Book Bites: The Evening Shades

The Evening Shades by Lee Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The short, short version is that the Evening Shades is a stellar sequel undone only by its even more stellar original.

The Evening Shades is a quiet yet powerful story of dignity and picking up the pieces of a shattered life. Martin's prose is spare and beautiful; he captures the settings and people of American Midwest in a way that is absolutely true. It is a delight for the reader to walk among them. The story of unlikely love between Henry Dees and Edith Green, both outcasts, is sweet but not saccharine, simple and lovely in a way that reminds of Kent Haruf. The major knock against The Evening Shades is that it doesn't quite reach the heights or create a the same tension of its superlative predecessor, The Bright Forever. There are also some minor issues with pacing; once the plot 'happens,' it happens quickly. Anyone seeking a literary page-turner, though, will find a lot to like in The Evening Shades.

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Book Bites: Slipstream

Slipstream by Madge Maril
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Slipstream is like good takeout; delivers what you expect, goes down easy, and could probably do with a little more spice. Our protagonists Lilah and Arthur are well-drawn and easy to root for. The plot is a little convoluted and the bad guys are cardboard cutouts that show up only to get knocked over, but Maril's writing is sharp and the action moves as smooth as well-tuned F1 car. The romance is definitely a slow, simmering burn. There are some minor issues with Lilah's characterization; her neurodivergence feels like it walks a tightrope between empowering and othering (people with better knowledge can weigh in on that one) and her queerness seems to float in the periphery in a way that makes me think ex-boyfriend Max was ex-girlfriend Max in earlier drafts. Overall, Slipstream is a fun, flirty ride through a sun-drenched summer of F1 racing. Definitely a worthwhile poolside read.

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Book Bites: I'm Starting to Worry About this Black Box of Doom

I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this one. Pargin is a smart guy and a gifted communicator, and the setup--nuclear road trip--feels like its right up my alley. Which is why I gave it nearly 200 pages before I cried "matae" and gave up. 

The main issue is that "I'm Starting to Worry..." foregrounds its theme--isolation and misinformation in an increasingly connected world--over any plot or characters. This makes for a narrative that flows like chewing dry toast. Instead of dialogue, characters monologue at one another. The plot is built atop shaky logic, requiring tech savvy protagonists to intentionally disconnect from the internet in a way that feels ingenuine. That two digital natives wouldn't even think to check for air tags (and then quickly try to patch that plot hole with some brief dialogue once they do find said air tag) is too much. Pargin is a smart guy and a capable author, and the themes here are rife for exploration, but the execution falls flat. The text is bloated, feeling more like a lecture than a novel.

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Book Bites: Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF @ 50%
Assistant to the Villain is perfectly fine. It feels like a "falling in love with the boss" romance novel dressed up in fantasy clothing. The text is swoony and slightly bloated; we could lop off the first twelve chapters and not really miss a beat. There's a plot involving a mole in the titular Villain's organization trying to kill him, but it felt like the mystery plot and the romance plot were wrestling against one another rather than working together. If you want a secretary swooning over her own Mr. Darcy, spiced with a dash of dragons and magic, then this book is for you. It's a perfectly fine, if uninteresting, bit of fluff.

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