Oof. This has a very good set up, and Henry clearly loves horror movies, but it’s an absolute mess. After a promising first third that ends in a big aOof. This has a very good set up, and Henry clearly loves horror movies, but it’s an absolute mess. After a promising first third that ends in a big action, the second third just meanders and does nothing with the momentum that this action could’ve propelled. The ending is a big ole mess of come on. After two one stars, I think I can say I’ve given Christina Henry a chance and I will skip them going forward. No matter how good the covers and titles are. ...more
Very well written and comprehensive, if light on conclusions. Best chapter by far was the Red Scare/McCarthyism look in to the blackballed artists likVery well written and comprehensive, if light on conclusions. Best chapter by far was the Red Scare/McCarthyism look in to the blackballed artists like Dalton Trumbo. Also really enjoyed the chapter about the showdown between Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare In Love after reading Ed Zwick’s account in his recent book and the look into the “worst Oscars ever” which someone had recently shown me clips of, was interesting to get the backstory of how that came to pass (look up Snow White Oscars if you’re curious)....more
There's a lot to like about this, not the least of which is that Smith definitely has a way with words, as evidenced by the poem after which this collThere's a lot to like about this, not the least of which is that Smith definitely has a way with words, as evidenced by the poem after which this collection of essays is titled. However...
It repeats itself sooo oooo oooo much. It loops back on itself and not in the fun way that reveals something new with each passing, but like she forgot she told us this thing already and has to keep saying it, and then you're like, Mom, you told me this already, let's move on. It's tough to rate this fairly because after reading Leslie Jamison's recent book about her divorce, I'm finding this one so lacking in self-awareness and growth by comparison. I was gobsmacked at the end to find that this is not her first but her SECOND book about her divorce, and I stopped reading it as an artifact and wanted to reach out to her and see if I could help her move on.*
*To be extremely fair - her ex-husband does sound like a total knob and like she's definitely better off without him. Which is why I want her to get over it so badly so she can go make some other kind of art rather than dedicating so much print to being mad at this absolute DB. WE WANT BETTER FOR YOU, GIRL! THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE YOUR BRAIN!...more
ETA: Coming back to rate this 3.5 rounding up because I did genuinely enjoy it, even if it didn't really scare me,Man. I don’t know what to rate this!
ETA: Coming back to rate this 3.5 rounding up because I did genuinely enjoy it, even if it didn't really scare me, and because it is more creative and interesting than some of the other film/found footage/ horror movie books that are dropping into the market like every five minutes it seems. Not a rave review, I know, but I would recommend it, which is more than I can say for some others out there (**coughSILVERNITRATEcough**)
Even though the audiobook production was excellent and I really liked the full cast, I honestly think I would've enjoyed this a lot more in print, late at night. ...more
This was pretty entertaining and definitely ambitious—it sets a high bar that I’m not sure it clears, feels like some threads get dropped along the waThis was pretty entertaining and definitely ambitious—it sets a high bar that I’m not sure it clears, feels like some threads get dropped along the way and the ending is almost abrupt for how long it takes to get there. At its best it reminds me of old school Stephen King, at its worst it’s a post-Endgame Marvel multiverse flick…
I have to say that I do appreciate that the characters were confronted with a ton of weird stuff and for the most part they went along with it instead of spending 100 pages in denial about it. That was kind of fun.
Merged review:
This was pretty entertaining and definitely ambitious—it sets a high bar that I’m not sure it clears, feels like some threads get dropped along the way and the ending is almost abrupt for how long it takes to get there. At its best it reminds me of old school Stephen King, at its worst it’s a post-Endgame Marvel multiverse flick…
I have to say that I do appreciate that the characters were confronted with a ton of weird stuff and for the most part they went along with it instead of spending 100 pages in denial about it. That was kind of fun....more
Not rating because DNF. Just wasn’t holding my interest at all. Very on the nose and overly telegraphing what I’m guessing is coming next. Not investeNot rating because DNF. Just wasn’t holding my interest at all. Very on the nose and overly telegraphing what I’m guessing is coming next. Not invested enough to see if my guess is right. Would watch a TV show of it though. ...more
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for the ARC! This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year so I was really delighted to get a chanThank you to the publisher and Goodreads for the ARC! This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year so I was really delighted to get a chance to read it early. I'm a big fan of Rachel Kushner - The Flamethrowers and The Mars Room were both excellent in my opinion - and I think this one falls right in line with showing complex, not always likable, interesting women in stressful situations. I won't go into the plot too much, but "Sadie", our narrator and main character, is an ex-FBI operative working as a private agent hired by governments or corporations to help find or plant scapegoats to take the fall for political actions that can help get her clients' goals met. That's a little circular of a description but I liked the way that Kushner sets it up, and the different stories that Sadie tells us about her experiences so I don't want to go too deeply into what she does or how she does it. But the story finds her in the south of France on one of these assignments, and she shows us how she integrates herself into groups, how she plans actions, how she reads people, and it's really fascinating and well written (Kushner is so good at the sentence level, and Sadie feels like a real person, flaws and all). She's a tough cookie, and tough to like, but I was fascinated with the story and honestly couldn't put it down. I'm certain that a lot of people won't like the ending but I thought it was so perfect and keeps Kushner on my "must read" list for life. I feel like if you liked Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood, this would be another good one for you....more
I have had this on my most anticipated releases list almost all year long, so I'm bummed to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. It wants toI have had this on my most anticipated releases list almost all year long, so I'm bummed to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. It wants to be literary fiction, but the writing is pretty pedestrian and doesn't trust its readers to interpret or understand anything so like nothing is left implied. Everything is fully, thoroughly explained, which leaves no room for mystery or hidden agendas or surprises and also is just annoying, please trust us to get what you are saying.
Additionally, I don't think it's saying anything new about wealth or privilege or the people who want those things, so it's not even an interesting addition to that canon.
To make matters worse, it becomes at 60% through a kind of thriller that honestly doesn't make sense and makes the story even less interesting. I was baffled by this turn.
Add to this that the female characters are cardboard cutouts with no real inner depth and the changes to the main character don't feel like the motivation is very thoroughly built up such that his actions in the third act feel very shallow. If you want something half baked but dishy that skewers the rich and social climbers alike, I'd suggest watching Saltburn rather than reading this.
Rating for the audiobook narrator: 3 stars. Workmanlike. ...more
So. Much. Good. Gossip. Also kind of glowing about Woody Allen, so ymmv. I think this is really a 3.5 but for the most part, Zwick names names and I fSo. Much. Good. Gossip. Also kind of glowing about Woody Allen, so ymmv. I think this is really a 3.5 but for the most part, Zwick names names and I found it juicy so...rounding up....more
So, so smutty and so, so sweet. Pure unrealistic escapist fantasy, but who doesn’t need that every once in a while? (And honestly, far better from a cSo, so smutty and so, so sweet. Pure unrealistic escapist fantasy, but who doesn’t need that every once in a while? (And honestly, far better from a character development and emotional intelligence standpoint than most of its peers!)...more
4.5 rounding up. Most of this is excellent and should be required reading, a couple of arguments felt not as clear as they could be but otherwise very4.5 rounding up. Most of this is excellent and should be required reading, a couple of arguments felt not as clear as they could be but otherwise very compelling. I kind of want everyone with kids to read this. ...more
4.5 stars. I think this very slim book is doing a lot of very important things very quickly. It definitely left me wanting more about certain topics h4.5 stars. I think this very slim book is doing a lot of very important things very quickly. It definitely left me wanting more about certain topics he touches on (religion, the role of art, Americanness, violence) but he does say A LOT very succinctly. I was less interested in the section where he imagines a conversation with his attacker but I understand why he needed to do that for himself. ...more