Posts by: Paul Beimers
Review: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by Misc.
‘Slasher Girls & Monster Boys’ comes from April Genevieve Tucholke, who has brought together a roster of fourteen YA scribes (herself included) for the purpose of gathering us around the metaphorical campfire and telling us their best ghost stories. The result is about what you’d expect: an uneven but consistently entertaining trip through the joint imagination.
Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
There’s sabotage, scheming, and various twists enough for the bloodthirstiest and most action-hungry, and things end in a satisfying enough way to leave the future open to plenty of possibility without being too open-ended. None of it is truly new or unique (in comparison to the setting, anyway), with plenty of reliance on those familiar rehashings of the dangers of overconfidence, the importance of friends, and so on. But all of it (generally speaking) has been done before, right?
Review: Room by Emma Donoghue
Think of “Room” as an experiment of sorts. It isn’t a lengthy or overly demanding piece, despite the hesitant progress and rereading that comes with its opening chapters and initially distracting presentation. It is the sort of book that, regardless of one’s final opinion, will stick to the back of the consciousness for days afterward, demanding contemplation and consideration.
Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
So, though I picked this poor novel apart, I applaud Taylor for ending it all as she did. It works. It works well. She made some interesting (some may say poor, some may not) decisions, yes, but she was kind enough to bid adieu in a manner that was both expected and unexpected, bright and dark, perfect and problematic.
Review: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
It is doubtful that one will truly like every piece found here, but so too is it unlikely that one will dislike them all. The important thing to note is that the highs and lows are evenly spread throughout and for the most part mild in their permutations, and should consequently ensure an engaging reading experience from beginning to end.
Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
What’s left, then, is a sequel that tries to do many things and fails at nearly all of them. It is both too self-contained to feel a proper continuation of a preexisting story and ongoing series, and too listless to work as a memorable piece of fiction in its own right. It is both too open-ended in regards to some plotlines and too conclusive when it comes to others. It presents a façade of evolution by lazily pushing forward uninteresting threads and finalizing ones that should have gone on whilst bringing the most important enigmas to a frustrating stasis.
Review: The Shining by Stephen King
It’s frightening, it’s complex, and it’s a wild ride. True, the author can get bogged down in tedious descriptions and exposition, and lose the power of his subtlety with the inevitable climax of extravagance that tends to make an appearance near the end, but the plot is no less compelling because of either tendency.
Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Ultimately, this is a story about the humans (those on both sides of the great mortality debate) that live in a dangerous world and how they find peace within it. There’s plenty of violence thrown in, of course, but it never feels excessive or pointless. Instead, it helps further the story and give depth to the characters and their actions.
