The Tenant - Freida McFadden - Book Review

 

        It's been quite a while since I went to the library. During this visit, I was going through a couple of blurbs, and this one caught my attention. This was an author I had not read in a while, and I chose the book to see how it would turn out.

        Blake is working as the VP of a big company. He and his fiancée, Krista, live in an uptown house. One day, Blake is accused of fraudulent activity at the office and is immediately fired. Tight on cash and down payments, they decide to rent out a portion of the house. Enter Whitney Cross as the tenant. She seemed likeable at first. As days go by, Blake is at loggerheads with Whitney, blaming her for doing things to sabotage his life and marriage. Is the tenant really what Blake claims to be? Is it all a part of his imagination? Is his life with Krista going to be sabotaged? forms the remaining story.

        The story sounds interesting to start with, and ends the same way too. The way both unfolded was very engaging. The problem lies in between. The portions where Whitney comes in were downright irritating. I guess the character and interaction were written that way, and to make us feel the same. But it irritated me to the point that I felt like stopping the read. The intent might be right, but I guess it was a bit self-damaging, according to me. The tropes used here are mostly the usual ones that the author had employed previously. This made the story predictable. But the suspense saved the day by breaking it when it was getting too monotonous. The characters are well-written, and the backstory that came in the movie was interesting. In the novels of Freida McFadden that I have read, it is always through the eyes of the female characters. But here, the story is told mostly from the POV of Blake. The story proceeds through small chapters, making the read a quick one.

        To sum it up, a potentially engaging story marred by a slow, irritable slump in the middle making it an average experience. The usual tropes and the midway mishap might have played spoilsport until the suspense and the aftermath saved the day for this novel. 

The Homeowners Association - Blair Daniels - Book Review

 

            The name 'Blair Daniels' always invokes a sense of curiosity in me. This is mainly due to the quirky story plots and super creepy book covers. So, when I saw the notification on this book, I went for it with some basic expectations. Let's see if the book fulfils them!

            Piper and her family move from the big city to a villa in a town, which is part of a gated community. Once they move in, she finds the community odd. There are seldom people moving outside, everything looks too perfect. More importantly, there is a large binder of really strange rules that are set by the HOA. No lights after 9 PM, garbage out by the previous night, any vacations should be approved by the HOA, and no noise in the house, etc. Really strange, right! Failure to comply can result in some bad reprimands. Soon, the family realises not everything is fine as it seems. Is there something deeper in the gated community? Will they be safe? forms the rest of the story.

            First of all, an interesting premise! There were some interesting characters, and the language was fairly simple and engaging. The settings had good potential for an exciting, urban horror story. However, I felt that the potential was cut short by a rushed second half. Towards the end, the story picks up too much pace, and the ending felt forced. The story could have been explored more. It was like expecting a novel, but getting a novella. The unravelling and the small backstory happened towards the end. While it had the potential to be developed into something interesting, the abrupt way the story shifted was a big letdown for me.

           In short, a potentially good read let down by a rushed ending. I did enjoy the way things were played out until it reached that part.

A Head Full Of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay - Book Review

                                   

                Horror has always been my go-to genre when it comes to reading, and exploring different authors is a fun way for me to do it. That helps me de-stress. I had heard the name 'Paul Tremblay' many times and thought I would start with this book that I picked up.

             The Barretts are a typical New England suburban family. While John, the father, loses his job, the elder daughter, Marjorie, starts showing signs of mental illness. John starts becoming religious, and he believes that Marjorie is possessed. As they encounter financial problems, the Barretts get into an agreement with a TV company to document and relay it as a reality show and tragedy strikes. What transpired forms the story through the eyes of Merry, the youngest daughter.

             To start with, an interesting premise at hand. The story is a mish-mash of 'The Exorcist' meets 'Paranormal Activity'. The story confused me at first, and it took 5 or 6 pages for the tempo to set in. The characters are well written, especially the relationship between the two sisters. This book seems like a homage to horror movies with references like The Yellow Wallpaper, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Possession, Paranormal Activity, etc. The story talks about the importance of mental health and how it was mistook as possession. The story described in the words of a small kid makes us see the story from a different angle. There is a sense of ambiguity due to this. The book can be creepy. The ending was totally unexpected, and it was quite a shocker for me. 

             To sum it all up, a good read that can give quite a scary experience. This does not come near a Stephen King experience for me, but still an engaging read. 

Random Ramblings #15 - Saying Goodbyes

 

Do goodbyes at workplaces really come from the heart?

There was a send-off at the office where I worked some years back. The person was quitting the company for better opportunities. After exchanging goodbyes, I came home and sat down pondering on the goodbyes that happen in the workplace.

Do the goodbyes that happen at the workplace always come from the heart? Most goodbyes in front of a team at the workplace often happen half-heartedly. It totally depends on the connections that a person builds at his/her workplace and the experiences they faced there. There can be genuine bonds that last for a longer time, but the goodbyes that I have seen have been just an eye wash many times. The toxic work environment in some places can be a major reason for such a reaction. The second one is the way people expect things to happen for them, and how it turns out, actually.

Goodbyes need not be a big party, parting gifts or name-sake speeches. A well-meaning handshake, a wholesome hug or a small heartfelt note of gratitude goes a long way with parties. What do you think? Have your goodbyes at workplaces been from your heart?

Strange Pictures - Uketsu - Book Review

                                       

                The name 'Puskin Vertigo' pulled me into this book as I was browsing the shelves at the library. An interesting book cover and an interesting preface made me pick this book as my next read. How did it turn out to be? Let's check out.

                A college student starts checking out a now-defunct blog where a pregnant woman's sketches create a bizarre undertow. There is a child's picture of home, which has a more sinister meaning. Then, we have the sketches made by an artist before he was found murdered. As we read on, we try to unravel the meanings of these strange pictures to get to the bottom of it.

                This is an interesting premise. When I started reading, it seemed so normal and strange. As the story progressed to the next chapter and picture, I was confused by the ambiguity it was creating. I was under the impression that all these stories were standalone ones. But on reading on, I was able to see the connections. Nevertheless, I was hooked from that point, and the suspense was well maintained by Uketsu. Even though the perpetrator was no surprise, it is the backstory and the nature of unravelling that kept me on the edge. The ending of the story was well written - like closing a full circle. As usual, getting familiar with the names took some time. The translator has done a good job of maintaining the story's crux and excitement. The writing was simple enough, and the characters were well-written, even though they were confusing at first.

                In short, an interesting story with a strange start, but it turned out to be a great read. Pushkin Vertigo does another good job bringing such good reads to the forefront.