"The Casual Vacancy"-J.K. Rowling

Book Title: The Casual Vacancy
Author: J.K. Rowling
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780316228534
Published: September 27th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Number of Pages: 503
Genre: Fiction

SYNOPSIS: In small town Pagford, England the normal routine of its inhabitants has a wrench thrown into it when Barry Fairbrother dies on the night of his wedding anniversary. As a Pagford Parish council member his death becomes the talk of the town pretty quickly. Howard Mollison, the head of the Parish Council, hears the news with a secret thrill because Barry Fairbrother was his enemy. Now that Barry is dead Howard is hoping to fill his seat with not just an ally but with someone that will follow his lead in all things, his son.

Dr. Parminder Jawanda hears the news in the local deli and finds that her world quickly begins to crumble around her. Barry Fairbrother was her best friend in the whole town and without him she has no one on her side. Krystal Weedon, a teenager from the wrong side of town who had never had any one believe in her, hears the news and feels that it's all over for her. With her mother addicted to drugs and her bad reputation and record at school Barry Fairbrother was the last person she had, had who truly believed in her.

In such a small town the news travels quickly and things begin to go off kilter a bit. The underlying war between Pagford, Yarvil (the neighboring larger town) and the Fields, the small area where the poor, out of work, and drug addicts live, turns into an all out brawl. Howard Mollison wants to move the property lines of the Fields from Pagford Parish into the Yarvil district and close the addiction clinic. And so he begins to rally his troops around him and starts making the moves necessary to put his son on the council. Meanwhile violently trying to save the clinic Parminder and those that are like minded start trying to put one of their own in the seat.

While their parents are grieving and trying to figure out what move to make next the teenagers of the town begin fighting their own battles on many fronts. Including ones with their parents trying to find a certain sense of independence from their various tortures. Hurtling to a dark and frightful head the town finds itself quickly tumbling further and further away from what they know and all that they believed to be safe. Secrets become uncovered and the tightly wound lives of the Pagfordians begin to unwind in the worst ways. All because one man died leaving an open seat on the council, leaving a casual vacancy. 

REVIEW: I'm sure most people that review this book will talk about J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter but I'm not going to except to say this, I really loved the series and her writing and was interested to see what she had to say in a different genre. I was not all that impressed to tell the truth. I knew going in that she had written this for adults, that it was supposed to be dark and that it was 'very English.' I was prepared for all that and went into it open minded. It shut down pretty quickly.

I was confused as to why the first chunk of the book was dedicated to people discovering that Barry Fairbrother had died. I read that book cover to cover and I still don't understand why it was so important how people found out that he died. I kind of get the importance of him dying and all the repercussions of that but it made no sense to me that how people found out was so important.

Her writing was well done as it always seems to be. Intriguing and well thought out, descriptive and poetical in many ways. But the story wasn't anything special and it wasn't all that people made it out to be. Sure there were dark parts to it, and yes there were swear words put in there and she even talked about sex but none of this makes it a good adult book. Now I know that she said in an interview that this book was going to be a very British book and that she wasn't sure if her American audience would like it. I don't want to be rude but that is no excuse. Look at "David Copperfield," by Charles Dickens, "Sense & Sensibility" by Jane Austen, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," by Lewis Carroll all British novels by British authors that translate beautifully. These are books that were meant for their particular time and place (although yes an argument could be made that Carroll's 'Alice' is appropriate whatever the setting), but people are still reading them today and falling in love with them. Being a "British" novel doesn't excuse a poor telling of a story.

Some of the stories within the main framework were indeed dark and sad but the way I heard it I was taken aback but how average the darkness was. I don't mean to take away from the story in any way shape or form but don't expect darkness at every corner it's just not there. And though the characters are all high school age and older, except for one three-year-old, the fact that she adds swearing, sex, and drugs doesn't mean she is automatically now an adult author. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of J.K. Rowling and think that she is immensely talented and I eagerly await her next book because I think that she has a great adult fiction in her, but to me right now she is still J.K. Rowling the genius behind the Harry Potter Series.

I'm not going to say don't go get it because that's like saying don't think about a bright pink elephant walking through Times Square because the first thing you'll do is think about a bright pink elephant walking through Times Square. Or you'll think about not thinking about it and let's face it that's the same thing. Sorry tangent, anyway "The Casual Vacancy" is just too much of a mystery to people, everyone is going to buy it. To read it in some form or another because we all have to see what this great woman who has launched something so untouchable like Harry Potter has to say next. But maybe wait until you can borrow a copy from a friend or check it out from the library because I don't know if it will be worth it to you to own. Alright so I mentioned Harry Potter once or twice but I couldn't help it, that is what she is known for and I did say she was a genius and that it was untouchable so really I can't be fined.

I guess what I am saying is this, I didn't love the book and I didn't hate it. It was just ok and I mean that, it was simply and completely ok. But don't take my word on it, after all what do I know? This is one that people are going to read no matter what I say, it's just one of those books, like the Seven Wonders of the World, you have to see it to believe it.

"The Malice of Fortune"-Michael Ennis

Book Title: The Malice of Fortune
Author: Michael Ennis
Version: ARC
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385536318
Number of Pages: 416
Genre: Historical Fiction

REVIEW: Alright I was going to try and do this all proper like with a synopsis and everything. But I just can't, mainly because I read 2/3rds of it and I still don't have a clear idea of what it's about. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a murder mystery that Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli team up to solve. It was also supposed to be the story behind Machiavelli's 'The Prince.' I was kind of excited about the whole thing. But I ended up being severely disappointed. It turned into this complicated, confusing account of something that I can't quite figure out. It's a bad thing when I have read most of the book and had time to think about it and still have no idea what happened.

There were parts that kept me interested and wanting to read more. Those ended up being few and far between unfortunately and the rest was white noise. I honestly found myself blanking out a lot and not remembering what it was that I had read. I really didn't like the way things were put together and the way the story stopped and started so much.

The writing was mediocre and rather confusing with Italian words thrown in with no explanations. The worst part of it was that there was no poetry to it, it was dry and read rather like a textbook, boring. I don't want to be rude but this is how I felt while reading it. I found that I stopped caring what happened and now that I put the book down I don't think that I will ever have to pick it up again. I wanted to read it all the way through in order not only to find out 'who done it' but also to give a fair review. But I just couldn't do it. I read enough to know that I just don't care and I can't recommend it.

It's a shame because it is such a good basis for a story, it had such potential. I am highly disappointed in the whole thing though and feel as if my time was wasted. I know that you are probably wondering if I disliked it so much why did I read so much of it. To answer that I have to say that I was hoping it was going to get better. I had faith and found eventually that I hit a wall and had to stop. And though I gave it only one star on goodreads it wasn't really that I didn't like it, it was more that I just didn't care.

Anyway there that is, a bad review. I was recently asked if I ever gave a bad review and usually the answer is no because if I don't like something I stop reading it. And I don't think that it is fair to give a review off of a few chapters of a book. With this one however I felt that since I did read so much of it I could give my honest opinion and still say I read it. I hope you guys don't mind a bad review but I feel that it is my job here to not only give you suggestions as to what books to read but also to be as honest as possible as to what books to stay away from. Unfortunately this is one of the latter.

Author Interview #2-Jing Suh

A second author interview post for your viewing pleasure! This is paired with the review of "The Falling Rainbow" that I posted yesterday. I hope dear readers that you read both these posts and enjoy. I have fun putting up these interviews and I really hope you enjoy reading them. Without further ado please read on!

 

 

 

1)      What was the inspiration behind “The Falling Rainbow?”

Unfortunately, my initial inspiration for this novel was my friend's death. When she passed away, I had no idea how to deal with it so I just starting writing this short story about someone who was forced to deal with the sudden death of a loved one. Of course, the story takes its own turn, but it certainly helped me cope. By the way, her name is Amanda Palumbo. I never really dedicated the book to her because the book goes in such a different direction but it really does exist because of her. She always did inspire me and, even after she passed, she still seems to.

 

2)         Why did you decide to self-publish?

        I decided that I wanted this book to just find life. The experience of self-publishing is a lot different than I thought but I just wanted this book to be available right away. I also felt that with a published novel, it would make it maybe just a tiny bit easier to find bigger publishing for my next novel because now I've somewhat proven myself.

3)      What was your writing process?

After I finished the short story, I found myself writing about the history of one of the characters. I found him intriguing because he's a dark, sarcastic fallen angel. It was incredibly fun writing about him and allowing his character to take control of the story so I kept going with it. After I was done, I realized I had a novella, so I added another storyline which I managed to connect to everything. I had no idea where I was going with that last storyline, which is about a girl named Symphony who has a price on her head and the reader does not know why. With people trying to kill her, you just naturally root for her. I allowed that part of the story to write itself and it became the most rewarding part. It's also the part I'm most proud of and the one that gets the most compliments. I didn't realize why they were trying to kill her even as I was writing it but then it hit me and it really, in my opinion, makes the book worth it. So, I wrote without much direction in the beginning but, for some reason, it works well for this story.

4)         This was such a unique book, were you consciously trying to write for a small audience?

No, I was just writing to please one person and that was myself. So, actually, yeah! I did consciously write for a small audience of one. Ha! But, I knew that if I felt it lived up to my artistic standards than it truly would be a piece of art first and a novel second and I do consider myself an artist in writing so I was happy with it when it was completed and I felt that if it really was something unique then that in itself would make it special and possibly make it popular in its own way. I've met people who said they would never have read my book if a friend or co-worker or whoever it may be didn't push it on them and now they're glad they did because they really enjoyed it. That makes me feel incredibly happy.

5)        Do you have any authors who inspire you?

I'm not directly inspired by a specific author. My favorite book is a Chinese swordplay book by Gu Long written about 3 decades ago called “Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword.” I love his style of writing but most of the books that inspire me are ones with depth of character. “Picture of Dorian Gray,” comes to mind, maybe that's more along the lines of my book, actually.

6)        What’s next for you in the writing world?

I'm currently working on a Chinese swordplay novel of my own. Now, this one is more along the lines of a Gu Long novel. It's something like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” in terms of its adventure style but there are a lot of characters and it's been, thus far, a very detailed novel. I'm spending more time crafting this story than I have any other piece of artwork that I've created so I'm putting a lot into it and I'm hoping for a lot out of it but as long as it lives up to my new standards then I'll be happy with it. It's nothing like “The Falling Rainbow,” though that's probably another reason why I'm writing it. During a time where most writers stick to one sure thing, I believe that diversity is the most important trait for a writer to have. Wish others felt that way but maybe I'll be the one who changes their minds.

"The Falling Rainbow"-Jing Suh

Book Title: The Falling Rainbow
Author: Jing Suh
Version: Hardcover
ISBN:9781434359667
Published: September 1st, 2008
First Published: September 3rd, 2007
Genre: Fantasy
Voice: Third
Number of Pages: 272


SYNOPSIS: It all starts with a fall. Angels and demons fighting for the soul of a young woman. Ancient societies searching for a book thought to be long lost. A woman fighting to regain equilibrium after the love of her life died. A wise woman carrying around the secrets of the rain. This makes up the cast of characters of a fantasy tale that has yet to be told.

Samantha has just lost the man she loves more than life itself and is trying to find a way to keep her head above water. As she tries to make a decision about moving on and seeing her husband again she finds herself being counseled by a fallen angel and a woman who seems to know her in and out.

Meanwhile a mysterious woman named Symphony is being chased by different factions of an ancient order hoping to find her and kill her. For as long as she can remember Symphony has been running from these people and now she has a lead on a wise woman who can protect her. A woman who knows the secrets of the rain.

A fallen angel named Antares guards the gates to hell. He takes the souls of those that fall into his hands and turns them into sculptures. Through his evil and hatred there shines a lonliness and a desperation to go home. He is trying as hard as he can to get back into heaven fully forgiven by his Father. But with his long list of indiscretions he is finding the path much more difficult than he imagined it would be.

Together this cast of characters make up a darkly woven tale that begins one place and turns so many times that everyone ends up somewhere unexpected. A tale so intricate and unexpected it will leave you feeling unsettled and wanting more. After all it all ends with a fall.

REVIEW: This was written by a friend of mine. Knowing that I was a reviewer he asked me to read it. I was surprised by it many times over. I ended up really enjoying it which was a truly pleasant experience. I found myself unable to put the book down and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

Jing Suh's writing was interesting, there was a lot of poetry to it that I enjoyed but it was often mixed with modern slang which at times shattered the illusion. And though it lacked editing, because it was a self published book, I found that the writing was still beautifully done. Heartbreaking at times even and three dimensional at others. The writing was different than what you see out there today and it was a nice change.

The story is something that was utterly unique and I am a sucker for unique stories. It isn't something for the masses, in fact this is a story that will have a very limited audience but I think that it makes it better. It is such an interesting story so rich and full of magic that if it had been tailored for a large audience it would have ruined it. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't commercial.

The characters are unusual and rather strange but wonderful at the same time. I liked that they were mystical and angelic creatures because it added to the magic of the story as well as the beauty of the whole thing. They were beautiful and rich and full of life in many different ways. I found myself really liking all of them.

This was such a strange book that I'm not sure if I can recommend it. But if you want something totally weird and out there and full of literal angels and demons that I say check it out. It's about angels, heaven, hell, love lost, redemption, and the fight for freedom. It's strange and beautiful and written in a new voice that at times soared and others became hard to follow but new and surprising none the less. "The Falling Rainbow," if you choose to go find it, will surprise you and intrigue you. I can tell you this for sure, it will be like nothing you have ever read before.