An eventful narrative that’s hampered by lackluster humor and a disorganized plot.
Terminiello’s comic novel, set during a whirlwind sea voyage, offers a satirical look at the chaos and unrest of revolution.
This fast-paced, action-packed story uses Trip Torrent, the public relations director of the titular Climax of Dreams cruise liner, as its central character. He lives in New York City, an uncertain number of years in the future, and he describes the place as having “become the Crossroads of the World” in its vast diversity—as if it hadn’t already been so for more than a century. He also makes a point of referring to the people living there as “never-ending immigrant hordes.” Upon his arrival at work, readers learn that the owners have donated the Climax of Dreams to a group of refugees; shortly afterward, the ship is hijacked by an armed group led by the eccentric Simón Bolívar Francisco de Miranda Bernardo O’Higgins, who seeks to lead an uncertain revolution. From this point forward, the U.S. government gets involved in an attempt to rescue the refugee inhabitants of the craft—who have now become hostages—as well as defuse what’s become a volatile situation aboard the ship. But bonds form between Torrent and the revolutionaries, a media storm ensues, and, eventually, it becomes clear that not everyone’s goals are what they seemed to be at the start. Terminiello’s novel is fast moving and full of incident. But although the book is purportedly a comedy, it features many moments of intended humor that simply don’t land; the humor often uses sensitive issues as punchlines or relies on tired stereotypes (such as calling the New York mayor’s political party the “Democratic-Socialist-Neo-Nonsexualist Vegans”), while lacking in nuance or clever wordplay. These jokes often involve exaggeratedly elaborate descriptions, which makes the already highly eventful story difficult to follow. The narrative’s sequence of events feels somewhat aimless and lacking in either momentum or direction.
An eventful narrative that’s hampered by lackluster humor and a disorganized plot.Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9798888243510
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Koehler Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A weird, wild ride.
Celebrity scandal and a haunted lake drive the narrative in this bestselling author’s latest serving of subtly ironic suspense.
Sager’s debut, Final Girls (2017), was fun and beautifully crafted. His most recent novels—Home Before Dark (2020) and Survive the Night (2021) —have been fun and a bit rickety. His new novel fits that mold. Narrator Casey Fletcher grew up watching her mother dazzle audiences, and then she became an actor herself. While she never achieves the “America’s sweetheart” status her mother enjoyed, Casey makes a career out of bit parts in movies and on TV and meatier parts onstage. Then the death of her husband sends her into an alcoholic spiral that ends with her getting fired from a Broadway play. When paparazzi document her substance abuse, her mother exiles her to the family retreat in Vermont. Casey has a dry, droll perspective that persists until circumstances overwhelm her, and if you’re getting a Carrie Fisher vibe from Casey Fletcher, that is almost certainly not an accident. Once in Vermont, she passes the time drinking bourbon and watching the former supermodel and the tech mogul who live across the lake through a pair of binoculars. Casey befriends Katherine Royce after rescuing her when she almost drowns and soon concludes that all is not well in Katherine and Tom’s marriage. Then Katherine disappears….It would be unfair to say too much about what happens next, but creepy coincidences start piling up, and eventually, Casey has to face the possibility that maybe some of the eerie legends about Lake Greene might have some truth to them. Sager certainly delivers a lot of twists, and he ventures into what is, for him, new territory. Are there some things that don’t quite add up at the end? Maybe, but asking that question does nothing but spoil a highly entertaining read.
A weird, wild ride.Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-18319-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.
Roberts’ latest may move you to tears, or joy, or dread, or all three.
Every summer, John and Cora Fox visit Cora’s mother, Lucy Lannigan, in Redbud Hollow, Kentucky, leaving their children, 12-year-old Thea and 10-year-old Rem, for a two-week taste of heaven. The children love Grammie Lucy far more than John’s snooty family, which looks down on Cora. Lucy, a healer with deep Appalachian roots, loves animals, cooks the best meals, plays musical instruments, and makes soap and candles for her thriving business. Thea—who’s inherited the psychic abilities passed down through the women of Lucy’s family—has vivid magical dreams, one of which becomes a living nightmare when a psychopath robs and murders John and Cora as Thea watches helplessly. Thea’s description of the killer and her ability to see him in real time help the skeptical police catch Ray Riggs, who goes to prison for life. Although Thea and Rem go on to have a wonderful childhood with Grammie, Thea constantly wages a mental battle with Riggs, who tries to use his own psychic abilities to get into her mind. Over the years, Thea uses her imagination to become a game designer while the more business-minded Rem helps manage her career. Thea eventually builds a house near Lucy, where a newly arrived neighbor is her teen crush, singer-songwriter Tyler Brennan. Tyler has his own issues and is protective of his young son but slowly builds a loving relationship with Thea, whose silence about her abilities leads to a devastating misunderstanding. At first Thea tries to keep Riggs locked out of her mind. As her powers grow, she torments him. Finally, she realizes that she must win this battle and destroy him if she’s ever to have peace.
A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781250289698
Page Count: 432
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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