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cherrie_bluhd's review against another edition
4.0
I underestimated this book. With confidence, I thought, I would blow through this silly little thing about magic and adventure, and not be much affected or arrested by anything contained in it. And yet, despite my best efforts to not truly engage, Carter Beats the Devil asserted its skill, fun, and depth of thought upon me. The full complexity of living: of grief, joy, love, work, and true magic were unequivocally captured and interrogated. So, of course, I melted into this book like butter. Crying by the end and several times before, I’d say Carter Beats the Devil eked a respectable amount of joy and respect from me. I might even say I loved it, too.
missmim's review
4.0
I had such a crush on Carter while reading this book. He just seemed like the sweetest, dreamiest, most romantic man. The story of what happens to the boys during the blizzard was so poignant. And I loved the descriptions of Carter falling in love, both times. A good yarn, as far as the story goes, and a great look into that era of great magicians and vaudeville acts. Highly recommend.
charlieeee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
duparker's review
3.0
If 3.5 was an option, I'd have given this that. I liked it, and the imagery from the twenties was really clear. It might be the main thing I liked about the book. The author clearly did a lot of research and understood the age he wrote about.
It made for a good book to take on a trip, because it was interesting, long, but not too dense. The writing is clear and consistent.
It made for a good book to take on a trip, because it was interesting, long, but not too dense. The writing is clear and consistent.
jaimer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nmeadors's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sfstagewalker's review
4.0
This was a book that, when I picked it up off the shelf, my wife told me it was one of her favorite books. I had heard a lot of talk when it had come out about it being set in San Francisco and Oakland (where we live) and that it was a really fun read. So, I went into it with a lot of expectations.
It's a good book. Gold is excellent at his characterizations, the plotting is quite good, the attention to environmental detail loving... it's a good book. I particularly liked the first third, and the last half of the third part of the novel. I just got so very angry with the author in the middle that it made it very hard for me to appreciate the transition. The thing is
Still, despite my issues, I persisted and I do applaud Gold's telling of a story set in a world that I've not really explored before. I would certainly be happy to pick up any of his other work.
It's a good book. Gold is excellent at his characterizations, the plotting is quite good, the attention to environmental detail loving... it's a good book. I particularly liked the first third, and the last half of the third part of the novel. I just got so very angry with the author in the middle that it made it very hard for me to appreciate the transition. The thing is
Spoiler
when he killed off Annabelle/Sarah I felt utterly betrayed. I felt that he had written an interesting, unique, and vibrant woman for no other reason than to immediately "Fridge" her... to kill her off to make the male lead's arc more tragic. Even now, after having finished the book and greatly appreciated the way that the story was resolved, I still harbor resentment for what I perceive of as a clumsy and overused storytelling technique. I want to locate the biography of the real Carter, just to see if Annabelle/Sarah actually existed and if she did die as the result of a stage effect gone wrong... just to see if Gold was using history, or relying on tropes.Still, despite my issues, I persisted and I do applaud Gold's telling of a story set in a world that I've not really explored before. I would certainly be happy to pick up any of his other work.