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I would call this book sensationalist if I hadn't stumbled upon posts by people who are familiar with the places this book is based on, and the culture there, and confirmed that the language and attitudes are very close to the truth. The subjects which unfold are difficult to stomach but I still couldn't stop myself. The second half was the most uncomfortable but it's also the part I read the quickest, possibly because by then I had gotten used to the writing style and purpose.
Weirdly, this book made me think of Stephen King's Needful Things, a book I read more than 15 years ago now. Except the fiction of it was more prominent and therefore didn't seem as deprived (if that's the right word) and desperate as this. But the individual character point of view in Hurricane Season really added to the gossip/hearsay element of the book, which to be honest, is something quite familiar to me because of where I grew up.
I didn't think I'd give it 5 stars (although my rating system is a bit arbitrary) but here we are.
Now please give me something light and silly thanks.
Weirdly, this book made me think of Stephen King's Needful Things, a book I read more than 15 years ago now. Except the fiction of it was more prominent and therefore didn't seem as deprived (if that's the right word) and desperate as this. But the individual character point of view in Hurricane Season really added to the gossip/hearsay element of the book, which to be honest, is something quite familiar to me because of where I grew up.
I didn't think I'd give it 5 stars (although my rating system is a bit arbitrary) but here we are.
Now please give me something light and silly thanks.
This was a gorgeous read. It's a shame that life got in the way between the first section and the rest as it would have just been like one long gorgeous song if I read it in one go.
But nevermind that. This book was odd, with so many ideas going through my head of what it means. Dead papa toothwort is described by many as a boogeyman, but is he really? This is more of a stream of thoughts than a review.
I'd love to let this sit on my shelf for a few years, then pick it up again in a few years' time, I suspect many other things and feelings will stand out then.
But nevermind that. This book was odd, with so many ideas going through my head of what it means. Dead papa toothwort is described by many as a boogeyman, but is he really? This is more of a stream of thoughts than a review.
I'd love to let this sit on my shelf for a few years, then pick it up again in a few years' time, I suspect many other things and feelings will stand out then.
I enjoyed this, but I am wondering if it is because of what I had read previously? I sometimes wonder whether, if I had to read this later on I would have been less kind with my rating. It's all so arbitrary. Complete coincidence, but this book ended up having an oddly similar subject matter to The Stand which I have just finished. And boy did it do a much better job in a tenth of the word count.
I did like how the book was broken up with the different journals and letters but still held together with the main narration, constantly making me wonder why this resonated with the main characters so much. And at times making me, as a reader, question why it is also resonating with me. Am I also hiding something deep down that I am too proud or ashamed to share?
Anyway, I'll probably pick up her other books at some point so that's a good thing.
I did like how the book was broken up with the different journals and letters but still held together with the main narration, constantly making me wonder why this resonated with the main characters so much. And at times making me, as a reader, question why it is also resonating with me. Am I also hiding something deep down that I am too proud or ashamed to share?
Anyway, I'll probably pick up her other books at some point so that's a good thing.
This book was beautiful.
It explored so much that I could never begin to relate to and having that glimpse into such complicated lives full of complicated love felt like a privilege.
It explored so much that I could never begin to relate to and having that glimpse into such complicated lives full of complicated love felt like a privilege.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[Very minor spoilers ahead]
I kept hearing about this book from people who kept saying they couldn't put it down but also they couldn't blanket recommend because the horror parts are very descriptive, and for me only the latter was true.
Starting off in the 80s and ending in the 90s, the book follows a group of southern housewives who form a book club and eventually end up having to face a creature that resembles a lot of the serial killers and monsters they love to read so much about.
Based on that, I was expecting this to be some badass women who end up fighting a whole slew of vampires taking over their town, but there's one vampire and the true horror is their relationship to the men in their lives and their mundane housewife lives they choose to define themselves by.
I hated the characters. The whole lot of them. The only sensible one was Mrs Greene and obviously she is shunned aside and let down by so many because surprisingly the representation of black people in this book is piss poor. It wasn't enough that the majority of victims were all black and poor but it was also somehow vital information that the waiters were all black men, and had to be told every time?
Also the women are so frustrating. You'd think that after being in the book club for years they would have formed some form of bond as women but there is no development in their relationship and it's all quite frustrating. And to add to the above comment about representation, just when it looks like Mrs Greene is the sensible one and the one that gets shit done, we get another of the book clubbers to join after the fact to save the day and eclipse all the achievements. Ah yes, we all love a white saviour narrative.
I honestly don't have a lot to say about the vampire in question, other than he's not really much worse than the husbands and men in this book and I wish they'd just killed them all at the end to be perfectly honest.
There is one thing that the book definitely did right at times though. The true horror portions of this book are described incredibly well and actually gave me the creeps and made me put the book down for a second, so hats off to Grady for that bit of success.
But hey it's a fast paced enough read with some redeeming horror moments so go for it if you're after that sort of thing.
I kept hearing about this book from people who kept saying they couldn't put it down but also they couldn't blanket recommend because the horror parts are very descriptive, and for me only the latter was true.
Starting off in the 80s and ending in the 90s, the book follows a group of southern housewives who form a book club and eventually end up having to face a creature that resembles a lot of the serial killers and monsters they love to read so much about.
Based on that, I was expecting this to be some badass women who end up fighting a whole slew of vampires taking over their town, but there's one vampire and the true horror is their relationship to the men in their lives and their mundane housewife lives they choose to define themselves by.
I hated the characters. The whole lot of them. The only sensible one was Mrs Greene and obviously she is shunned aside and let down by so many because surprisingly the representation of black people in this book is piss poor. It wasn't enough that the majority of victims were all black and poor but it was also somehow vital information that the waiters were all black men, and had to be told every time?
Also the women are so frustrating. You'd think that after being in the book club for years they would have formed some form of bond as women but there is no development in their relationship and it's all quite frustrating. And to add to the above comment about representation, just when it looks like Mrs Greene is the sensible one and the one that gets shit done, we get another of the book clubbers to join after the fact to save the day and eclipse all the achievements. Ah yes, we all love a white saviour narrative.
I honestly don't have a lot to say about the vampire in question, other than he's not really much worse than the husbands and men in this book and I wish they'd just killed them all at the end to be perfectly honest.
There is one thing that the book definitely did right at times though. The true horror portions of this book are described incredibly well and actually gave me the creeps and made me put the book down for a second, so hats off to Grady for that bit of success.
But hey it's a fast paced enough read with some redeeming horror moments so go for it if you're after that sort of thing.