On Mosquitoes & Soul-Searching: Review of Catherine Ryan Howard's BACKPACKED - A RELUCTANT TRIP ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA

I’ve been struggling to decide on an angle to take for this review, because every time I think about the book I’m distracted by fond memories of how good it is. Backpacked, by Catherine Ryan Howard, is the story of a reluctant traveller’s journey across Central America, and from the very first page I could tell it was a journey I needed to take too. The first line had me laughing, the rest of the prelude had me gagging to know how things came to such dire circumstances in the first place, and the remainder of the book certainly didn’t disappoint.

Although it detailed a true story I still (as always) want to look at it from a writer’s perspective. So with that in mind, why was it so good? Well first and foremost, the voice of the book sold it for me. It’s confident, funny, and brilliantly shows not just the author’s personality but the culture she comes from and the alien world she finds herself stuck in. At very rare moments I thought the editing could be tightened up a little – perhaps a sentence could be re-written in the active voice or a minor bit of repetition could be fixed up – but most of the time I was too enthralled to notice.

Another wonderful part of the book, largely thanks to that excellent voice, are the ‘characters’. The author and the best friend she travels with make a hilarious odd couple that emanate enough girl-power to have walked straight out of the pages of some chick lit novel, and you can’t help but wanting to hang out with them. Then there are the strangers they meet along the way. Whether it’s the crazy, the kind, the scary or the more-annoying-than-a-million-Honduran-mosquitos, they’re all painted so vividly I could have met them myself (although for some I’m glad I didn’t).

The same can be said of the settings visited throughout their adventure. The memories I have of this book feel like my own, as if I were the one doing the travelling. The attention to detail in the descriptions is excellent, and as you step off the bus into each new place you can see it, smell it, hear it and feel it too. And with just the right mix of drama, humour and a wee bit of soul-searching, the entire trip was a joy to experience.

8/10

On Cheese Rolling And Other Adventures: Review of Ian Usher's A LIFE SOLD

A Life Sold - Ian Usher

Wider Vision Publishing, November 4, 2010

Recently I wrote about giving up everything to chase your dreams, and about finding happiness despite the obstacles those dreams can throw at you (http://beyondthehourglassbridge.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/on-giving-up-everything-to-chase-your.html). This reminded me of a book that’s been on my TBR pile for two years now – a book about giving up everything and in return achieving so much more – and I knew it had to be the subject of my next review. A Life Sold follows the fascinating journey of a man who sold his life on ebay and lived – really lived – to tell the tale.

That journey began when, spurred on by the end of his marriage and the thought of an uncertain future, Ian Usher decided he needed a new start. He listed his house, possessions, an internship at his workplace and an introduction to his friends as one big package in an online auction, and walked away from the sale with nothing but a passport, some cash, and a list of 100 goals to achieve in 100 weeks.

The result is an impossible, inspiring, intriguing adventure.

Whatever’s on your bucket list, you can bet Ian’s achieved or at least tried something along those lines. Whether it’s taking a zero gravity flight, visiting the Seven Wonders of the World, swimming with whales or chasing a big cheese down a hill, he’s been there. And because the story is partially told through the blog posts he wrote at the time of completing each goal, you get the very real sense that you’re there too (although for the tasks like nude skydiving, I’m glad I’m only reading!).

The blog posts also break up the flow of narration nicely, and it’s very exciting to see the font change and know that another goal is about to tumble. There is a rawness to the editing in these posts that at times had me longing to grab a red pen to tackle an extra comma or bit of passive voice, but it is that down-to-earth-ness which makes the story feel so accessible and achievable, and before long you’ll be forming your own list of goals to tackle. (Mine so far? Getting my novel on the higher school certificate curriculum list and playing clarinet at the ancient amphitheatre in Athens. Never mind that I don’t play clarinet but hey, ‘what’s life without a challenge?’ as Ian might say).

My only real criticism is that at around 140 000 words, the story is long. I found myself skipping some of the in-between narration as I felt that it returned a little too often to the themes of loneliness and despair over the future, while I was just anxious to get back to the excitement of achieving another goal. Despite therefore missing some of the emotional subplot I still got enough of the build-up to enjoy a great ending, made all the more special by the fact that the story is so very real. The writing is funny, personal, heart-felt and descriptive, allowing you to climb onto the rollercoaster that was two years of Ian’s life and enjoy the ups and downs with him. Some readers won’t agree with the decisions he took while on that ride, but that just makes more food for thought. And that, in itself, is just another strength of what is overall a thoroughly enjoyable read.

7/10



P.S. This is a new blog. Anything you could do to spread the word would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Review: The Fallen Queen - Jane Kindred

The Fallen Queen - Jane Kindred

Entangled Publishing, November 30 2011

I won’t lie, this is the first book review I’ve done since primary school. I’ve been thinking about writing some for a while, but when I finished The Fallen Queen I knew this was it. What can I say? It’s just one of those books you can’t stop talking about.

I want to start with the characters, since they are still resonating so strongly in my head. Two in particular had me regularly cracking up, but they weren’t just there for comic relief. Their struggles were as heart-wrenching as they were heart-warming, and while I thought I had the romantic subplot guessed, I was thrilled to be proven wrong more than once. The main character was neither flamboyantly bad-ass nor a damsel in distress and instead had moments of both, and it was that combination which made her actions ring out as honest, true, and very likeable. The villainess was beautifully portrayed (and by that I mean I can feel the diamonds woven into her silken robes beneath my hands, such was the skill of her description) and I yearned to know more about her. In fact, my only complaint is that I felt she must have had a deeper motivation than she ever let on.

While we’re on the subject of descriptions, a lot must be said for the world building. The story took me from the pure and pristine scenes of Heaven to its fascinating back alleys and gambling dens, and then on to the spectacular European Alps, with such realism that any writer trying to improve their showing instead of telling should really take note. The descriptions are built up organically so that the information feels incidental yet turns out to be incredibly vivid, and the same techniques are used for characterization too. I can’t remember a single instance where description stalled the flow, and I love the use of unique and varying beats to show the characters’ emotions.

Again reading this as a writer, I loved the twisting plot and the constant increase in both internal and external conflict. Chapters often ended with dramatic one-liners but the effect is subtle and modest enough not to irritate. My only disappointment, if you can even call it that, related to a minor subplot. It had me absolutely fascinated from the start, only to be resolved halfway through with a two sentence explanation I neither understood nor wanted to believe. The book is part of a series thought, so with luck my questions will be resolved in the next installment.

There is a lot to applaud in the editing, too. Elegant descriptions clashed beautifully against the dialogue of some of the rougher characters, but the swearing was never gratuitous and only served to increase the emotional tension. There was a hardly a beat used twice, and hardly a clichéd description anywhere. And the fact that words were rarely repeated in close proximity to each other – an intense pet hate of mine – kept the pace fast and smooth.

Finally, the themes of the novel were embedded subtly enough that the message came through without me feeling lectured. I won’t mention my interpretations at the risk of spoiling anyone else’s, because whenever I read I like to mull that sort of thing over for myself afterward. And I’m sure over the next few days I’ll be doing just that.

Overall, a fantastic read with just the right amount of mystery and action. 8/10

P.S. This is a new blog. Anything you could do to spread the word would be much appreciated. Thanks!