After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s time to kick things into gear and get back to the weekly update!
The Week in Books
And the Devil Cried by Kristopher Triana — 4.5/5 out of 5 stars
Our MC Jackie is one of the most vile, disgusting characters I’ve come across in a long time. Fresh out of prison, he soon takes a “job” involving the kidnapping of a young girl who is the daughter of a drunk driver who killed Jackie’s boss’ son. This story is a crime thriller at its most extreme and definitely not for everyone (let’s just say, trigger warnings would come with content warnings). But there’s something about Triana’s writing skills that kept me reading even when I hit some points where I just wanted to bleach my brain. If you like taking your reading experience to disgusting extremes, this book is for you.
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi — 3 out of 5 stars
The death of renowned surgeon and failed husband Kweku Sai reunites his scattered family and brings to light the family secrets long hidden. This was one of those “quiet” novels that examines family dynamics and disfunctions, mainly through flashbacks from various characters. Not bad as far as the plot, but I found it pretty slow-going, and at times choppy and confusing.
Anna by Niccolo Ammaniti — 2.5 out of 5 stars
In the near future, a virus wipes out everyone over the age of 14, then lies dormant in the remaining children until they, too, succumb when they reach puberty. Anna and her younger brother set out in hopes of finding help?/immunity?/other survivors?/ ??? The blurb drew me in on this one, and it started out well enough, but by the half-way point I had reached an eye-rolling, mind-numbing point of no return.
Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies
Palmetto by Ania Ahlborn — 4 out of 5 stars
Fair warning: if you have a fear of bugs, especially cockroaches, you might want to pass this one by! Palmetto bugs are basically large flying cockroaches and one of the few insects that make my skin crawl. This is the story of a young couple, expecting their first child, who move into a seemingly perfect home…key word seemingly! This felt like a blend of Rosemary’s Baby and any insect-centered horror movie you can think of, and even with my hatred of the lead insect I really liked this quick, creepy-crawly read.
Mojo Rising by Bob Pastorella — 3.5 out of 5 stars
A new drug called Mojo is interrupting Juney’s drug business, so he sets out to take down the competition. Add in the murders of his brother and cook and you get the set-up for a twisted tale of crime and revenge. Overall I liked this one, but I felt there was something missing that would have lifted the story to the next level. The ending was a bit of a letdown as well.
Stay safe and Happy Reading!