UHHH okay, so when I started reading [b:Red Dragon|28877|Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1)|Thomas Harris|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309285070s/28877.jpg|925503] I mentioned that I was only doing it because of the show, and I rarely read adult mystery/horror/whatever because I don't like gross stuff? Then I was surprised by how much I liked Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. But I guess I was ultimately afraid those books would be like this one? GROSSSSS

There was so, so much time spent on the whole

Spoiler

feeding people to giant, specially bred pigs plot. WHAT. GROSS. WHY. WHYYYYY. Plus Mason and his thing with foster children, and just... everything. Everything. Gross. Can I say gross enough times.

It felt like Harris was just trying to throw in as many horrific details as possible, which the last two books did NOT feel like to me.

Also it just felt like I was supposed to be more sympathetic to Hannibal than I actually am? Thomas Harris like has a boner for how refined and cultured Hannibal is and I felt like I was supposed to like, not be able to stand the idea of him going back to prison and being away from fancy soaps and truffles again? But I was pretty fine with it. He killed like, a hundred people. And ate them. In case you forgot. Oh yeah and does he have mystical powers now or something? How the fuck did he just wake up one morning and "sense danger." I'll go along with him having a super strong sense of smell or whatever, but did he literally smell danger? Dumb.

Now can we talk about the ending?! >:(

Spoiler

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. HE HYPNOTIZED/BRAINWASHED CLARICE AND RAN AWAY WITH HER? Is this supposed to be a happy ending or a horrifying one? I felt like it was coded as happy. Or is that like, the twist? Like that... it doesn't have a happy ending? IDK. I fucking hated it. Why did we spend 2 books about how awesome and strong Clarice was only to have this be her fate? Honestly, I think I'd rather she died.

In summary: GROSS.

Ooh so good and spooky! I loved the characterization of the three kids. Yay for friendship (and fighting, cuz junior high is hard, but still: friendship!)

IDK what to say, this came out recently but it feels like everyone already read it. By "everyone" I mean youth librarians. Anyway, a good book for tweens and librarians and dolls. Scary but not TOO scary. I don't think.

I liked but did not love this book, which is okay, because I'm not the intended audience of this book. I think that LGBT/questioning teens would love this, especially boys. Especially boys who don't fit the stereotypical "flamboyant sassy friend" role (and God knows I love a book with a sassy gay friend). Dante and Aristotle are also both Mexican American with 2 very different families, but Saenz also beautifully shows the intersectionality of race/class/culture/religion/sexuality and

Spoiler

both families are still totally supportive and loving toward their gay sons

.

HOORAY FOR THAT.

I am a little over the trend of YA books set in the 80s, but I'll give this a pass because growing up as a queer teen in the 80s was different from now--in terms of available pop culture/role models/etc--and I think it works with this narrative. Also it wasn't constantly making references to Madonna or whatever. It was pretty easy to forget it was set in the 80s, really.

I hope that this book finds its audience, because I think that this book will be VERY important to the right teens.

At ALA, this was the one ARC I super wanted to get for myself, because I loved [b:Better Nate Than Ever|13414183|Better Nate Than Ever|Tim Federle|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349703913s/13414183.jpg|18707527] so much. Anyway I just read this all in one lazy afternoon sitting and it was perfect basically. OK perfect for people who are obsessed with Broadway musicals. Like, theater people love watching the Tonys because it's the one time a year there are nationally televised inside jokes that we get. Well, Tim Federle's books are like nationally published inside jokes for theater people.

I'm honestly interested to read reviews written by people who aren't obsessed with Broadway? Like is it funny on another level? I can't access that planet.

Also, it was super sweet and charming, with enough drama to feel realistic and like, have a plot.

Also, a tween exploration of sexuality that seems realistic and not cliche. Hooray!!

UHHH I mean I guess I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into? But I thought the whole thing of this was that it would be a more grownup look at the SVH characters. I think that it would be possible to write a cool borderline-satirical look at these twins and their lives. But this was just like the same old garbage but 10 years later. Really poorly written, full of the exact same character clichés as in the SVH books (which yes, I read).

I kiiind of loved how all the crazy melodrama of the series was alluded to in parentheticals, like oh yeah, Bruce Patman had never been the same since his girlfriend tried cocaine one time and instantly died of an overdose.

I wanted to be shocked by Todd ending up with Jessica but honestly I didn't even care. It wasn't even a guilty pleasure. OH WELL.

I listened to this as an audiobook and at least once per disc I yelled "EWWWW GROSSSSS" aloud in my car. Which, based on the book's summary, I was not expecting to do. Ew. Gross.

I can't quite tell if this is satire or not? It's not super funny, but it feels like it might be kind of a satire of like Dave Eggers/Jonathan Franzen/DFW-style self-consious meta-fiction?? Like the narrator is a fictionalized version of the author, who reads like Hemingway fanfiction or something--always drinking and getting into cool bro fights, incredibly appealing to the ladies (except of course for the one lady he loves and can't have, whose attainability makes her still more appealing), and whose novel becomes insanely popular after the author/narrator fakes his own death.

Oh also there is tons of fairly graphically depicted, violent (apparently nearly every time this guy bones his emotionally distant lover, the sheets are spattered with blood) sex?

GROSS, what??

Also there's a running thread in there of commentary about technology and the Singularity?

Seriously is this satire or not. Is it an exercise in how extremely unlikeable you can make your narrator? Blurgh.

Also the audiobook narrator sounded like a total d-bag, which I guess was appropriate.

HMMM it's so hard to talk about the book without talking about Walls's childhood? It's... impressively weird and cringe-inducing. It's impressive how Walls is able to document an arguably abusive childhood while still expressing some level of empathy and even admiration for her parents. I was furious reading about Jeannette's mother hiding chocolate while her children went hungry, but I also felt for her mother when she cried to her children that they always forgive their father for his drinking, and they should forgive her for her weakness as well.

I also thought her framing device, of starting off with Jeannette seeing her homeless mother and not doing anything for her, was great. It starts her off as a somewhat less-than-sympathetic narrator, but by the time you get to the end and see more of the Wallses... it's understandable.

Overall, I didn't *enjoy* this as much as I enjoyed [b:Half Broke Horses|6366437|Half Broke Horses|Jeannette Walls|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348507420s/6366437.jpg|6553801], but I admired it and appreciated it.

Ahhh well I only read this because I started watching the show Hannibal, but prior to that I had't read any of the books or seen any of the movies. So it was kind of fun reading this and recognizing characters from the show, even though I know that's backwards.

It was definitely a page-turner--I read this all in 1 weekend eek.

I don't read a lot of thriller/mystery/whatever type books because I'm not crazy about blood and grossness, and also I kind of assume they'll be at least sort of misogynist? Which this like, kind of was. Ugh, gross, why do I know so much about the Red Dragon's penis now :(

Also the show Hannibal turned a bunch of dude characters into lady characters. GOOD FOR YOU, HANNIBAL.

STILL, as a new fan of Will Graham I enjoyed seeing his origins. (So to speak, even though the Hannibal show takes place chronologically first.) Anyway, definitely a page turner. And I definitely got Silence of the Lambs from the library. And I MIGHT watch the movies. And I'll definitely keep watching the show. Damn your face, Will Graham.

In fairness, this is the kind of book that I probably wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't read and loved the author's YA books. It's basically a romcom--it's well done but adult romcoms aren't super my thing? (Not judging those who love them, they're just not my thing.) But if you do like romcoms you will probably love this. (Awhile ago I was talking to my friend Kait and she said something that I agreed with & basically pinned down why I like YA books but not so much romcoms--it makes SENSE for teens to have huge misunderstandings and be drama queens, but when fictional adults do it I just want to roll my eyes and tell them to get over it. Attachments is pretty light on that kind of thing but there's still some of that--which generally seems to be necessary to drive the plot of romantic comedies? IDK.)

Also I just realized this was written in 2011. I assumed it was just a bit dated but I guess it's like, historical fiction about 1999? Aww, Y2K panic. Cute!!

I heard from several people that this book was really good even if you don't like baseball, and I will affirm: I do not like baseball (the ostensible topic of The Art of Fielding) but I did like this book. Hurrah!

It reminded me a lot of [b:The Marriage Plot|10964693|The Marriage Plot|Jeffrey Eugenides|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328736940s/10964693.jpg|15668403] but that could just be because I don't read that much adult fiction anymore and these are both adult books? And also they both take place in college? And both are about the themes of like... realizing your best isn't good enough and persevering and getting mental health help if need be. And stuff.

Anyway if you liked The Marriage Plot you'll probably like this? And vice versa? I especially recommend it to Grinnellians and alums of other small Midwestern colleges. And I guess to baseball fans. Or whatever.