Book Review- Noah Hawley's Before the Fall

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, for providing me with an advanced copy of Noah Hawley's novel, Before the Fall, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- A private plane en route from Martha's Vineyard to NYC, mysteriously crashes into the Atlantic. There are two survivors that managed to survive a night in the frigid ocean to swim ashore: a middle-aged painter and a four-year old boy, the son of a powerful business man who died in the crash. As details of the passenger manifest emerge, more questions than answers arise, putting both the dead and living under high-profile public scrutiny. 

LIKE- Hawley is a terrific writer. I adored his novel, The Punch, and he's the showrunner for one of the best series on television, FX's Fargo. Hawley can write the hell out of a story and Before the Fall is no exception. It's fantastic.

Structure and character development are strong. Hawley deftly moves the story back and forth through time, to give a context for each character who was involved in the plane crash. The character flashbacks don't always have a direct relation to the plot of the plane crash investigation, but they do serve to give us context for the characters actions...simply stated, "The Characters, Character." This is a large cast, but every character is vibrant and fully developed.

 I was so absorbed in the character development, that it wouldn't have even mattered if the mystery of the plane crash was never resolved. In case you're worried, the crash does have a resolution, but that mystery is secondary to the story of the character's lives. Before the Fall plays with themes of our snap judgement/ social media culture and the way that the media can  rip open a tragedy, reducing those involved to edited or ficticious versions of themselves, soundbites...this theme mixed with the detailed observations of the characters lives, makes a powerful statement. You might even feel a little guilty or shamed after reading. I did. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. 

RECOMMEND- Hawley is such a talent. Before the Fall is a must-read book of 2016. Everyone will be talking about it, and it has already been optioned for a film, with Hawley as the screenwriter. Can't wait.

Book Review- Matthew Norman's We're All Damaged

Thank You to Little A for providing me with an advanced copy of Matthew Norman's novel, We're All Damaged. 

PLOT- After being dumped by his wife during dinner at Applebee's, Andy Carter begins his downward spiral. He has a mental breakdown at work resulting in a recommended indefinite leave of absence. He can't relate to his family, especially his mom with her fast rise as an ultra-conservative radio host. The kicker is when Andy becomes a Youtube sensation after causing a scene at his best friend's wedding. Alone, jobless, and friendless, Andy runs away from Omaha and heads to New York City. Things are okay, until he learns that his grandfather is dying and he must return to Omaha to face the mess that he left behind. 

LIKE- Start to finish, I loved We're All Damaged. It's irreverent, filled with surprises, and absolutely hilarious. Norman's characters, writing style, and humor remind me of two of my favorite authors, Tom Perrotta and Jonathan Tropper. I hesitate to say too much about the plot, because the unexpected really made it a joy to read. Just know that it's filled with quirky, yet relatable characters and an unusual plot. My stomach hurt from laughing, but I was also overcome by the profound moments. Andy is a character that just can't seem to get his act together, but he will win your heart and you'll keep turning the page in hopes that his life gets better.

DISLIKE- Not one thing. Except, I was hoping to find a Youtube video of Andy at the wedding. That would have been an excellent promotional tie-in. I checked, couldn't find anything. Come on Little A, make it happen!

RECOMMEND- Yes!!! We're All Damaged is one of my favorite reads of the year and I've already purchased Norman's first book, Domestic Violets, because I wanted more of his writing immediately. 

Book Review- Iain Reid's I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Iain Reid's novel, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT-  Our narrator is an unnamed woman, who is on a road trip with her boyfriend, Jake, to meet his parents who live in a rural community. Something is unsettling about the scenario, but it's hard to determine who might be in danger. Could it be our narrator, who is given a ominous warning by Jake's parents and see creepy things, like a portrait that seems to be her, in their house. Or could it be Jake, with the narrator's inner thoughts that she's "Thinking of ending things"?

LIKE- I'm Thinking of Ending Things has tons of atmosphere. It's unnerving and creepy. I couldn't quite tell where it was heading, but Reid masterfully dropped just enough hints to string me along and keep me turning the page.  I read the book in a single afternoon.  

Right out of the gate, I was engaged in the story, although admittedly my interest waned in the last third of the book (the scenes in the school), however, it was quirky enough to keep me reading to the end. It reminded me of an episode of the show, Lost, with regard to lots of unexplained, odd things happening and I needed to know how the puzzle was going to come together.

DISLIKE- The ending. It was okay, but it didn't meet my initial expectations for the story. I guess I anticipated the ending and was hoping that it wouldn't turn out to be what I had anticipated. I was waiting for a twist that never quite panned out. This isn't to say that the story doesn't have a surprise ending and I suspect that some readers will not anticipate it, thus getting a much greater surprise, enjoyment out of the story. I'm not sure that I can think of a more logical resolution either, but I had hoped for something different.

RECOMMEND- Yes, primarily for Reid's strong narrative and keen ability to write suspense. He's a talented writer and I look forward to his future works.