Roger Hyttinen

Review of Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

August 15, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Where’d You Go Bernadette is told in epistolary format and revolves around anti-social Bernadette Fox, a former genius-level architect who appears to be agoraphobic, impulsive and suffers from severe social anxiety; her mostly-absent husband Elgie who is an executive computer engineer at Microsoft; and their fifteen-year-old daughter Bee, who has overcome a congenital heart condition and is now a straight-A student at a progressive charter school. Bernadette doesn’t get along with any of the other mothers at her daughter’s school (she refers to them all as “gnats”) and is in a bitter battle with her next-door neighbor Audrey Griffin, who definitely has it out for Bernadette. When her daughter Bee states that she wants a trip to Antartica as the promised reward for her perfect grade, Bernadette freaks out about the trip and begins to have sort of a meltdown.

Everything comes crashing down on Bernadette after her rivalry with Audrey escalates resulting in a mudslide (yes, a mudslide!). After a failed intervention by her husband Elgie, Bernadette disappears without a trace. Now it’s up to her daughter Bee to figure out what happened to her mother. And that’s what she does: by putting together a gigantic compilation of a complex series of emails, voicemails, school memos to parents, faxes, doctor bills, newspaper articles and even doctor reports, all of which reveal Bernadette’s backstory and secret past, of which most people were unaware (I won’t spoil what her secret is). It through all of these devices that Bee tells her mother’s story.

This novel ended up being a fun and entertaining satire on wealth and privilege, with many of the characters being self-deluded and clueless, resulting in some quite humorous over-the-top scenes. Come to think of it, Bernadette’s entire family and all of those around her are all over-the-top caricatures. In fact, everyone seems a bit mad.

I especially loved Bernadette’s character. She’s wildly eccentric, quirky and super complex: a brilliant woman whose suppressed artist talents have resulted in depression and anxiety, yet she’s still hopeful at the end of the day.

There were also quite a few surprising plot twists in the story, and everything came together beautifully at the end. This was such a humorous and inventive novel, and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I found myself chuckling out loud several times while working my way through the story.

I also appreciated that one of the themes of the story points out what can happen to our mental state if we suppress our inner talents and instead, simply choose to “settle.” All in all, I loved this wacky novel, and if you can appreciate satire with plenty of dark humor, and are willing to suspend disbelief a little, then this book is well worth the read.

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Review of Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

August 14, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

This was last month’s Book of the Month Club selection whose synopsis grabbed my attention right from the get-go. I just couldn’t resist a book was the words “Mayan Death God” and “1920’s” in the description and turned out to be a delightful Mayan folklore story chock full of mythology.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a standalone fantasy story that takes place during the Jazz Age in the Roaring ’20s and follows a young woman named Casiopea Tun who lives in Yucatán, Mexico. She and her mother are considered the poor relations and are pretty much servants, spending their days slaving away for their wealthy and tyrannical grandfather.

So one day, she discovers that her grandfather has left the key for the strange wooden trunk in his room, a trunk that has always remained locked. Unable to resist her curiosity, Casiopea opens the chest and inadvertently releases the Mayan god of Death, Hun-Kamé, who was apparently imprisoned in the trunk.

We learn that Hun-Kamé was the king of his realm and his twin brother, Vucub-Kamé, trapped him in the trunk and stole the kingdom, which is their Underworld called Xibalba, which is basically the land of Death. So Hun-Kamé, the rightful king and Supreme Lord of Xilbalba, requests Casiopea’s help in getting back his throne. Well, I shouldn’t say request — as it turns out, she doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter (for reasons I won’t go into).

Now the kicker is, is that if she fails, she dies. But if she succeeds, her deepest desire can come true. What follows is a harrowing journey as Casiopea, along with the handsome yet commanding death-god, embark on a treacherous adventure into Mexico City and subsequently into the dark Underworld, and along the way, encounter all manner of gods, demons and creatures.

I love a book where there’s an adventurous quest, and this one didn’t disappoint. From what I understand, this story is a fairytale-inspired by Mexican folklore. Now don’t worry if your knowledge of Mayan history and culture is lacking, as the author lays it all out in an easy-to-understand and compelling manner — there’s even a handy glossary in the back of the book. All the details you need are worked seamlessly into the action.

The prose in the story is luxurious, lyrical, and incredibly imaginative with vivid descriptions, a truly magical plot and a vast arrayP of exciting and complex characters. I loved the otherworldly, fairytale aspect to this tale and found it utterly enchanting. The blending of the old Mayan myths, legends, and gods with the new lifestyle of the 1920s really worked well for me.

I also thought that the world-building was terrific! It was so much fun to immerse myself into it and watch as the story slowly expanded it. The vibrant world that the author created here in this story was magical, captivating, twisty, and compelling yet also dark and dangerous. I felt that the detail that went into the storytelling here really brought it to life — at least it did for me.

I loved Casiopea’s character and felt she’s a phenomenal heroine. She’s feisty, headstrong, brave, determined, defiant, proud and refuses to take crap from anyone — even from Death himself — and I found myself falling in love with her more and more as the story progressed.

All in all, I loved this inventive and addictive story. It was elegantly written and well-constructed, with an evocative and gripping plot that I found fascinating. I thought that the author seamlessly blended the real and the mythic in a way that was a joy to read.

It also had a satisfying character arc for both of our protagonists, which I appreciated as both of them really changed and grew throughout the story. There was also an exceptional chemistry between the two main characters, which only increased as the story progressed.

So yeah, I loved the book, and I hope to read more of this author’s work.

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Review of Grace Logan and the Goblin Bones by Pam Binder

August 11, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

The story follows fifteen-year-old Grace Logan, a free-spirited young woman who yearns for adventure and longs to be a pirate like her father. But instead, all she has to look forward to is an arranged marriage.

But before her wedding can take place, the unthinkable happens: an unknown enemy has captured her father. Once an attempt is made on her life and a sleeping/death curse is placed on her home, Grace’s eyes are opened for the first time, and she discovers that she is surrounded by magic and magical beings.

Determined, she makes the decision to go on a quest to rescue her father from the Goblin underworld. Additionally, she discovers that a student, John Dee (yes, THAT John Dee) has stolen a magical book from her family and unless she retrieves it, the world will be thrown in utter chaos.

So Grace, along with two Sidhe friends, embark on a harrowing adventure into the world of Goblin, an adventure fraught with danger. Grace faces all manner of instances and comes face-to-face with a variety of monsters/creatures from Irish myth and along the way, learns more about herself, her family and friend than she ever thought possible.

This story is actually chock-full of Irish history, myth, and mythology, including faeries and folktales, and it was a delight to read about it. I will say, however, that for someone who isn’t familiar with Irish mythology (and the Book of Invasions), some of the information may seem a tad overwhelming. I have studied Irish mythology a bit, so I quite enjoyed the manner in which the author wove in these myths and legends, which added extra depth to the storytelling.

I loved Grace Logan and the Goblin Bones and found it to be an atmospheric novel where magic can be found in the mundane. This is a pulse-quickening story, and I loved how the author took these old myths and legends and turned them into something new and fresh. It was an exciting novel with fascinating characters and a fast-moving storyline which kept me on the edge of my seat. Prepare to be dazzled.

Many thanks to Pam Binder and The Wild Rose Press for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

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Review of The Whisper Man by Alex North

August 8, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Whisper man book cover Okay, so I was hooked from the very first page of this book when I read the following lines of a letter from a father to his son:

“It’s not going to be easy and I need to start with an apology. Because over the years, I’ve told you many times that there’s no such thing as monsters.

I’m sorry that I lied.”

The story takes place in the town of Featherback, which has quite a gruesome past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer dubbed “The Whisper Man” abducted and murdered five young boys. He was so-named because each of the victims reported hearing whispering outside of their bedroom window at night before they disappeared. Eventually caught by Detective Peter Willis after the fifth murder, the Whisper Man, whose real name is Frank Carter, is now locked up prison.

Fast forward to the present day. Neil Spencer, a six-year-old boy, has been abducted and the crime bears a shocking resemblance to the Whisper Man’s crimes of so long ago. Still haunted by Carter’s grisly crimes, Detective Inspector Willis has always suspected that the murderer may have had an accomplice but could never prove anything. Now Willis can’t help but wonder whether the old crimes and this new one are related.

The story also revolves around Tom Kennedy, a grieving widower and his seven-year-old son Jake who recently moved into town and into a new house. Shortly after they move in, weird things begin to happen. Jake begins to act up and claims to hear whispering outside his window. Oh, and Jake also has an imaginary friend who tells him details about the Whisper Man that only the police know. Tom, of course, is beside himself and it’s evident that the two of them have an uncomfortable relationship. How do you relate to your son when he talks to people who aren’t there? Of maybe they are.

Now what’s interesting about this story, is that it’s told from the POV of several of the characters: Jake, Tom, Pete and another detective on the new case, Amanda Beck. In being privy to their thoughts, we can’t help but experience and be moved by the intense human element in this story, especially surrounding the dysfunctional relationships between fathers and their sons. I especially enjoyed being in Jake’s head as I found him quite a mysterious, precocious, and fascinating little boy.

And then there’s the broken detective full of regret who put the serial killer behind bars. Lastly, given the nature of the story — murders of young children and the loss of Tom’s wife and Jake’s mom – there’s also a powerful element of grief which really wrenched at my heart in places.

I felt that all these different character perspectives on the events in Featherback really added a richness and extra depth to the story, creating a genuinely well-round tale. The author certainly did an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension in the story, especially once those characters we’ve come to care about fall into danger.

Now I will say that though this book is eerie and downright terrifying, it isn’t gory, for which I was appreciative, given that the victims where all children. But still, just the situation of abducted children by a potential serial killer is more than enough to create an unbelievable amount of tension and get the heart pounding. And then there is the utterly chilling villain. This is the kind of villain that gives you nightmares and has you checking the locks on the doors and windows over and over again.

The Whisper Man is an intense heart-in-your-throat psychological thriller with a “Sixth Sense” vibe to it and a huge creep factor. The short chapters helped to increase the heart-pounding pacing and added a feeling of “urgency.”

This is a terrifying dark and twisty story that fills you with an ever-growing sense of dread and menace as you turn each page. It’s definitely the most unsettling book I’ve read in a while.

One thing that I found a bit odd though was that the author switched back and forth from first person POV and third-person POV. I did find this a tad jarring at times but eventually got used to it. Not quite sure what the stylistic reason for it was though.

But POV aside, I thought the book was flawless. It’s an engrossing, creepy and captivating read with fantastic, well-fleshed out characters, intricate world-building and excellent pacing that just might be my favorite book of 2019. I also enjoyed how the book also deals with trauma and grief, and how those can affect our actions and our choices. A solid 5-star read.

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Review of Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

August 6, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

This was a Book of the Month club selection and my first Riley Sager book. The synopsis intrigued me so I thought I’d take a chance on a “new for me” author and I’m so glad I did.

Lock Every Door follows a young woman named Jules Larson who can’t believe her good luck when she lands a dream gig: apartment sitting at the prestigious and mysterious Bartholomew, the gothic home for the rich and famous, for $1,000 a week. There are some terms of employment, however:

No visitors
No disturbing the neighbors (especially asking them questions)
No spending nights away from the apartment
No being nosey
No sharing on social media

Not particularly bothered by the rules, Jules accepts the position because after all, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Once there, she befriends another apartment sitter named Ingrid. Jules soon begins to hear odd noises at night, and Ingrid tells her that the Bartholomew may have some dark and hidden secrets and that the building is starting to frighten her.

Jules brushes off Ingrid’s concerns, but when Ingrid goes missing, Jules starts to wonder whether there really is something strange going on at the Bartholomew after all, especially once she learns that Ingrid is not the first sitter to go missing. Which, of course, brings to mind the adage, “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

As Jules investigates, she learns that the building does indeed have a somewhat sinister history, complete with suicides, strange deaths, and other tragedies and if she doesn’t succeed in figuring out its mystery soon, she could very well be the next missing apartment sitter.

Lock Every Door is an intense, thrilling, suspenseful and compulsive psychological thriller with brilliant characters and a jaw-dropping mystery, and time seemed to slip away as I turned the pages. I found the plot both fascinating and inventive, and it reeled me right in, especially once the Bartholomew turned from quirky to menacing.

This was a super-twisty book with one surprise after another, and I did have a couple of theories on what direction it was heading toward, but boy was I wrong! There was no way I could have predicted the shocking reveal at the end. It was positively chilling.

Now I will say that the ending is a tad over the top and you may have to suspend disbelief a bit (there were a couple of occasions where I raised my eyebrows) but in the end, I thought it worked wonderfully in the story. There’s nothing I enjoy more than having an author pull the wool over my eyes and make me feel like an utter rube, and Riley Sager managed to do it with this book.

By the time the book concluded, I had experienced so many feelings – anticipation, dread, anxiety, hope, shock, surprise and although all my theories were wrong, the story was tidied up so nicely at its finish that I was not only happy I was wrong but was thrilled by it. What an unexpected gem this turned out to be! I ended up giving this book 5 stars, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

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Review of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

August 4, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

House of Salt and Sorrows is is supposedly a retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “12 Dancing Princesses” with which, unfortunately, I’m not familiar. Thus, I can’t comment on their similarities one way or another. But I found this book to be an utterly gripping story.

The story opens to a funeral and is told from the point of view of Annaleigh Thaumas. We learn that Annaleigh is one out of whom where once 12 sisters but tragedy (or, according to the villagers, a curse) has hit the family pretty hard resulting in the recent deaths of four of the sisters.

Shortly after the funeral, their Stepmother convinces her father that they all should stop mourning and dress in beautiful, bright clothing, attend balls, and enjoy life once again. Shortly after the girls receive new clothing and each a pair of “fairy shoes,” they discover a secret/magical passage that takes them to different towns wherever spectacular balls are being held. So each night, the sisters slip through the magical doorway and dance the night away, enjoying new adventures around people who aren’t aware of their so-called curse.

But then, another sister goes missing, and after a series of ghostly apparitions, Annaleigh suspects that her sisters’ deaths may not have been as accidental as everyone has believed. She then takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery, and it’s at this point that the story takes quite a dark turn, especially once Annaleigh realizes that she doesn’t know who to trust. She also begins to suspect that there may be something sinister behind the magic portal that whisks her and her sisters off to elegant balls every evening.

So first off, I loved how atmospheric this novel was. The settings have such an eerie and gothic vibe to them, and I felt that the author really did an excellent job of bringing to the reader a vivid and evocative sense of place. I thought the descriptions were moody, immersive, and utterly intoxicating, and I appreciated the lush attention to detail.

The story also has plenty of twists — most of which I didn’t see coming — which kept me glued the page throughout. The world-building was terrific with well-developed characters, plot, and sense of place, resulting in an ethereal and beguiling story. The author creates here an atmosphere of constant tension and unease as you begin to suspect, along with Annaleigh, that there is something seriously wrong with her sister’s apparent “accidents.” We then learn that not everyone is as they seem, and this is where the creep factor really begins to escalate. I actually found it a lot of fun to unravel the mystery along with Annaleigh and was definitely gobsmacked when I learned the truth of it all.

All in all, I loved House of Salt and Sorrows and finished it in just two sittings. It was a gripping and super spooky story, and while reading, I felt as though I’d been enraptured by an old-time dark fairy tale that, strangely, had a modern feel to it at the same time. A great book to read on a dark and stormy night!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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