All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

 

Honestly, I cannot wait to see what my Book Club says about this one.

I think it will be half and half as to whether they like it.  And I can almost guess who will, and who won't.

Here's why:

This book is way too long.  It is very vague in some parts, drops hints that don't come back around until 3-4 pages later to explain, has fragmented sentences, deals with some really painful topics, makes you wonder what's real and what's imagined, and is very atmospheric.  Every character has a Part, however tiny, in why and how the story unfolds.  It does not all come together until the very end, and some felt that ending was less than closure.  Many readers will probably give up on this one as it was frustrating to read. 

I wonder what his editor was thinking.

There is no doubt that Whitaker is an exceptional writer.  His ability to create characters is amazing.  He may have taken on too many topics in this one.  

But.

Wow.

I still say wow.  I gave it five stars because I was finally able to look past all those "faults" and dig into the meaning.  Yes, it could and should have been arranged differently.  Yes, it could have been more clear.  But it was SUPPOSED to be that way!  We don't know what Patch doesn't know - and what he will never know we do know.  See?  Like that.

This book has one of the most beautiful connections to its title that I have ever read.  It is a beautiful love story - and not the romantic kind.  The SACRIFICIAL kind, to the point of yes, maybe some obsession on Saint's part (she's Patch's best friend - the one liners between these two are hilarious in a very dark book.  His name is for obvious reasons, so one day he winks at her and she deadpans "Technically when YOU do it, it's a blink".   He frowns. Bahahaha!)  

You'll ask yourself all kinds of questions with this one - mainly WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING??  It is convoluted, it is confusing, it is heartbreaking, it is kinda tough.  I took five pages of notes while reading it, and most of it was along the lines of wait, what? 

But you don't get to be a Reader without some beautiful ugly.*  

*Stole this term from a book by Alice Feeney - also a weird reality bending mystery!

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes

 

I wonder what I would have thought of this book if I had NOT read I Am Pilgrim and declared it just about the most perfect book??

We waited SO long for this book.  It has nothing to do with Pilgrim, but is another story of a spy, South- Central Asia 'stans, dangerous missions, MacGyver like escapes, and intrigue.  A lot of reviewers on Goodreads are saying don't read past about page 200 - because the second half goes off the rails.  Literally.  This IS a Thriller and a spy novel, but there is some sci-fi thrown in towards the end that just does not mesh.  I like sci-fi fine, but keep it in its lane.  It made the ending a disappointment for me, and while I can now see where he was going and how Kane was set up to save the world as only he could do.....meh.  

Now, having gotten THAT out of the way, I still gave it four stars.  It is a complicated story with flashbacks and trauma and human emotions - I love when Rebecca gives the CIA uppers what for (go girl!).  I enjoyed the tension, the obvious research into the regions, the military aspect, and the details about a secret organization and secret missions.  I was even still onboard (ahem) for the new submarine technology.  Kane has some inner conflicts that made him very layered, and to add in the family drama made him a very human asset (yeah, ok, I am having too much fun with this one).  The writing is great.  But the big twist just did not belong here.  Not sure how else they could have solved this issue of saving the world, but that is what writers do = suppose.  Great title, great characters, but if you are not the kind to set aside the realistic, this is not the book for you.  

And this from the girl who loves dragons in a book, so fantasy is fine!  Just, not here.  (No, there are no dragons here, just some really mind bending sci fi stuff that I cannot tell you more about without ruining the story!).