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The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
“I think a lot of people would elect to be dead if they didnt have to die.” By turns, blunt and meandering The Passenger presents its readers with an unsparing tale permeated by existential angst. Cormac McCarthy’s prose is uncompromising: much of the narrative consists of dialogues: rambling conversations, mystifying backwards and forwards, sharp repartees,…
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 3rd pov, 4 STARS, addiction, ageing, ALIENATION, ambiguous protagonist, ambivalent mood, America, atmospheric, bad love, bars & restaurants, Cormac McCarthy, dead girls, DEATH, desire, dialogue heavy, endless monologues, existentialism, experimental, feverish, FLORIDA, GRIEF, grit lit, GUILT, hallucinations, hauntings, history, i don’t think happiness is for me, Ibiza, Idaho, incest, introspective, ISLAND, Kafkaesque, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, literary references, Longing, Louisiana, madness, MEMORY, mental health, Mississippi, morality, MYSTERY, nature, New Orleans, no plot just vibes, no quotations marks, obsession, paranoia, philosophical, PSYCHIATRISTS & THERAPISTS, psychological, psychology, published in 2022, read in 2022, road trip, schizophrenia, science, scientists & co, sea, siblings, Southern America, spain, suicide, survival, terrific prose, The Passenger, tragedy, trans side characters, war, western -
Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong
Nobody’s Magic is a promising debut novel by a clearly talented author. Destiny Birdsong’s compelling and vibrant storytelling is certainly immersive. She also has a knack for rendering a strong sense of place as Shreveport, Louisiana almost functions as a character itself. The dialogues too flow easily and ring true to life. The novel is…
3.5 STARS, Adult, America, Black & Black heritage authors, class, coming of age, Contemporary, Destiny O. Birdsong, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), family, fathers & daughters, female authors, GRIEF, identity, interconnected stories, lesbian side characters, lgbtq+, Louisiana, mothers & daughters, Nobody's Magic, PRIVILEGE, published in 2022, queer, read in 2022, SEXUALITY, Southern America, strong sense of place -
Revival Season by Monica West
“Papa had carefully cultivated our belief in him. He never said it outright—Believe in me as you believe in God—that would have been obvious blasphemy and idolatry. But he was the all-consuming presence that had filled my entire life, taking up all the space in the house and in revival tents. In its absence was…
1st pov, 3.25 stars, abuse, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, Adult, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, arizona, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Christianity, Contemporary, Faith, family, fathers & daughters, female authors, Louisiana, Mississippi, Monica West, mothers & daughters, My reviews, netgalley, Oklahoma, published in 2021, read in 2021, reading, Religion, Revival Season, road trip, siblings, Southern America, Summer, texas -
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett — book review
“At first, passing seemed so simple, she couldn’t understand why her parents hadn’t done it. But she was young then. She hadn’t realized how long it takes to become somebody else, or how lonely it can be living in a world not meant for you.” Brit Bennett’s second novel is a tour de force. The…
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 20th century, 3rd pov, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, abuse, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, ALIENATION, AMERICAN AUTHOR, beautiful prose, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEWS, Brit Bennett, California, class, colorism, family, FAMILY SAGA, female authors, HISTORICAL FICTION, identity, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, Longing, los angeles, Louisiana, MARRIAGE, motherhood, mothers & daughters, New Orleans, NEW YORK, passing, published in 2020, RACE, re-reads, read in 2020, read in 2021, read in 2022, rural setting, sexual assault/abuse/rape, SISTERS, SMALL TOWN, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, social issues, Southern America, The Vanishing Half, trans side characters, trauma, twins, Washington DC
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