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A review by m_kaythen
San Francisco by Jack Harvey, Suzanne Falter
1.0
Charley MacElroy is a spy working for the CIA who happens to also be trans, and he’s recently had his security clearance suspended because he forgot to pay his taxes. Electra is an aspiring dominatrix who just moved to San Francisco on the heels of a devastating divorce that has left her notorious in the society pages and estranged from her daughter. Frankie is a lesbian police sergeant who was originally assigned to clean up corruption in the SFPD, but was quickly demoted when a new chief arrived on the scene. When Charley meets and befriends these two women, they begin to uncover a crazed Christian fundamentalist’s plan to terrorize a popular San Francisco race and destroy the city’s hedonists. Because of their “outsider status,” they are unable to convince anyone to investigate the threat that they see brewing, leading to a race to stop the terrible attack on their own before it’s too late.
Let me just start out by saying that I wanted to like this book. The summary seemed interesting and had characters I genuinely wanted to get to know. One of the problems is that I’ve finished the book and I still don’t know them. The book itself is fast-paced, and rarely lags on the plot, although it sometimes detours extensively into the relationships between the characters instead. I think a lot of the problems I have with this book boil down to one major issue: these authors shouldn’t have written this book, or if they were going to, they should have asked for a lot more help than they seemed to have. There was nothing malicious about the plot or characterizations, but there was some pervasive transphobia and kink-shaming, as well as basic misunderstandings as to how either of those things actually work. Charley’s identity as a spy is also somewhat misleading, as the only way it really relates to the plot is that he gets suspended.
The antagonist is another major issue for this book. Having his point of view throughout the book released entirely too much tension, and left the plot of this supposed “thriller” with nowhere to go in its resolution. His full identity and motivations, once they are revealed at the book’s end (through extremely dubious methods, might I add), are pretty trite and problematic. Honestly, considering the antagonist’s resolution, the book kind of reads as an extended “come-to-Jesus” moment for a violently homophobic terrorist.
Transformed: San Francisco has enough positive reviews that it clearly appeals to some readers. I could see the fast-pace of the narrative appealing to readers who would like a quick and engaging read. The characters could also be a draw for those who enjoy interpersonal relationships in their thrillers, although I would caution that those relationships may develop a bit too quickly for some. The setting of San Francisco is crucial to the plot and atmosphere of the book, so anyone looking for a sense of place should be able to find it in this novel.
Let me just start out by saying that I wanted to like this book. The summary seemed interesting and had characters I genuinely wanted to get to know. One of the problems is that I’ve finished the book and I still don’t know them. The book itself is fast-paced, and rarely lags on the plot, although it sometimes detours extensively into the relationships between the characters instead. I think a lot of the problems I have with this book boil down to one major issue: these authors shouldn’t have written this book, or if they were going to, they should have asked for a lot more help than they seemed to have. There was nothing malicious about the plot or characterizations, but there was some pervasive transphobia and kink-shaming, as well as basic misunderstandings as to how either of those things actually work. Charley’s identity as a spy is also somewhat misleading, as the only way it really relates to the plot is that he gets suspended.
The antagonist is another major issue for this book. Having his point of view throughout the book released entirely too much tension, and left the plot of this supposed “thriller” with nowhere to go in its resolution. His full identity and motivations, once they are revealed at the book’s end (through extremely dubious methods, might I add), are pretty trite and problematic. Honestly, considering the antagonist’s resolution, the book kind of reads as an extended “come-to-Jesus” moment for a violently homophobic terrorist.
Transformed: San Francisco has enough positive reviews that it clearly appeals to some readers. I could see the fast-pace of the narrative appealing to readers who would like a quick and engaging read. The characters could also be a draw for those who enjoy interpersonal relationships in their thrillers, although I would caution that those relationships may develop a bit too quickly for some. The setting of San Francisco is crucial to the plot and atmosphere of the book, so anyone looking for a sense of place should be able to find it in this novel.