A promising first effort that demonstrates Gregory’s ability to synthesize scraps of pop culture into a compelling, original...
Gregory’s pulpy debut novel takes place in a world where demonic possession is both commonplace and hotly debated, and follows one man’s struggle with his (literal) inner demon in a story that combines elements of horror, alternate history and magic realism.
The novel’s America is much like ours, with the key difference being that people are regularly possessed by demons—or are they? Scientists and religious leaders alike disagree on what exactly causes people to act out in strange ways. Jungians, big in this world, believe that possessions are manifestations of the collective unconscious. Whatever they are, they’re a serious pain for Del Pierce, who as a child was possessed by an entity known as the Hellion, a sort of Dennis-the-Menace-on-steroids, and has since been able keep it at bay, for the most part. When a car accident jostles the demon, Del decides to get rid of it once and for all, an arduous process that brings him in contact with all manner of strange characters, including punk-rock exorcist Mother Mariette, and eventually to a dark secret about the nature of demons themselves. Gregory’s storytelling is punchy and economical. The tale is mostly told from Del’s perspective, with occasional interludes expounding on the history of demons. The author integrates his fictional characters with real people in ways both humorous (O.J. Simpson uses the “possession defense” in his murder trial) and weirdly touching (Philip K. Dick is kept alive by being possessed by the manifestation of one of his own characters). The plot zips along quickly, although it runs into a few narrative dead ends, and the exploration of pulp and comic-book tropes is reminiscent of latter-day Stephen King, only less ponderous. The confused, abrupt ending is the only real letdown.
A promising first effort that demonstrates Gregory’s ability to synthesize scraps of pop culture into a compelling, original story.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-345-50116-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2008
An engrossing and fast-paced read that doesn’t hit the mark it aims for.
The relationship between a young debtor and the trillionaire who owns him serves as a parable for the ills of capitalism.
Debut novelist Szpara imagines an only slightly more dystopian United States than the one that exists today, in which the wealth gap has grown so large that the country is more or less split into trillionaires and debtors. Debtors inherit their family's debt, increasing it exponentially over time. To pay it off, many sign up to become slaves for a predetermined amount of time, with the “choice” to inject a drug called Dociline that turns them into a kind of blissful zombie who has no memory, pain, or agency for the duration of their term. The drug is supposed to wear off within two weeks, but when Elisha Wilder’s mother returned from her debt-paying term, it never did, leaving her docile indefinitely. To resolve the rest of his family’s debt, Elisha becomes a Docile to none other than Alex Bishop, the CEO of the company that manufactures Dociline. He invokes his right to refuse the drug, one of the only Dociles ever to do so. Alex enacts a horrifying period of brainwashing in order to modify Elisha’s behavior to mimic that of an “on-med.” The resulting relationship between them is disturbing. As Alex wakes up to his complicity in a broken system—“I am Dr. Frankenstein and I’ve fallen in love with my own monster”—he becomes more sympathetic, for better or worse. As Elisha suffers not only brainwashing, rape, and abuse, but the recovery that must come after, his love for—fixation with, dependence on—Alex poses interesting questions about consent: “Being my own person hurts too much….Why should an opportunity hurt so much?” However, despite excellent pacing and a gripping narrative, Szpara fails to address the history of slavery in America—a history that is race-based and continues to shape the nation. This is a story with fully realized queer characters that is unafraid to ask complicated questions; as a parable, it functions well. But without addressing this important aspect of the nation and economic structures within which it takes place, it cannot succeed in its takedown of oppressive systems.
An engrossing and fast-paced read that doesn’t hit the mark it aims for.Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-21615-1
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fantasy fans will love this fast-paced adventure, with its complex magic system, thoughtful hero and bold heroine.
A fast-paced fantasy adventure that takes readers into a series of interconnected worlds ruled by magic—or the lack of it.
Long ago, the doors between worlds were open, and anyone with magic could travel from one to the next. Now the doors are closed, and only a chosen few have the power to travel between Grey London, a world without magic, Red London, a world suffused with it, and White London, a world where magic is scarce, coveted and jealously guarded. As for Black London, the city consumed, no one would be so foolish as to risk a trip—not even Kell. Officially, he’s a royal messenger, carrying letters among the rulers of the three Londons. Unofficially, he’s a smuggler who collects artifacts from other worlds. It’s that habit that leads him to accept a dangerous relic, something that shouldn’t exist. And it’s when a wanted Grey London thief named Lila steals the artifact that the real trouble starts—for both of them. Schwab (Vicious, 2013, etc.) creates a memorable world—actually, three memorable worlds—and even more memorable characters. Lila in particular is a winningly unconventional heroine who, as she declares, would “rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” The brisk plot makes this a page-turner that confronts darkness but is never overwhelmed by it.
Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7653-7645-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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