Blackbirds by Chunk Wendig was an interesting read. A GOOD interesting read. This book is dark and gritty and down right nasty. I wasn’t really expect...moreBlackbirds by Chunk Wendig was an interesting read. A GOOD interesting read. This book is dark and gritty and down right nasty. I wasn’t really expecting anything less that grotesque horror and that is what I got. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find some light humor sprinkled around the pages of this book. While it lifted the mood of the novel, the heaviness of the book still clung to me.
Not only is Mr. Wendig’s writing brilliantly gritty, but it’s raw and edgy, just as it should be. Mr. Wendig’s humor is just as dark as the tone of the novel. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the sentences and insults that Chuck wrote down, particularly those that came out of Miriam Black’s mouth. She was a hoot.
Miriam Black is a very complex character. And you might be thinking that “Well yeah. She sees when people are going to die, after all”. But her depth goes much more than that. The toll that this ‘gift’ takes on her puts a heavy weight on her young shoulders. On the outside she is kick-ass and witty, but the pain that encompasses her on the inside is what makes her so complex. It’s something I wouldn’t want to wish on anyone.
Everything clicked together so well. The only true ‘good guy’ was Louis, the man whom Miriam feels a deep connection to. Despite this, the novel is pretty well-balanced. In the beginning I was worried that I wasn’t going to get the full story on Miriam abilities, but the ‘interludes’ placed within the book were helpful. They not only showed us bits of the Miriam’s past, but it also gives the reader insight into a few minor characters as well. In regard to Miriam and her gift, all of my questions weren’t answered, but I am confident that they will be in the sequel.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of blood, gore, and some sexual scenes/references, but none of that bothered me. I was actually very excited to read this book. It was a nice contrast from the other novels I have read these past few weeks.
Mockingbird, the second novel in the Miriam Black series, is due to come out in August of this year. That is interesting seeing as how Blackbirds was just published on April 23rd of this year. Either way, I am looking forward to reading Mockingbird and continuing to read books by Chuck Wendig.(less)
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