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The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady
This lively, intricately plotted, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly touching family drama combines the wit of Carl Hiaasen with the southern charm of Jill McCorkle.
Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.
Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years. When she accidentally discovers his whereabouts in Florida, her plans finally snap into action. She high tails it to hot and humid Tallahassee, moves in down the block from where a now senile Spriggs lives with his daughter’s family, and begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into their lives. But she has no idea what a nest of yellow jackets she is stumbling into.
Before the novel is through, someone will be kidnapped, an unlikely couple will get engaged, someone will nearly die from eating a pineapple upside-down cake laced with anti-freeze, and that’s not all . . .
Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters and written with the flair of a native Floridian, this dark comedy does not disappoint.
Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.
Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years. When she accidentally discovers his whereabouts in Florida, her plans finally snap into action. She high tails it to hot and humid Tallahassee, moves in down the block from where a now senile Spriggs lives with his daughter’s family, and begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into their lives. But she has no idea what a nest of yellow jackets she is stumbling into.
Before the novel is through, someone will be kidnapped, an unlikely couple will get engaged, someone will nearly die from eating a pineapple upside-down cake laced with anti-freeze, and that’s not all . . .
Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters and written with the flair of a native Floridian, this dark comedy does not disappoint.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
45 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Stuckey-French
13 books38 followersElizabeth Stuckey-French is the author of a novel, Mermaids on the Moon, a collection of short stories, The First Paper Girl in Red Oak Iowa, and, with Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction: A Guide to the Narrative Craft. Her new novel, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, is forthcoming from Doubleday in spring 2011. Her short stories have appeared in The Normal School, Narrative Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, Gettysburg Review, Southern Review, Five Points, and The O’Henry Prize Stories 2005. She was awarded a James Michener Fellowship and has won grants from the Howard Foundation, the Indiana Arts Foundation, and the Florida Arts Foundation. She teaches fiction writing at Florida State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
December 12, 2011
The best thing about The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is the title. The second best thing about the novel is the cover.
The third best thing is the first chapter of the novel, wherein our heroine describes how she was given a radioactive cocktail by her doctor in the 1950s as part of a secret government study, its affects on her life, and her plans for revenge. Cool and off-beat beginning – so far, so good. The novel then, surprisingly, segues into a garden variety life-in-the-suburbs novel, featuring incipient dementia, mid-life crisis, insincere “religious” people, high-functioning (or mis-diagnosed?) children with Asperger's syndrome, etc. Some of the scenes were meant to be humorous, although I did not find them so. The ending --- which I will not spoil --- was lame. I gave it two stars instead of one -- really a 1.5 star rating -- because the beginning was pretty good.
The third best thing is the first chapter of the novel, wherein our heroine describes how she was given a radioactive cocktail by her doctor in the 1950s as part of a secret government study, its affects on her life, and her plans for revenge. Cool and off-beat beginning – so far, so good. The novel then, surprisingly, segues into a garden variety life-in-the-suburbs novel, featuring incipient dementia, mid-life crisis, insincere “religious” people, high-functioning (or mis-diagnosed?) children with Asperger's syndrome, etc. Some of the scenes were meant to be humorous, although I did not find them so. The ending --- which I will not spoil --- was lame. I gave it two stars instead of one -- really a 1.5 star rating -- because the beginning was pretty good.
February 17, 2011
In 1958, a 50-foot woman attacked movie theaters in a rampage of "revenge and desire." The science-fiction camp classic has been revered and reviled in equal doses over the years--audiences either love the tale of Nancy Archer, hard-drinking socialite who turns into a giantess and goes after her husband and his mistress, or they put Attack of the 50 Foot Woman on par with Plan 9 From Outer Space. Either way, Nancy Archer has served as a prototype for cautionary feminist tales for the last 50 years.
In her novel, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, Elizabeth Stuckey-French (The First Paper Girl in Red Oak, Iowa) has gleefully embraced this same spirit of a scorned woman seeking retribution. Stuckey-French's story is set in 2006 and stars the unforgettable septuagenarian Marylou Ahearn who, we're told in the book's first sentence, has "spent countless hours trying to come up with the best way to kill Wilson Spriggs."
Marylou is on a mission of murder: "She tried to spur herself on with angry thoughts. Would she feel better after she'd killed him? Darn tootin'." When she finally catches up with Spriggs, now a doddering old man living in Florida with his daughter's family, Marylou has the first of many surprises in the book: Wilson Spriggs has Alzheimer's. She's thwarted, but not completely undone. If she can't kill Wilson Spriggs, then she will at least make his life miserable.
But who, exactly, is Wilson Spriggs and what did he ever do to poor old Marylou Ahearn?
For that answer, we have to go back to 1953 when Spriggs was a doctor participating in a secret government experiment. Bow-tied, foppish, pretentious, he supplied a pregnant Marylou with a radioactive cocktail "in a cold metal cup of pink fizzy liquid that smelled like strawberries." This, he assured her, was "a vitamin cocktail to keep her baby healthy."
Eight years later, Marylou's beloved daughter dies of cancer. Then, decades after that, the truth about Spriggs and the government program comes out and, like the 50-foot woman, Marylou's anger grows to enormous proportions. Swollen with rage, she starts planning the murder of the man responsible for poisoning eight-hundred women and their unborn children. Now, "lusty, powerful, ready to get hers," Marylou is ready to "fly at him and fling his parts all over the flat-assed state of Florida."
If the thought of two elderly people duking it out to the death isn't hilarious enough for you, then Stuckey-French's whimsical style will surely hit your funny bone. Offbeat, jaunty, and sometimes poignant, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady plants its tongue in its cheek from the start and only takes it out for an ending that earns its feel-good denouement honestly.
Stuckey-French stirs a lot of ingredients into her stew, but laughter is the primary spice. Once Marylou finds Spriggs in Florida and ingratiates herself into his family (taking the alias of the 50-foot "Nancy Archer"), she realizes killing him might not be as easy as she once thought:
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is told from a multitude of viewpoints--mostly from the "American Nazi's" family. Chapters alternate between Spriggs' menopausal daughter Caroline, her hurricane-obsessed husband Vic, and their three children: Ava who sees Elvis in the marbled swirls of shower stalls, clouds, and half-used bars of soap; Otis, a boy genius with Asperger's who is building a model breeder reactor in the shed out back; and 13-year-old Suzi whose sibling rivalry with Ava will eventually have disastrous results. Though not all of the character's voices succeed (I found Vic to be rather flat and uninteresting) and I wished Marylou hadn't stepped so far off-stage once the novel began, when Stuckey-French clicks, she really clicks. Her character studies of Ava and Suzi, especially, are vivid portraits of the modern American teenager. She has their distinct patter down to--well, down to a science. She knows how these girls tick, how they talk, how they dream, and what kind of posters they put on their bedroom walls (My Chemical Romance). Stuckey-French is a writer who pays attention to the world.
What begins as a tale of vengeance eventually turns out to be a sharp-eyed dissection of the nuclear family in America, with all its foibles and failures. Stuckey-French shows how just one little old five-foot lady can disrupt a family, splitting the homey image of Ward and June Cleaver like an atom. In this case, Revenge is not only sweet, it's very, very funny.
This review originally appeared at The Quivering Pen blog: www.davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com
In her novel, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, Elizabeth Stuckey-French (The First Paper Girl in Red Oak, Iowa) has gleefully embraced this same spirit of a scorned woman seeking retribution. Stuckey-French's story is set in 2006 and stars the unforgettable septuagenarian Marylou Ahearn who, we're told in the book's first sentence, has "spent countless hours trying to come up with the best way to kill Wilson Spriggs."
Marylou is on a mission of murder: "She tried to spur herself on with angry thoughts. Would she feel better after she'd killed him? Darn tootin'." When she finally catches up with Spriggs, now a doddering old man living in Florida with his daughter's family, Marylou has the first of many surprises in the book: Wilson Spriggs has Alzheimer's. She's thwarted, but not completely undone. If she can't kill Wilson Spriggs, then she will at least make his life miserable.
But who, exactly, is Wilson Spriggs and what did he ever do to poor old Marylou Ahearn?
For that answer, we have to go back to 1953 when Spriggs was a doctor participating in a secret government experiment. Bow-tied, foppish, pretentious, he supplied a pregnant Marylou with a radioactive cocktail "in a cold metal cup of pink fizzy liquid that smelled like strawberries." This, he assured her, was "a vitamin cocktail to keep her baby healthy."
Eight years later, Marylou's beloved daughter dies of cancer. Then, decades after that, the truth about Spriggs and the government program comes out and, like the 50-foot woman, Marylou's anger grows to enormous proportions. Swollen with rage, she starts planning the murder of the man responsible for poisoning eight-hundred women and their unborn children. Now, "lusty, powerful, ready to get hers," Marylou is ready to "fly at him and fling his parts all over the flat-assed state of Florida."
If the thought of two elderly people duking it out to the death isn't hilarious enough for you, then Stuckey-French's whimsical style will surely hit your funny bone. Offbeat, jaunty, and sometimes poignant, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady plants its tongue in its cheek from the start and only takes it out for an ending that earns its feel-good denouement honestly.
Stuckey-French stirs a lot of ingredients into her stew, but laughter is the primary spice. Once Marylou finds Spriggs in Florida and ingratiates herself into his family (taking the alias of the 50-foot "Nancy Archer"), she realizes killing him might not be as easy as she once thought:
She did not feel a bit sorry for him. In fact, after meeting with him and talking with him and observing him, she hated him even more than she had when he'd simply been an abstract bogeyman. It was easier to despise him now that she had particulars to focus on--his spotty, shaking hand waving in her direction like an underwater plant when he was trying to tell her something but couldn't form the words; his habit of farting like a pack mule when he walked; the way he sat three inches away from the TV screen and stared at the idiotic commercials for Depends diapers as if they were words of wisdom from on high. And him--some smart research doctor who thought he was better than everyone else! A Nazi doctor who treated pregnant women like his own personal guinea pigs!
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is told from a multitude of viewpoints--mostly from the "American Nazi's" family. Chapters alternate between Spriggs' menopausal daughter Caroline, her hurricane-obsessed husband Vic, and their three children: Ava who sees Elvis in the marbled swirls of shower stalls, clouds, and half-used bars of soap; Otis, a boy genius with Asperger's who is building a model breeder reactor in the shed out back; and 13-year-old Suzi whose sibling rivalry with Ava will eventually have disastrous results. Though not all of the character's voices succeed (I found Vic to be rather flat and uninteresting) and I wished Marylou hadn't stepped so far off-stage once the novel began, when Stuckey-French clicks, she really clicks. Her character studies of Ava and Suzi, especially, are vivid portraits of the modern American teenager. She has their distinct patter down to--well, down to a science. She knows how these girls tick, how they talk, how they dream, and what kind of posters they put on their bedroom walls (My Chemical Romance). Stuckey-French is a writer who pays attention to the world.
What begins as a tale of vengeance eventually turns out to be a sharp-eyed dissection of the nuclear family in America, with all its foibles and failures. Stuckey-French shows how just one little old five-foot lady can disrupt a family, splitting the homey image of Ward and June Cleaver like an atom. In this case, Revenge is not only sweet, it's very, very funny.
This review originally appeared at The Quivering Pen blog: www.davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com
February 22, 2011
In another of those marvelous anecdotes that becomes unburied and astounds us all it turns out that between 1945 and 1949, 800+ pregnant women were told by doctors at Vanderbilt University Hospital that the radioactive iron they were given was a vitamin that would enhance their health and that of their unborn children. The experiment was to see if the children would be protected from the radioactivity by the placenta. Of course they were not protected. In The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady author Elizabeth Stuckey-French has imagined a revenge for one of those mothers.
Fifty years, a class action suit, a formal apology from Federal Government and the death of her eight year old child from cancer later, 77 year old Mary Ahearn is looking for a piece of her own back. She has searched for and found the obstetrician who gave her those lethal vitamins, Dr. Wilson Spriggs. Mary is determined to have her vengeance by killing Dr. Spriggs but she is not quite sure how to best to pull it off. She moves to Tallahassee to be near the doctor. She will ingratiate herself into his life somehow and is confident that a plan will present itself.
Dr. Spriggs is living in Florida with his son's very dysfunctional family. The son ignores the hurricane within his family to follow hurricanes on the computer. Two of the grandchildren have Asperger's Syndrome and the third will do anything for attention. The daughter-in-law is a worn out caregiver who would run away from her children if given half a chance. The doctor himself is as hateful as he has always been but he now has Alzheimer’s. He can't remember what happened ten minutes ago but he can remember enough of his past to help his grandson build a bomb in the shed.
Mary quickly infiltrates the Spriggs home, but killing the Doctor is a little more difficult. It's not that Mary lacks the will to do the deed, not at all. The opportunity for murder is elusive and killing Dr. Sprigg without being able to make him understand why has it's frustrations. So Mary turns her clever attention to destroying his family and that becomes very easy. Mary finds and exploits the weaknesses of each family member. It can be somewhat uncomfortable as a reader to watch these events unfold not only because some of the consequences of Mary's manipulations are repugnant but because at the same time they can be funny.
Elizabeth Stuckey-French does an remarkable balancing act in The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Is Mary justified in her revenge? Stuckey-French took that awful experiment perpetrated on those Mothers in 1945, grief, retaliation and brought in danger, humor (dark and light), the unpredictability of being human and came up with a story that is a uniquely entertaining look at morality.
Fifty years, a class action suit, a formal apology from Federal Government and the death of her eight year old child from cancer later, 77 year old Mary Ahearn is looking for a piece of her own back. She has searched for and found the obstetrician who gave her those lethal vitamins, Dr. Wilson Spriggs. Mary is determined to have her vengeance by killing Dr. Spriggs but she is not quite sure how to best to pull it off. She moves to Tallahassee to be near the doctor. She will ingratiate herself into his life somehow and is confident that a plan will present itself.
Dr. Spriggs is living in Florida with his son's very dysfunctional family. The son ignores the hurricane within his family to follow hurricanes on the computer. Two of the grandchildren have Asperger's Syndrome and the third will do anything for attention. The daughter-in-law is a worn out caregiver who would run away from her children if given half a chance. The doctor himself is as hateful as he has always been but he now has Alzheimer’s. He can't remember what happened ten minutes ago but he can remember enough of his past to help his grandson build a bomb in the shed.
Mary quickly infiltrates the Spriggs home, but killing the Doctor is a little more difficult. It's not that Mary lacks the will to do the deed, not at all. The opportunity for murder is elusive and killing Dr. Sprigg without being able to make him understand why has it's frustrations. So Mary turns her clever attention to destroying his family and that becomes very easy. Mary finds and exploits the weaknesses of each family member. It can be somewhat uncomfortable as a reader to watch these events unfold not only because some of the consequences of Mary's manipulations are repugnant but because at the same time they can be funny.
Elizabeth Stuckey-French does an remarkable balancing act in The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Is Mary justified in her revenge? Stuckey-French took that awful experiment perpetrated on those Mothers in 1945, grief, retaliation and brought in danger, humor (dark and light), the unpredictability of being human and came up with a story that is a uniquely entertaining look at morality.
March 30, 2011
I am not sure how Elizabeth Stuckey-French manages to craft a funny novel out of the systematic radioactive poisoning of pregnant women by the US government in the 1950s, autistic teenagers, a marriage falling apart, an old man with border-line dementia, and a preacher with a prediliction for adolescents, but, remarkably, she does. And I am usually someone who likes my fiction heart-breaking rather than side-splitting, but I really enjoyed this book, racing through chapters to see what would happen next, curious about the nature of Asbergers, the radioactive testing, as well as the attempt at revenge enacted by the protagonist, Marylou, whose daughter died of cancer because of the "vitamin cocktail" she swallowed when pregnant. There is a lot going on here but Stuckey-French handles it deftly, dealing out chuckles and amazed head-shaking all the way, with a dose or two of Elvis. A fun, exhilerating read.
June 7, 2011
Ann and Michael from the Books on the Nighstand podcast told me to read this book. I'm glad I do what they say because I loved it.
Who would've guessed that a novel about an elderly victim of unethical medical experiments who sets out to kill the now doddering doctor who administered the radioactive cocktails fifty years ago would be funny. But it is!
Stuckey-French's characters are sympathetically drawn. They're quirky, but never so quirky that they feel unreal. The writing is quite lively and truly original. Don't let the title fool you: This is no sci-fi tale. It's a comic family drama with warm characters who aren't so flawed they can't be redeemed.
Who would've guessed that a novel about an elderly victim of unethical medical experiments who sets out to kill the now doddering doctor who administered the radioactive cocktails fifty years ago would be funny. But it is!
Stuckey-French's characters are sympathetically drawn. They're quirky, but never so quirky that they feel unreal. The writing is quite lively and truly original. Don't let the title fool you: This is no sci-fi tale. It's a comic family drama with warm characters who aren't so flawed they can't be redeemed.
August 2, 2013
This book was awful. I don't mean kind of awful, I mean if I could give it a negative rating I would do so. I thought the premise and the cover were interesting, but I should know not to judge a book...
This felt like an out of touch old lady trying to be cute and writing a story that she felt would be risqué, but instead it is just stupid. I do not have a lot of time and am already annoyed at the amount of energy I have expended on this novel so I will just quickly point out a few of the most annoying aspects.
Two of the three kids have Aspergers, which seems odd. More odd is that instead of acting like they have Asperger's, they act like they are toddlers. I just recently read David Finch's autobiographical account of Asperger's and by comparison Stuckey-French's characters seem unrealistic.
Second, all the kids act like grade school kids rather than high school kids. Their parents come to their birthday parties and they all know each other from the neighborhood and grad school and church and it is all just too much like some after school special.
Third, I have been to grad school and Vic's characterization, Gigi's attitude, and Katya and Travis seem much more like undergrads than PhD students. Maybe my ideas are wrong because I was in one of the best departments in the country for my field, but I can't imaging FSU is that bad.
The "my mother does not love me" garbage from both Suzi and Caroline instead of being touching and similar was overdone and annoying. It was not poignant that Caroline did not realize that Suzi felt unloved, it was just boring.
I liked that it did not become churchy in the sense that ultimately the point was that Suzi met the bad guy at church, but it was still too preachy for me. I also did it like the foreshadowing that the book started with Suzi worrying about sexual abuse and then getting seduced. I was also not convinced with the whole sexual predator stuff. Suzuki was much more depressed and withdrawn after breaking her leg than after giving Buff a blow job.
Avoid the book, it is boring and unbelievable and waaaay too cutesy.
This felt like an out of touch old lady trying to be cute and writing a story that she felt would be risqué, but instead it is just stupid. I do not have a lot of time and am already annoyed at the amount of energy I have expended on this novel so I will just quickly point out a few of the most annoying aspects.
Two of the three kids have Aspergers, which seems odd. More odd is that instead of acting like they have Asperger's, they act like they are toddlers. I just recently read David Finch's autobiographical account of Asperger's and by comparison Stuckey-French's characters seem unrealistic.
Second, all the kids act like grade school kids rather than high school kids. Their parents come to their birthday parties and they all know each other from the neighborhood and grad school and church and it is all just too much like some after school special.
Third, I have been to grad school and Vic's characterization, Gigi's attitude, and Katya and Travis seem much more like undergrads than PhD students. Maybe my ideas are wrong because I was in one of the best departments in the country for my field, but I can't imaging FSU is that bad.
The "my mother does not love me" garbage from both Suzi and Caroline instead of being touching and similar was overdone and annoying. It was not poignant that Caroline did not realize that Suzi felt unloved, it was just boring.
I liked that it did not become churchy in the sense that ultimately the point was that Suzi met the bad guy at church, but it was still too preachy for me. I also did it like the foreshadowing that the book started with Suzi worrying about sexual abuse and then getting seduced. I was also not convinced with the whole sexual predator stuff. Suzuki was much more depressed and withdrawn after breaking her leg than after giving Buff a blow job.
Avoid the book, it is boring and unbelievable and waaaay too cutesy.
February 14, 2015
Where to begin? I culled through a number of reviews and found one which I found to sum up my thoughts. The book had a catchy title, great cover art, and a humorous premise. However, it quickly devolved from these high points into a mass of disconnectedness. I can't say that there were not good elements which made up this book, but the manner in which it was promoted was off. It should not have been labeled as a funny book. Truly it was not. That was left behind by the title and premise. It is a truly book about dysfunctional people. It is possible this book could have been successfully marketed as such, but it was not. There was also a lot of clearly 'about faces' in the book as the plot obviously got away from the author. Initially, I was scathing of this book. By the end of it, it received some forgiveness and was recognized as simply not well constructed and poorly marketed. I find it shameful that the New Yorker featured this book so prominently on its release. Intellectually, it is lacking. And to be honest, you have to have to your wits about you to try to put a funny spin on child molestation. Glad to be done with it.
March 28, 2011
Humorous, quirky, offbeat all describe the unusual characters that inhabit The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French.
There is seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is determined to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs to avenge his involvement in the medical experiment that cost her her only child Helen. Spriggs had fed pregnant women - Marylou included - radioactive cocktails in a scientific experiment that bore horrific results. When Marylou finally tracks Dr Spriggs down, she moves to his neighborhood and takes on a new identity and introduces herself.
She discovers that Dr. Spriggs has major memory loss - and doesn't seem to recall what he'd done. So, instead of murder, Marylou plans to disrupt his life through his family. She finds a way to meet his grandchildren. And falls for young Suzi - a sporty, outgoing and slightly tormented young girl. As Marylou gets to know Suzi and her sister Ava, she finds a closeness and friendship she hadn't expected. And her carefully laid plans go awry.
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady has been compared to the movie Little Miss Sunshine because of the quirky, unusual characters and unexpected situations. Elizabeth Stuckey-French's novel is entertaining, engrossing and hard to forget.
There is seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is determined to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs to avenge his involvement in the medical experiment that cost her her only child Helen. Spriggs had fed pregnant women - Marylou included - radioactive cocktails in a scientific experiment that bore horrific results. When Marylou finally tracks Dr Spriggs down, she moves to his neighborhood and takes on a new identity and introduces herself.
She discovers that Dr. Spriggs has major memory loss - and doesn't seem to recall what he'd done. So, instead of murder, Marylou plans to disrupt his life through his family. She finds a way to meet his grandchildren. And falls for young Suzi - a sporty, outgoing and slightly tormented young girl. As Marylou gets to know Suzi and her sister Ava, she finds a closeness and friendship she hadn't expected. And her carefully laid plans go awry.
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady has been compared to the movie Little Miss Sunshine because of the quirky, unusual characters and unexpected situations. Elizabeth Stuckey-French's novel is entertaining, engrossing and hard to forget.
April 7, 2011
The story of Marylou is not all fiction. Between 1944 and 1974, more than 20 medical experiments charted the effects of radiation on pregnant women, including one at Vanderbilt University, where poor, white pregnant women were given cocktails of radioactive iron. One would suppose that a novel inspired by such dark subject matter would be solemn or angst-ridden; instead, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady turns out to be “the best kind of page-turner—one with heart” (Boston Globe). A few reviewers felt that Stuckey-French could have delved more deeply into her characters, but most agreed that they are sensitively drawn and their actions wacky and unpredictable. Combined with the author’s wit, the result is a masterpiece of dark humor. This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
August 12, 2011
This book was an odd one. When I first saw the arc at work it didn't appeal to me. But
upon reading it I was treated to a humorous yet somewhat deep novel about a woman who seeks revenge. Marylou unknowningly drank a radiation cocktail and as a result her young daughter dies. She blames the doctor who is a man named Wilson and plots to kill him. But she becomes close to his family and realizes he is senile. This book was a lot of fun. It is
told in alternating viewpoints.
upon reading it I was treated to a humorous yet somewhat deep novel about a woman who seeks revenge. Marylou unknowningly drank a radiation cocktail and as a result her young daughter dies. She blames the doctor who is a man named Wilson and plots to kill him. But she becomes close to his family and realizes he is senile. This book was a lot of fun. It is
told in alternating viewpoints.
March 14, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a fast, uncomplicated read. I don't read that many "quirky family dramas" so I chose this both to satisfy a prompt in my reading challenge and to branch out with something fresh that I wouldn't normally read. I'm surprised at the general low rating of the book, even though I myself gave it 3 stars, my 3 stars doesn't mean the same as another reader's 3 stars. Most people are pretty fast and free with their 4- and 5-star ratings. For me, 3 stars is "not the best thing I've ever read, but I didn't want to quit reading it, rather enjoyed it, and don't regret reading it at all." So this is a sold "3 Amanda Stars" level of novel.
Read for the 2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
Read for the 2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
February 3, 2016
Who would've guessed that a novel about an elderly victim of unethical medical experiments who sets out to kill the now doddering doctor who administered the radioactive cocktails fifty years ago would be funny. But it is! Humorous, quirky, and offbeat all describe the unusual, but like able characters that inhabit the Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, by Elizabeth Stuckey-French.
Stuckey-French's characters are sympathetically drawn. They're quirky, but never so quirky that they feel unreal. The writing is quite lively and truly original. Don't let the title fool you: This is no sci-fi tale. It's a comic family drama with warm characters who aren't so flawed they might not be redeemed.
The 77 year old Marylou Ahearn is determined to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs to avenge his involvement in the medical experiment that cost her her only child Helen. When Marylou finally tracks Dr Spriggs down, she moves to his neighborhood and takes on a new identity and introduces herself to the family. Not that the family wants anything to do with this nosy old biddy....
She then discovers that Dr. Spriggs has major memory loss - and doesn't seem to recall much of anything. So, instead of murder, Marylou plans to disrupt his life through his family. She finds a way to meet his grandchildren. Then she falls for young Suzi - a sporty, outgoing and slightly tormented young girl. As Marylou gets to know Suzi and her sister Ava, and their brother Otis, she finds a closeness and friendship she hadn't expected. And her carefully laid plans go awry. This family needs help, not more mistakes. And Marylou may just be the one who can help them all.
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady has been compared to the movie Little Miss Sunshine because of the quirky, unusual characters and unexpected situations. Elizabeth Stuckey-French's novel is entertaining, engrossing and hard to forget. It kept me coming back the whole of my confinement because of illness, nearly desperate to find out more. And hoping, against everything that's gone wrong in this family, maybe they all can set things right again...?
Very recommended.
Stuckey-French's characters are sympathetically drawn. They're quirky, but never so quirky that they feel unreal. The writing is quite lively and truly original. Don't let the title fool you: This is no sci-fi tale. It's a comic family drama with warm characters who aren't so flawed they might not be redeemed.
The 77 year old Marylou Ahearn is determined to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs to avenge his involvement in the medical experiment that cost her her only child Helen. When Marylou finally tracks Dr Spriggs down, she moves to his neighborhood and takes on a new identity and introduces herself to the family. Not that the family wants anything to do with this nosy old biddy....
She then discovers that Dr. Spriggs has major memory loss - and doesn't seem to recall much of anything. So, instead of murder, Marylou plans to disrupt his life through his family. She finds a way to meet his grandchildren. Then she falls for young Suzi - a sporty, outgoing and slightly tormented young girl. As Marylou gets to know Suzi and her sister Ava, and their brother Otis, she finds a closeness and friendship she hadn't expected. And her carefully laid plans go awry. This family needs help, not more mistakes. And Marylou may just be the one who can help them all.
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady has been compared to the movie Little Miss Sunshine because of the quirky, unusual characters and unexpected situations. Elizabeth Stuckey-French's novel is entertaining, engrossing and hard to forget. It kept me coming back the whole of my confinement because of illness, nearly desperate to find out more. And hoping, against everything that's gone wrong in this family, maybe they all can set things right again...?
Very recommended.
May 27, 2012
Absolutely horrible book. I was looking for something fun but decent at the library, and the back matter sounded promising, so I decided to check it out. I'm one of those people that has to finish a book once I start it, and this book made me hate that about myself for the first time in a long time. It started out okay...premise was a little silly, but it's summer reading, so I gave in and kept going. I'm not sure if Stuckey-French was pushing a deadline or what, but as I was reading, I noticed that if there was a problem with the storyline, there was suddenly a pat little solution out of nowhere. Totally out of thin air, unexplained. The worst offense is the conclusion of the novel, which made absolutely no sense in relation to the rest of the story and actually pissed me off. It's bad enough that a 334 page book took less than two hours to read, even for a really, really fast reader, but for me to actually be angry that I lost that time to a book that I spent no money on is even worse in a way. I think I'm angry that this book is out there in the world and there are people that will think it is good, and people will pay money for it, and recommend it to their friends, and the author will make money off of it, while authors who actually *do* write really good books with amazing characters and brilliant stories and genius endings write and write and write and will never be published while crap like this fills library shelves. This is a great book to read if you want to know how to *not* write a novel. Otherwise, avoid it.
March 23, 2011
From the back of the book: "It's impossible not to love a novel that starts out with a seventy-seven-year-old woman planning cold blooded murder, especially when the old lady in question is as charming and funny..."
OH I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE IF YOU CAN LOOK PAST THE CHILD PORN RING, RAPE OF A 13 YEAR OLD, NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE, A FAMILY OF AUTISTICS, ADULTRY, AN 8 YEAR OLD WHO DIES OF CANCER AND ELDER ABUSE.
The nuts and bolts seem fairly well written, the characters well thought out. The story just sucks. If you liked the gang rape scene and incompetency of The Kite Runner this might just be for you, sicko.
OH I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE IF YOU CAN LOOK PAST THE CHILD PORN RING, RAPE OF A 13 YEAR OLD, NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE, A FAMILY OF AUTISTICS, ADULTRY, AN 8 YEAR OLD WHO DIES OF CANCER AND ELDER ABUSE.
The nuts and bolts seem fairly well written, the characters well thought out. The story just sucks. If you liked the gang rape scene and incompetency of The Kite Runner this might just be for you, sicko.
March 15, 2011
I loved the humor in this book and was hooked from the first chapter. Also found the family dynamics when two of the kids have Asperger's to be fascinating. And I never quite knew what was coming (ok, not totally true-I guessed something ahead of time about a certain youth pastor).
April 23, 2011
Great convoluted story, darkly humorous and ironic...I was pleasantly surprised. Senior citizen hell bent on revenge (justifiably so), sets out to destroy a doctor and his family with surprises throughout.
June 14, 2018
After glancing off a very compelling premise -- a pregnant woman's unwittingly being given a radiation dose as part of a medical/military trial in the 50's -- the story turns into a revenge fantasy gone soft. This isn't a criticism. I liked the story. I liked the dysfunctional family at the heart of it. I liked its redemptive ending. It's just not what I expected from the title or the opening chapters.
June 2, 2019
questionable plot. STOLE MY HEART.
October 14, 2011
Ooooook--what to say, what to say..? I never tell what the book is about much because it takes up too much rambling space along with the opinion bit and has already been done a dozen times...sooo how I felt about this book is what you get, if ya want it...
This was a very easy read. I was entertained enough to read right through it...no problemo. The idea of an old lady out for revenge in the way of murdering an even older man who had done her wrong so long ago was great....just lovely...fun. At first you get to wonder at all the possibilities of just how to get the job done right along with her...'cause you're already committed to that fact. You picked up the book knowing what this was all about....don't be a weeeenie. The old man must die...just how it is...
That's fun...
She infiltrates him--his world--as a friend...the BEST kinda infiltration...Even more fun...
*Spoiler Alert*
Then she just goes way too far. How is getting his learning disabled granddaughter into a sicko situation with a perv gonna do any good (even evil good)?? At this point, I thought...ummm...ok you're totally pathetic if this is the best you can do, Old Gal. I mean...how twisted and unrealistic is this? I don't care how much hate you have for the girl's grandpappy...how bonkers and outta touch with everything 'cept your goal of revenge you are...Who the hell is gonna offer up a young girl to a pedophile by encouraging her to take her clothes off for nasty pictures??? Yeeeah right...Especially not an older woman who once had a daughter of her own and...who is...hellllo...a woman....ummm...I know the world can be a sick place but we women usually have a very strong instict to protect one another from exactly this sorta thing...Yuck. Am I supposed to be against the old lady now? It was way more fun when we were on the same side...
The she feels bad about it later when one thing leads to another and physical abuse occurs. Again...uhhh...what? How the hell did you not feel disgusted with yourself for even considering taking the first step of misleading poor girl #1 into the hands of pervs from the get go?? Are you a perv too or something?? Does a perv who preys on young folks feel bad for one assault and not another? Like...ooops...now it got TOO pervy...fiddle sticks--don't I feel just rotten....Totally stupid...
So then later on...the family knows the old lady moved into their neighborhood/lives just to kill the granddad and they STILL let her take his ass out to lunch??? They don't call the cops?? They're just like...uhh ok that's weird but you're still welcome to tea...BS...
*End Spoiler Alert*
The ending was beyond lame. I understand why the author went the way she did...the story wrapped up neatly and with reason (stupid--asinine reason)from the way she chose to present it all. Juuuust...the way she chose to present it all was stupid as hell.
I gave this book a 3 because it was entertaining enough to read at all...which I guess is my standard for a decent book these days...way sad, huh? Read this one if you've got nothing better to do/read...it'll occupy you for a couple of days...what the heck? Maybe you'll like it...
This was a very easy read. I was entertained enough to read right through it...no problemo. The idea of an old lady out for revenge in the way of murdering an even older man who had done her wrong so long ago was great....just lovely...fun. At first you get to wonder at all the possibilities of just how to get the job done right along with her...'cause you're already committed to that fact. You picked up the book knowing what this was all about....don't be a weeeenie. The old man must die...just how it is...
That's fun...
She infiltrates him--his world--as a friend...the BEST kinda infiltration...Even more fun...
*Spoiler Alert*
Then she just goes way too far. How is getting his learning disabled granddaughter into a sicko situation with a perv gonna do any good (even evil good)?? At this point, I thought...ummm...ok you're totally pathetic if this is the best you can do, Old Gal. I mean...how twisted and unrealistic is this? I don't care how much hate you have for the girl's grandpappy...how bonkers and outta touch with everything 'cept your goal of revenge you are...Who the hell is gonna offer up a young girl to a pedophile by encouraging her to take her clothes off for nasty pictures??? Yeeeah right...Especially not an older woman who once had a daughter of her own and...who is...hellllo...a woman....ummm...I know the world can be a sick place but we women usually have a very strong instict to protect one another from exactly this sorta thing...Yuck. Am I supposed to be against the old lady now? It was way more fun when we were on the same side...
The she feels bad about it later when one thing leads to another and physical abuse occurs. Again...uhhh...what? How the hell did you not feel disgusted with yourself for even considering taking the first step of misleading poor girl #1 into the hands of pervs from the get go?? Are you a perv too or something?? Does a perv who preys on young folks feel bad for one assault and not another? Like...ooops...now it got TOO pervy...fiddle sticks--don't I feel just rotten....Totally stupid...
So then later on...the family knows the old lady moved into their neighborhood/lives just to kill the granddad and they STILL let her take his ass out to lunch??? They don't call the cops?? They're just like...uhh ok that's weird but you're still welcome to tea...BS...
*End Spoiler Alert*
The ending was beyond lame. I understand why the author went the way she did...the story wrapped up neatly and with reason (stupid--asinine reason)from the way she chose to present it all. Juuuust...the way she chose to present it all was stupid as hell.
I gave this book a 3 because it was entertaining enough to read at all...which I guess is my standard for a decent book these days...way sad, huh? Read this one if you've got nothing better to do/read...it'll occupy you for a couple of days...what the heck? Maybe you'll like it...
February 25, 2011
Nancy Archer is the giant woman, made huge by contact with a space alien, in the campy old movie, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. So when Marylou Ahearn moves to Tallahassee for the sole purpose of killing Dr. Wilson Spriggs, she adopts that character's name. And she is a Radioactive Lady, thanks to a radioactive cocktail given to her without her knowledge as part of Dr. Spriggs's study. She, like the other women in this 1950s study, was pregnant. And her child died of cancer. Revenge, in 2006, is long overdue.
Can revenge be sweet when the object of revenge no longer remembers what he has done? Do the ends justify the means – whether it is a scientific study or a murder? Maybe revenge would be better served by hurting this doctor's family. This messed-up family has problems of its own, both by circumstance and of its own creation. Two of the children have Asperger's Syndrome and don't make life easy for their put-upon, depressed mother. One of them is building a nuclear breeder/reactor in the backyard shed. The other is currently obsessed with Elvis. The third and “normal” child feels pressure to be perfect and can't quite live up to expectations. Their father flirts with women he shouldn't but spends most of his time in the basement, tracking hurricanes. Grandpa, the evil doctor, generally doesn't have a clue about what is happening.
To quote Donald Rumsfeld, “My goodness!” (No, he wasn't talking about this book – I just wanted to quote him.) I love the title of the book, and the story is funny in a dark sort of way. I expected more humor, despite the grim subject. For the most part, the characters are unlikeable, quirky,but interesting. Reading this, I felt like one of those people who really, really doesn't want to look at the car wreck she has just driven by, but does anyway. So, does Marylou/Nancy manage to kill Dr. Spriggs or does she settle for hurting the family? Does anyone ever live happily ever after? What makes the novel more than just entertaining is the very sad fact that such experiments were conducted on pregnant women without their knowledge. Marylou was justified in her anger, but she let it take over her life.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, for which I am grateful. The advance copy had more typos than I have come to expect in galleys, but I trust they will be corrected in the published edition.
Can revenge be sweet when the object of revenge no longer remembers what he has done? Do the ends justify the means – whether it is a scientific study or a murder? Maybe revenge would be better served by hurting this doctor's family. This messed-up family has problems of its own, both by circumstance and of its own creation. Two of the children have Asperger's Syndrome and don't make life easy for their put-upon, depressed mother. One of them is building a nuclear breeder/reactor in the backyard shed. The other is currently obsessed with Elvis. The third and “normal” child feels pressure to be perfect and can't quite live up to expectations. Their father flirts with women he shouldn't but spends most of his time in the basement, tracking hurricanes. Grandpa, the evil doctor, generally doesn't have a clue about what is happening.
To quote Donald Rumsfeld, “My goodness!” (No, he wasn't talking about this book – I just wanted to quote him.) I love the title of the book, and the story is funny in a dark sort of way. I expected more humor, despite the grim subject. For the most part, the characters are unlikeable, quirky,but interesting. Reading this, I felt like one of those people who really, really doesn't want to look at the car wreck she has just driven by, but does anyway. So, does Marylou/Nancy manage to kill Dr. Spriggs or does she settle for hurting the family? Does anyone ever live happily ever after? What makes the novel more than just entertaining is the very sad fact that such experiments were conducted on pregnant women without their knowledge. Marylou was justified in her anger, but she let it take over her life.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, for which I am grateful. The advance copy had more typos than I have come to expect in galleys, but I trust they will be corrected in the published edition.
March 9, 2011
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.
I loved both the premise and the cover of this book. Marylou Ahearn is ready to finally get her revenge on Dr. Wilson Spriggs after 50 years. She assumes an identity (straight out of a Hollywood B movie) and moves into Dr. Spriggs' Florida neighborhood to put her plan into action. In the 1950's, when Marylou was a young woman pregnant with her first child, she was given a radioactive cocktail as part of a government experiment on radiation. She did not give her consent and had no knowledge that this was being done to her. As a result, her child died young of bone cancer and Marylou has been plagued with a lifetime of health problems. At 77, she will finally get her revenge on the doctor who ran the experiments, Wilson Spriggs. When Marylou finally finds Dr. Spriggs, she is taken aback to find out that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She amends her plan and decides to take revenge on Wilson's extended family and begins befriending the family members in order to gain their trust. As most revenge plans do, this has has unexpected consequences on everyone involved.
This was an incredibly readable book. I loved the idea of an older woman trying to get her revenge after 50 years. The whole government radiation experiment provided an interesting backdrop for the story. Marylou's revenge plan was a bit thin but I loved all the characters. They were all very interesting people with well-fleshed out stories. However, the story fell apart towards the end of the book. The ending was unbelievable and everything was tidied up too nicely. Plus........
*SPOILER ALERT*
.......the use of a youth pastor as a secret sex offender seems pretty cliched at this point.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT*
I would have enjoyed the book much more if it hadn't been for the silly ending. I am going to recommend this one as a beach read. Light, fluffy and very readable but with a ridiculous ending that kind of ruins the whole book.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended with reservations. A fun read but the ending is far-fetched and unbelievable. I wish Stuckey-French had taken the book in a different direction. The premise was so good but the execution left a little to be desired.
I loved both the premise and the cover of this book. Marylou Ahearn is ready to finally get her revenge on Dr. Wilson Spriggs after 50 years. She assumes an identity (straight out of a Hollywood B movie) and moves into Dr. Spriggs' Florida neighborhood to put her plan into action. In the 1950's, when Marylou was a young woman pregnant with her first child, she was given a radioactive cocktail as part of a government experiment on radiation. She did not give her consent and had no knowledge that this was being done to her. As a result, her child died young of bone cancer and Marylou has been plagued with a lifetime of health problems. At 77, she will finally get her revenge on the doctor who ran the experiments, Wilson Spriggs. When Marylou finally finds Dr. Spriggs, she is taken aback to find out that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She amends her plan and decides to take revenge on Wilson's extended family and begins befriending the family members in order to gain their trust. As most revenge plans do, this has has unexpected consequences on everyone involved.
This was an incredibly readable book. I loved the idea of an older woman trying to get her revenge after 50 years. The whole government radiation experiment provided an interesting backdrop for the story. Marylou's revenge plan was a bit thin but I loved all the characters. They were all very interesting people with well-fleshed out stories. However, the story fell apart towards the end of the book. The ending was unbelievable and everything was tidied up too nicely. Plus........
*SPOILER ALERT*
.......the use of a youth pastor as a secret sex offender seems pretty cliched at this point.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT*
I would have enjoyed the book much more if it hadn't been for the silly ending. I am going to recommend this one as a beach read. Light, fluffy and very readable but with a ridiculous ending that kind of ruins the whole book.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended with reservations. A fun read but the ending is far-fetched and unbelievable. I wish Stuckey-French had taken the book in a different direction. The premise was so good but the execution left a little to be desired.
May 10, 2011
Marylou Ahearn is bent on revenge after locating the doctor who, in 1953, headed a radiation experiment that eventually took her eight-year-old daughter’s life. With plans to murder Dr. Wilson Spriggs, Marylou moves to Florida only to find out that Wilson now has Alzheimer’s disease and no recollection of her. Marylou’s plans of murder are foiled, for she cannot kill a man who has no idea what pain he’s caused her. Instead, she resolves to reap her revenge in the form of misery and tear Spriggs’ already dysfunctional family apart.
Revenge of The Radioactive Lady sounds interesting enough, but unfortunately there was seldom any plot progression in this story. The entire book is composed of character development and while it’s interesting to explore the Spriggs’ oddball family, I kept wondering when all of this potential energy would become kinetic, but it never did.
I really thought I’d like this book, but this supposed “dark-comedy” is just dark. There were a few amusing parts in the story, but they didn’t overwhelm the somber topics of autism, Alzheimer’s disease, child abuse, cancer, and pedophilia. I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book.
Book Rating: 3/5
Book Received From: Doubleday for Review
Reviewer: Brittany for http://booksake.blogspot.com
Revenge of The Radioactive Lady sounds interesting enough, but unfortunately there was seldom any plot progression in this story. The entire book is composed of character development and while it’s interesting to explore the Spriggs’ oddball family, I kept wondering when all of this potential energy would become kinetic, but it never did.
I really thought I’d like this book, but this supposed “dark-comedy” is just dark. There were a few amusing parts in the story, but they didn’t overwhelm the somber topics of autism, Alzheimer’s disease, child abuse, cancer, and pedophilia. I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book.
Book Rating: 3/5
Book Received From: Doubleday for Review
Reviewer: Brittany for http://booksake.blogspot.com
January 10, 2017
I can honestly say I spent almost an entire year searching for this book. Well, not specifically The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, but any book to fill a reading challenge prompt for a book set in your hometown. Since I don't live in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or In Palm Beach County, it was extremely difficult to find a book set in my hometown.
Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is about Marylou Ahearn. In her late seventies and newly single, she ready to get revenge on Dr. Wilson Spriggs. Dr. Spriggs was in charge of a secret government research project in which he gave 800 pregnant women radioactive cocktails. The radioactive drink Marylou took ended up causing her daughter's cancer. Her daughter died in childhood. So Marylou packs up and moves to Tallahassee, FL to kill Wilson Spriggs.
It would seem that this book is about an elderly woman bent on revenge. It's really about The Witherspoon family, though. The Witherspoons consist of Dr. Spriggs' daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. The reader gets to know each member of the family through their interactions with Marylou.
The ending may or may not surprise you, but it charmed me! Reading this book was a different experience since it was set in my hometown. I quite enjoyed it! Four stars from me.
Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is about Marylou Ahearn. In her late seventies and newly single, she ready to get revenge on Dr. Wilson Spriggs. Dr. Spriggs was in charge of a secret government research project in which he gave 800 pregnant women radioactive cocktails. The radioactive drink Marylou took ended up causing her daughter's cancer. Her daughter died in childhood. So Marylou packs up and moves to Tallahassee, FL to kill Wilson Spriggs.
It would seem that this book is about an elderly woman bent on revenge. It's really about The Witherspoon family, though. The Witherspoons consist of Dr. Spriggs' daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. The reader gets to know each member of the family through their interactions with Marylou.
The ending may or may not surprise you, but it charmed me! Reading this book was a different experience since it was set in my hometown. I quite enjoyed it! Four stars from me.
February 8, 2016
Confession time: yes, of course I picked this up for the title alone. It turns out my intuition was wise this time. This is a nasty little tale of power, privilege, and revenge, both thwarted and successful. The "radioactive lady", a pregnant mother who had been unknowingly given a cocktail of radioactive material in the fifties as part of an experiment, tracks down the doctor who led the study and who, indirectly, caused the death of her young daughter. By the time she meets him, however, he is elderly and his mind is beginning to go. Instead of killing him immediately, as she had planned, she begins tormenting his family, trying to tear them apart even as she grows fond of them. Meanwhile, the doctor's family has problems of its own. Two of the children have autism. One of them is building something sinister and dangerous in his shed. One of them is pursuing her sexual awakening in entirely the wrong way. One of them is struggling to separate herself from her "condition", while mooning over Elvis, of course. This is a story of secrets, betrayal, and lies. It is, however, a story about redemption, truth, and reconciliation, as well. It's a very fun read, so go ahead: try it.
May 17, 2011
Utterly irresistible title, not to mention the cover art or the story synopsis. I generally enjoy a good romp with any oddball, dysfunctional family so I expected to enjoy this thoroughly. I did gobble it right up but I am still deciding how much I actually liked it. To be sure, there are some great characters. You gotta love a 77 year old women bent on revenge against the doctor who headed up the research project that fed her a radioactive cocktail during pregnancy ... except that when he turns out to be suffering from dementia she decides to exact her revenge by destroying his already falling apart family with horribly disastrous results that somehow tidily resolve in the end, just a little too tidily. And in the end. that irked me, and while I loved the cast of flawed and floundering characters I just did not, could not, love this book wholeheartedly, just a little too much dark with the comedy for me.
May 28, 2011
Reading the book jacket quotes, I expected to be thoroughly entertained by this book. Unfortunately, I was never that excited while reading the book. I only read the whole thing to see if it ever lived up to the reviews. For me, it didn't. It had a lot of promise, but just didn't deliver. I regret finishing this book.
--------------POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW------------------
If you're in the middle of it, know that it doesn't get any better and there are definitely better ways to spend your time. If that's you, the only reason to continue to read the book is to find out if she ends up killing him, but truthfully, the ending isn't even worth reading the crap in the middle. For whatever reason, she resorts to a cliche ending instead of creatively resolving the conflict. Read a summary of the book and throw out two guesses about the ending. I'd be willing to bet you could guess what happens.
--------------POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW------------------
If you're in the middle of it, know that it doesn't get any better and there are definitely better ways to spend your time. If that's you, the only reason to continue to read the book is to find out if she ends up killing him, but truthfully, the ending isn't even worth reading the crap in the middle. For whatever reason, she resorts to a cliche ending instead of creatively resolving the conflict. Read a summary of the book and throw out two guesses about the ending. I'd be willing to bet you could guess what happens.
March 10, 2012
Really this was a 3.5 for me.
Not going to rehash synopsis, so read it first. Good? Ok.
I was hoping for some black comedy, and it was that way a goodly bit, but there were smatterings of despair. The lives of those she wants to mess with are already pretty messed up and depressing -- except for Otis. I loved him. He was awesome! But I had to read this since 1. The premise is hilarious and 2. It is in Tallahassee (like meeeeeeeee!) And I'm glad I did, and not just for the very apt description Vic gives of Florida.
The book was more than its hilarious premise, with additional oddities of character and situation, such as a young man who dreams of building a nuclear reactor. The chapters were each told from the perspective of one of the characters, and the author did a great job capturing their inner workings, creating characters who manage to be ridiculous while also sometimes being realistic in some sad ways, and at times quite heartbreaking.
Not going to rehash synopsis, so read it first. Good? Ok.
I was hoping for some black comedy, and it was that way a goodly bit, but there were smatterings of despair. The lives of those she wants to mess with are already pretty messed up and depressing -- except for Otis. I loved him. He was awesome! But I had to read this since 1. The premise is hilarious and 2. It is in Tallahassee (like meeeeeeeee!) And I'm glad I did, and not just for the very apt description Vic gives of Florida.
The book was more than its hilarious premise, with additional oddities of character and situation, such as a young man who dreams of building a nuclear reactor. The chapters were each told from the perspective of one of the characters, and the author did a great job capturing their inner workings, creating characters who manage to be ridiculous while also sometimes being realistic in some sad ways, and at times quite heartbreaking.
April 28, 2011
A radioactive geriatric with murder on her mind sounds like she should be exactly my kind of main character. The title, cover, and jacket blurb make the book seem like a dark comedy, so it was an unpleasant surprise to realize that, a third of the way through the novel, I was actually stuck in a slow-burn suburban drama with occasional touches of "isn't that just so wacky?" humor.
I liked Marylou quite a bit, but the scientist's family seemed like more of a focus, and they all left me cold. Strangely-timed perspective shifts and an overdone sense of character voice made this an inconsistent, awkward read, so I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
I liked Marylou quite a bit, but the scientist's family seemed like more of a focus, and they all left me cold. Strangely-timed perspective shifts and an overdone sense of character voice made this an inconsistent, awkward read, so I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
November 23, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's wacky, it's fun, and I suspect this is the antidote for some of the deeply depressing fiction I usually love to read. Full of oddball characters who take the reader on a wild journey through loss and revenge and multiple surprises, this novel is written in well-crafted prose that never clunks. The borderline-ditsy but definitely gutsy main character Marylou and the various quirky members of the Spriggs and Coffey families are still with me. I hope they hang around for a while. I like their company.
February 25, 2011
This is yet another time when I wish goodreads would give us the ability to give something a 1/2 star designation. My review would be for 3 1/2 stars instead of 4. This is a book that I absolutely adored when I began reading it, but with 100 pages too many it began to slog along around the 200 page mark. I've given it 4 just because I did love it when I started reading it and the overall story is a good one. There have been so many books recently that seem to need a good editor to trim them down and speed up the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews