From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Revamp

Beck Sherman

Start date: October 13, 2012

Finish date: November 3, 2012

Why we're reading this: "When the lights came back on, things had changed. The dark had brought us visitors." Winning selection f…more
[close] "When the lights came back on, things had changed. The dark had brought us visitors." Winning selection for the Nov. 2012 discussion.

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Jul 12, 2012 Gertie rated it really liked it

This was a fun book... I mean, it was scary too, but it was fun. I'd probably describe it as a "quick read" as well, although circumstances kept me from being able to read it as quickly as I ordinarily would have.

When I initially began reading, I had concerns about the main character Emma, because she was being just so obtuse about reality - ignoring or denying pretty obvious evidence that hey, shit has hit the fan. If I'd been there in person, I'd have wanted to slap her and say "WAKE UP!". (No This was a fun book... I mean, it was scary too, but it was fun. I'd probably describe it as a "quick read" as well, although circumstances kept me from being able to read it as quickly as I ordinarily would have.

When I initially began reading, I had concerns about the main character Emma, because she was being just so obtuse about reality - ignoring or denying pretty obvious evidence that hey, shit has hit the fan. If I'd been there in person, I'd have wanted to slap her and say "WAKE UP!". (Not that the reality she'd be facing is one anyone would want to face.) I don't think most people would have been so reluctant to realize the truth, or would at least more quickly step up their level of caution to high alert. However, this is a small section of the book; once she realizes that okay, fine, SHHTF, she's much more aware, and in some cases more so than others.

Emma has a tendency to have an inner dialog that is generally amusing and snarky. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was funny. I think that unless you're in a situation as dire as The Road, then your sense of humor is going to be pretty resilient. They might not be thoughts you share with other people, but you'd have them nonetheless.

There is a lot going on in this book, a bit like there were two books merged into one. In some ways that's a positive, and in some ways it's not. Quite probably a matter of personal preference. If I were to re-imagine this story, I wouldn't mind putting some more focus on some elements, even if it meant sacrificing some of the smaller ones, allowing some stories to be explored a little further. For example, I loved the idea of a blackout being the harbinger of bad shit, but the book doesn't devote any attention to it. There were some characters in the story who became quite prominent, and I'd have like that to have been developed a little more perhaps.

The story is different from most vampire books I have read - that's a good thing. Not only in the main story different, so is the sub-plot that ties some things together. In a market that is oversaturated, it's good to read a fresh take on something.

The writing style combines serious and funny... admittedly sometimes I wasn't sure how to feel because the overall tone varies, but I still appreciated the humor and the darkness. There are a couple of scenes in there which are pretty disturbing, which gave me a moment of pause, because I appreciated them (in that twisted way fans of horror to) and in a way made me want to book to be more serious in tone. But then... I'd miss the snark!

We read this as our selected book for a reading group and the ratings ranged from 5 - 3 stars; so I can't guess how other people will feel. They'll probably like it, but I don't know if they'll love it; I think this is a good example of a book in which you might want to read the sample first and get a sense of that serious/playful combo to see how you like it. One of the great things about Goodreads is that it introduces us to indie authors like this, who sometimes sell work at prices as low as 99 cents - a price of admission that's more than worth it.

Memorability Factor: 7/10
Watch the author for more?: Yes. ...more

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