Andrew Battershill -- Marry, Bang, Kill
On the other hand, you can thoroughly enjoy a book whose characters you mostly don't like much; whose genre doesn't make sense to you; and whose blurbs you distrust for all kinds of reasons.
I'm not sure what's on the first hand, for Andrew Battershill's Marry, Bang, Kill, but thoroughly enjoy it I did, even if on prolonged reflection, I still simply don't know why.
Noir, I think? Anyway, as the jacket copy gives away, this novel follows the aftershocks of a knucklehead mugger's theft of a teenage girl's laptop computer -- except that the laptop isn't hers, but her father's, and he's a deeply scary enforcer for a motorcycle gang. As the story develops, we get deeper and deeper into the lives of several key characters, a process which for most readers will lead to shuddering, awkward chuckling, and notes of recognition. No one is truly competent, or satisfied, and mostly we tell each other transparent lies that politeness demands we ignore somewhat less transparently.
What's that? Sure, yeah, let's say I'm still talking about the novel.
Marry, Bang, Kill mostly takes place in Victoria BC and on Quadra Island, so there's a nice local frisson for me, too, which I can only assume counts as exotica for Real Canadians (i.e., people in Toronto).
No idea how the Beer And Books crew will take it, but we'll find out in two weeks! Still, my thumb will be up for it, and there are worse things than hearty disagreement over a few drinks and snacks.
Fun interview with the author here; reviewer and writer Megan Kuklis shows a good eye here.
I'm not sure what's on the first hand, for Andrew Battershill's Marry, Bang, Kill, but thoroughly enjoy it I did, even if on prolonged reflection, I still simply don't know why.
Noir, I think? Anyway, as the jacket copy gives away, this novel follows the aftershocks of a knucklehead mugger's theft of a teenage girl's laptop computer -- except that the laptop isn't hers, but her father's, and he's a deeply scary enforcer for a motorcycle gang. As the story develops, we get deeper and deeper into the lives of several key characters, a process which for most readers will lead to shuddering, awkward chuckling, and notes of recognition. No one is truly competent, or satisfied, and mostly we tell each other transparent lies that politeness demands we ignore somewhat less transparently.
What's that? Sure, yeah, let's say I'm still talking about the novel.
Marry, Bang, Kill mostly takes place in Victoria BC and on Quadra Island, so there's a nice local frisson for me, too, which I can only assume counts as exotica for Real Canadians (i.e., people in Toronto).
No idea how the Beer And Books crew will take it, but we'll find out in two weeks! Still, my thumb will be up for it, and there are worse things than hearty disagreement over a few drinks and snacks.
Fun interview with the author here; reviewer and writer Megan Kuklis shows a good eye here.
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