Still, it’s an amusing satire that, in its own way, manages to rebuke today’s political realities.
All hell breaks loose when a proposed highway bypass threatens a peaceful neighborhood and endangers a rare species of butterfly, prompting an unreconstructed ’60s radical to scrape together a bunch of misfits and take on the town’s establishment.
It’s easy to imagine that veteran author Nichols (Conjugal Bliss, 1994, etc.) patterned his protagonist and narrator, Charley McFarland, after a kind of politically correct Hunter S. Thompson. Page after page, Charley spices up this political farce with Thompsonian-like epithets (used to describe friend and foe alike) and fantasies that even the character admits may be a little over the top. The Butterfly Coalition that Charley assembles includes a 92-year-old radical Lydia Babcock, who had been involved in many of the last century’s left-wing fracases; a progressive if somewhat frustrated reporter, Susan Delgado; his dysfunctional son, Luther; and his extremely dysfunctional, alcoholic estranged wife (Luther’s stepmother), Kelly. (Another part of Charley’s plan is to use the coalition as a catalyst for reuniting his family.) Along with himself, these four, whom Charley repeatedly explains are not ecoterrorists or “monkey wrenchers,” take on the powers-that-be in aptly named Suicide City. As with any farce, you don’t need a scorecard to distinguish the bad guys from the good, especially with Charley narrating, but the Butterfly Coalition isn’t an average activist group either. Since just about every character here is either unlikably avaricious, obnoxious, or extreme, with Kelly by far the worst of the coalition, the broadness of the comedy—both the language and the action—is a bit unfortunate in that it distances and effectively numbs the reader. Indeed, so heavy is the farce laid on that when tragedy does strike the Butterfly Coalition it elicits confusion rather than sympathy.
Still, it’s an amusing satire that, in its own way, manages to rebuke today’s political realities.Pub Date: June 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8118-3201-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An endearing tale about a magical correspondence.
A fantasy novel tells the story of three thieves who inadvertently become advice purveyors after seeking shelter in an abandoned store.
When their car breaks down unexpectedly, three young criminals decide to hide out in a convenience store that has long been out of business. Atsuya, Kohei, and Shota are planning to lie low for a while—at least for the night—but before they can even settle in, an envelope slides through the store’s mail slot. They are immediately suspicious. Who would deliver a missive to a store that hasn’t been open in decades? The letter is from an athlete looking for advice: Should she forgo her Olympic training to take care of her dying boyfriend or push forward to pursue her dream? “As I was struggling on my own with these thoughts, I heard some rumors going around about the Namiya General Store,” she writes. “I know my chances are slim, but I’m writing on the off chance that you might be able to help me figure things out.” The guys discover that the store—when it was in operation—had a reputation for being a place to have questions answered. Kohei, out of boredom, answers the letter and drops it in the mail bin. Almost immediately, he gets a response. The correspondence continues, though the trio can’t tell where the letters are coming from—other than that they seem to be from 30 years in the past. The novel is a bit of a Russian doll, with one layer of narrative opening to reveal the next. Higashino’s (The Name of the Game Is a Kidnapping, 2017, etc.) prose—as translated from the Japanese by Bett (Star, 2019, etc.)—is muscular and concise: “Exiting the station and heading down the street of shops, Kosuke Waku felt an unsettling feeling creep across his chest. He was right. Just as he’d feared, hard times hadn’t spared this town.” More than a time travel mystery, the story is a rather earnest tale of human decision-making, and the author is adept at drawing an emotional response from readers. Inventive and always surprising, this book is easy to get drawn into and difficult to put down.
An endearing tale about a magical correspondence.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-975382-57-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Yen On
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Nothing original, but in Hilderbrand’s hands it’s easy to get lost in the story.
Privileged 30-somethings hide from their woes in Nantucket.
Hilderbrand’s saga follows the lives of Melanie, Brenda and Vicki. Vicki, alpha mom and perfect wife, is battling late-stage lung cancer and, in an uncharacteristically flaky moment, opts for chemotherapy at the beach. Vicki shares ownership of a tiny Nantucket cottage with her younger sister Brenda. Brenda, a literature professor, tags along for the summer, partly out of familial duty, partly because she’s fleeing the fallout from her illicit affair with a student. As for Melanie, she gets a last minute invite from Vicki, after Melanie confides that Melanie’s husband is having an affair. Between Melanie and Brenda, Vicki feels her two young boys should have adequate supervision, but a disastrous first day on the island forces the trio to source some outside help. Enter Josh, the adorable and affable local who is hired to tend to the boys. On break from college, Josh learns about the pitfalls of mature love as he falls for the beauties in the snug abode. Josh likes beer, analysis-free relationships and hot older women. In a word, he’s believable. In addition to a healthy dose of testosterone, the novel is balanced by powerful descriptions of Vicki’s bond with her two boys. Emotions run high as she prepares for death.
Nothing original, but in Hilderbrand’s hands it’s easy to get lost in the story.Pub Date: July 2, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-316-01858-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2007
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