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tracyreads's review
4.0
“(Rhythm) is there in the cycles of the seasons, in the migrations of the birds and animals, in the fruiting and withering of plants, and in the birth, maturation and death of ourselves. –Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead):
“I would teach children music, physicas, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” – Plato
Writers in the American Romantic period looked for truth, for life, for themselves. Transcendentalist literature from Thoreau and Bryant (among others) chases some semblance of authenticity in both life and death. At risk of being completely cliche, where there is this light and truth, there must also exist darkness. Cue Poe, Melville, Hawthorne, and others as they explore “the other”, the more horrific side of truth and life.
I know, I know, “why the literature lesson, Robinson?” Because in this book Lacey has done something similar. Pop music is certainly not everyone’s favorite, but in general, music is meant to entertain, to inform, to bring joy. Ah, but what if entertainment means control? And information means to have your thoughts ripped from your head? And if joy is found in destruction? Enter Angie Everstein and her rise to pop queen stardom.
The action in this novel really starts moving in the beginning. The prologue has one of the creepiest scenes I’ve read this year, and I read A LOT. I should have expected this, after all Lacey is the guy that can make potatoes sinister. The movement continues on, at times it slows quite a bit and then towards the end it just explodes. As it should.
The characters in this book further prove that Lacey’s strength lies in knowing just how much information we need in order to care. Even the music and the setting (Salem , MA) become their own individual forces in affecting the plot. I love that the shining star in this book is a glittery pop song and the voice behind it – it’s easy to create evil death metal/bands – it is quite another to turn sunshine and rainbows into destruction. The juxtaposition of this makes this novel…sing.
Be sure to check this one out – it's a lesson in high, horror fidelity.
“I would teach children music, physicas, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” – Plato
Writers in the American Romantic period looked for truth, for life, for themselves. Transcendentalist literature from Thoreau and Bryant (among others) chases some semblance of authenticity in both life and death. At risk of being completely cliche, where there is this light and truth, there must also exist darkness. Cue Poe, Melville, Hawthorne, and others as they explore “the other”, the more horrific side of truth and life.
I know, I know, “why the literature lesson, Robinson?” Because in this book Lacey has done something similar. Pop music is certainly not everyone’s favorite, but in general, music is meant to entertain, to inform, to bring joy. Ah, but what if entertainment means control? And information means to have your thoughts ripped from your head? And if joy is found in destruction? Enter Angie Everstein and her rise to pop queen stardom.
The action in this novel really starts moving in the beginning. The prologue has one of the creepiest scenes I’ve read this year, and I read A LOT. I should have expected this, after all Lacey is the guy that can make potatoes sinister. The movement continues on, at times it slows quite a bit and then towards the end it just explodes. As it should.
The characters in this book further prove that Lacey’s strength lies in knowing just how much information we need in order to care. Even the music and the setting (Salem , MA) become their own individual forces in affecting the plot. I love that the shining star in this book is a glittery pop song and the voice behind it – it’s easy to create evil death metal/bands – it is quite another to turn sunshine and rainbows into destruction. The juxtaposition of this makes this novel…sing.
Be sure to check this one out – it's a lesson in high, horror fidelity.
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