who disappeared during the Hunt. There are dangers she only imagined, and she uncovers a secret that steers the book in an unexpected direction. She is generally a strong 27-year-old protagonist, but sometimes seems like a hapless teenager whom the author may be accustomed to writing.

The landscape is so imposing that it is a character in its own right; foreboding and atmospheric, this is what Craig has done so well with this novel. Where it falters is with the different storylines, which could've been served better with either more in-depth development (to connect the story and character arcs) or a significant edit of the first half, so that it didn't occupy as much of the entire novel.

Since this novel is marketed as an adult publication, and while the fantastical and horror elements are captivating, Craig could have ventured further to step out of the young adult arena, which she already writes with finesse. The ending comes to an obvious, if not rushed, conclusion and may leave the reader wanting more from the land of Mistaken. Despite the flaws of Craig's first foray into adult publishing, it will be interesting to see what comes next.

This coming-of-age graphic novel is from best-selling author and illustrator Jen Wang, a story about young Ash, who feels alone and misunderstood, and decides that finding Grandpa Edwin’s cabin in the woods could mean a fresh start. Ash leaves home, with survival gear, supplies, and dog, prepared to create a new life in the California wilderness. It is a powerful and heart-wrenching story on multiple levels.

Firstly, this is a beautiful book. Looking at a single page—drawings of nature, rich in color and detail—sometimes stopped me in my tracks, even though I read this book in one sitting. The artwork is why I would go back and look through ‘Ash’s Cabin’ again, because it was that visually captivating,

Thematically, this is one of the most ambitious middle-grade/YA graphic novels I’ve read in a while, not just for the fact that it approaches gender identity and self-discovery, but while Ash is on this personal journey, there are complexities, especially surrounding the implications and dangers of running away, that may need further discussion with some readers;. Two themes that be explored further are the family relationships, as well as mental health. The emotional gravity behind some of the actions, as well as the weight of understanding gender identity remain with you. Even though Ash embarks on a journey that could have had a far more serious outcome, we applaud the courage but empathize with the motivations.

A young person, one who learning about their place in the world, their gender identity, and sense of self; will hopefully take away the beauty of Ash’s story … and not feel so alone.

There was a lot to like about this book, although I can see why some people would find it frustrating; there is a huge cast of characters, and there are multiple timelines. The writing style is also very pointed; Liz Moore uses a lot of very detailed writing, a matter-of-fact style that isn’t very flowery, or ‘pretty.’ It doesn’t help that most of the characters are unlikeable, so if that bothers you when reading, you might not enjoy this for that reason alone.

I like getting swept along in all the details, but they have to move the story forward to be necessary. (I think they were all necessary, but I didn’t have the time to pore through the text to analyze whether that was the case, when all was said and done.)
Overall, this must have an incredibly complex book to write (and edit), and I was mostly in awe of that, even if I was a little underwhelmed by the actual mystery or climax upon finishing.