Author Archives: Jaclyn

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About Jaclyn

Reader, writer, bookaholic for life!

Dust, Arthur Slade, Book 50 of @SavvyReader’s #50BookPledge

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Savvy Reader’s 50 Book Pledge is one New Year’s Resolution I knew I would have no trouble keeping. (My poor gym membership card, on the other hand, is gathering dust somewhere. I’m sure I’ll find it in time for my next round of New Year’s Resolutions.) I promise to read books, lots and lots of books — how fun is that! Anyway, since it was Harper Collins Canada who came up with such a fantastic idea in the first place, I thought it would be only fitting to do one of their CanLit titles for the big five-oh. I’d been meaning to read Arthur Slade’s Hunchback Assignments for a while, so when I discovered a signed copy (I admit, I’m a sucker for signed copies) of his earlier novel Dust, which is set in Saskatchewan and has won various Canadian book awards, including the Governor General’s Award, I knew I’d found the perfect Book 50.

Eleven year old Robert lives in Depression-era Saskatchewan, where residents would sell their soul, literally, for the drought to end. So when pale-skinned Abram Harsich promises them a rainmill, the townspeople are thrilled and sign up to work for him. Only Robert, his book-loving Uncle Alden and a police officer remain suspicious. Why do Robert’s parents seem to have forgotten about Matthew, Robert’s seven-year-old brother who disappeared recently? Why do the townspeople seem unconcerned when other kids go missing? And why, when other people saw rain in Abram’s magic mirror, did Robert and Uncle Alden see a relative who’d died in battle and who said only the word “Evil”?

I have to admit, I usually prefer my books a bit more action-packed, and I sometimes found the descriptions and Robert’s fascination with words a bit overdone. That being said, however, Slade does a wonderful job creating and maintaining an eerie, trance-like atmosphere. Reading Dust is like being in a nightmare — like Robert, we have a constant sense of foreboding, and yet can’t place our finger on why, which just adds to the creepiness. Even Robert, who most sees the truth behind Abram, sometimes falls under his spell.

Slade dedicates his book to W.O. Mitchell, Wallace Stegner, and Ray Bradbury, and I have to admit I haven’t read any of them, so I wouldn’t know how Dust compares. The idea of “dust” however, did remind me of Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy, and the actual dust in the Saskatchewan setting makes the mysterious, magical aspects of the book feel more real. The eerie, magical yet gritty atmosphere Slade creates also reminded me of Neil Gaiman.

Slade’s writing is as mesmerizing as Abram’s sales pitch. Even in the climactic scenes, I wouldn’t call this book heart pounding or thrilling. Rather, Dust creeps into you, an eerie, chilling tale that hints at a much larger mythology. Like Robert, we may not understand everything that’s going on, but we feel its power, and that’s what makes Dust such a compelling read.

Blog Tour: Switch, Tish Cohen #50BookPledge

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Have you ever wished you were someone else? I have. During the royal wedding fever, I thought about how amazing it would be to be Kate Middleton. Reading Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, I think of how it must feel to be J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins and know that you’ve touched the lives of so many readers. Heck, I look at people in my karate class who can easily do spinning back kicks without falling on their butt and wish I had their ability.

Andrea Birch, in Tish Cohen’s Switch, is no different. The only biological child of a foster family, she’s overwhelmed by responsibility (she gives up a modeling gig and free clothes to buy baby formula, reluctantly but otherwise without complaint) and wishes she could be Joules Adams, only child of rock star Nigel Adams. Andrea describes Joules as “not exactly human… This polish of what I can only describe as authenticity that covers every inch of her being like fairy dust.” Plus, Joules’ boyfriend is the love of Andrea’s life, Will Sherwood. So it’s easy to see why Andrea wishes to be her. Unlike us, however, Andrea does get her wish, and, as usually happens in this type of story, ends up learning that in many ways, she’s actually the lucky one.

Switch is a fun, entertaining read, and definitely a fresh take on the classic Freaky Friday story. I love that Cohen chooses to keep this book only within Andrea’s perspective, rather than switching back and forth between Andrea’s and Joules’ accounts. This makes the story more about how Andrea changes rather than how both girls have to adapt to very different lifestyles, which may have been more comedic (spoiled rich girl having to deal with diapers and half a dozen foster kids!), but might also have been less touching.

Real is an odd word to use about a book that has teenagers switching bodies, but Andrea’s problems are very real. Foster parenting is a difficult undertaking, and I applaud those who give so much of themselves to take care of other people’s children. Lots of books have also talked about the difficulties of being a foster child. But Switch has made me think about what it must be like to be the only biological child in such a family. Sure, Andrea is the only one allowed to call her parents Mom and Dad, but her parents also take it for granted that she has a perfect life, and so lavish more attention on the foster kids. It also struck home how Andrea could never allow herself to form strong friendships with the foster kids, because sooner or later, they’ll be transferred to another family.

There are a couple of things about Switch that I didn’t really like. Andrea just seemed too perfect. Immediately after she switched bodies with Joules, she already wanted to switch back and help her mom out with the kids. I agree that this is within her character — she really is super responsible — and shows how much she really loves her family. I also understand how she might worry that Joules is a completely incompetent baby-sitter and won’t be able to take care of the kids. But I kept thinking, if I were in her shoes, I’d totally spend at least a day or so living it up as Joules Adams. Andrea does enjoy having Will as her boyfriend, but I thought she’d enjoy having no kids around a bit more.

Even though I like that Cohen chose to focus on Andrea’s narrative, I’m also very interested in Joules’ story. She struck me as a very complex, possibly more interesting character, and by the end of the book, she ends up having to change so much more than Andrea does. I’d love to know what happens to her after the events of Switch. Those who’ve read the book, anyone agree with me?

Overall, a very good book. Even though Andrea sometimes comes off as too good, she does change after the switch, and becomes much more appreciative of her life. Nigel Adams is a rich, compelling character. I love how Cohen hints that, despite Andrea’s rose-coloured glasses view of him for most of the book, he actually has a lot of his own issues, and Joules has had to deal with those her whole life. I also love how, despite his issues, Nigel clearly very much loves Joules, and how it takes Andrea in Joules’ body to notice it. I love the quirky grandmother, and love how she gives only Andrea the weird things she picks up on her travels. Andrea doesn’t usually appreciate them, but they’re totally my kind of gift.

Now You See Me, S.J. Bolton #50BookPledge

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Young detective constable Lacey Flint walks to her car after interviewing a witness and finds a woman bleeding to death draped over it. An anonymous letter to a reporter points out alarming similarities between the killer and Jack the Ripper, and mentions Lacey by name. Turns out Lacey is a lifelong Ripperologist, and has some dark secrets in her past, which slowly get revealed as the investigation progresses.

As a crime buff, I’ve always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper, and S.J. Bolton’s Now You See Me takes off from one of the lesser known theories about Jack the Ripper’s identity. This book kept me guessing throughout, and I love how Bolton put in all these twists that made me think that I knew what was going on, only to find out later on that I was wrong.

Ultimately, while the mystery began as being about Jack the Ripper, it soon became more about a contemporary crime and a secret from Lacey’s past. Lacey is an intelligent detective, and while I was afraid I’d be disappointed in whatever secrets she had (with so much build up, I would’ve hated to be let down), when the big reveal came, everything just made sense. Even the minor characters, Tulloch and Joesbury, were fascinating figures, and I could never tell what Joesbury thought about Lacey. I shared Lacey’s confusion about whether he was attracted to her or suspicious of her, and I loved that ambiguity.

Bolton effectively builds an atmosphere of creepiness, with killings taking place to the soundtrack of such an innocuous song as My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music. At first, I didn’t like the chapters from the killer’s point of view, because they began as mostly atmospheric and vague, and I felt they detracted from the primary story, which was already so exciting in itself. There were also times when I wondered if plot points were going anywhere or if they were just put in randomly (e.g. flashbacks, My Favourite Things, the case Lacey was originally investigating before getting sidetracked by the Ripper copycat). However, the killer’s chapters soon became more action-packed, revealing the thoughts of the victims, and all the minor plot points turned out to be very important for the ending and for understanding the killer’s character.

Finally, I love all the discussions on Ripper lore in Now You See Me. It’s never pedantic, always in the context of trying to understand the latest murder, but it gives crimes buffs like me interesting details about Jack the Ripper. There’s even an Author’s Note where Bolton explains some of the various theories about his identity. Now You See Me is an exciting murder mystery and an original take on the Jack the Ripper myth. Highly recommended for mystery buffs.