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Book Review: Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta

Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta

HarperVoyager, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-0062326157

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

For a novel in which it seems that very little happens, Memory of Water packs an unexpected punch. The story takes place in a dystopian future that seems all too likely: one in which climate change has completely altered geography, shortages of oil and gas caused terrible wars, our fragile technology is broken, books have been destroyed, and the only uncontaminated water is controlled by the military and the government.

Noria, the first-person narrator, is the daughter and apprentice of the tea master in her village, and she has been entrusted with a secret– the tea master is the guardian of an illegal hidden spring of clear water, a crime punishable by execution. The new military leader, Commander Taro, is suspicious, but unable to find evidence. When Noria’s father dies, she becomes the guardian of the spring, but as the military closes in on her village and clean water becomes more and more severely rationed, she has to decide whether to share the secret.

Noria and her friend Sanja are both curious about past technology, and during a scavenging expedition they uncover evidence from an earlier time that there may be reserves of uncontaminated water, and, with their new knowledge, decide to leave on an expedition of exploration. Unfortunately, Noria’s movements have been observed, and she is separated from Sanja and isolated from the community in an effort to convince her to give up the location of the spring to the military.

Finnish author Itaranta communicates the history and present of her complex world without depending on long passages of exposition. The details of daily life, and the rituals of the tea ceremony, give structure and believability to the story without overwhelming it. This is a slow, deliberately told story, using lyrical and vivid language. Noria’s strong feelings about her relationships with her parents and Sanja, and about freedom and survival, bring it alive. The love and strong friendship between Noria and Sanja, while not the main focus of the story, is a powerful force within it. Because we only see through Noria’s eyes, and learn what she knows, the end of her story has an unusual impact. The end of Noria’s story is not the end of the story, though. Itaranta switches to third person narration that fills in many of the blanks, and ends on a bittersweet note of hope.

Memory of Water isn’t a horror novel, but it is powerful and imaginative. In a crushing world like the one Itaranta describes, one might not expect to find that there is still room for small acts make a difference, and a possibility of hope. It is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year.

The next time someone argues that dystopian fiction is bad for society,  hand them this book as evidence that sometimes it’s where we find hope for the future.

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

 

Posted on December 30, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: A Darke Phantastique edited by Jason V. Brock


A Darke Phantastique: Encounters with the Uncanny and Other Magical Things, edited by Jason V. Brock, illustrated by Samuel Araya.

Cycatrix Press, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0984167654
Available: New and used hardcover

 

There is a notion with publishers that anthologies don’t sell; that if you release one into the world that it is most likely going to be ignored and lost in the mix. In addition to “Year’s Best” volumes, and the many excellent anthologies produced by editors like Ellen Datlow, there are numerous themed anthologies focused on a particular subgenre, such as Lovecraftian fiction or paranormal romance. A Darke Phantastique takes a different approach: what unites this collection is more of a deft use of the surreal, or a dark shading over each story, rather than outright horror.

 

This is Brock’s first time as solo editor of an anthology. The Bleeding Edge and The Devil’s Coattails, anthologies he co-edited with William Nolan, were shorter and more concise; this one clocks in at over 700 pages, including stories, poems, art, and even a screenplay. Although that makes for a big book, Brock is a picky selector, and the anthology is worthy of the time and money a reader invests in it.  Standout stories nclude “Squatters”, by Nicole Cushing; “Lizard Man Dispatches”, by Ray Garton; and “Dust Made Into Words”, by Cody Goodfellow.

 

The only weakness is layout and design of the book. During his time as editor of literary horror magazines Dark Discoveries and Nameless Digest, he did a great job in layout and design. While the design of A Darke Phantastique is interesting, it sometimes seems to overwhelm the content. Just give me the stories!

 

While not inexpensive, A Darke Phantastique deserves to be in every library in the country that takes dark literature seriously. The high quality of the fiction makes this an anthology that stands above.
Posted on December 26, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Goosebumps The Movie: Monster Survival Guide

Goosebumps  The Movie: Monster Survival Guide– All the Tips and Tricks You’ll Need to Fight an Invasion in Your Hometown by Susan Lurie

Scholastic, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0545821261

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

The Goosebumps Survival Guide is the newest monster survival guide to come our way. It’s based on the movie Goosebumps, which is in turn based on R.L. Stine’s enormously popular Goosebumps, series and its related franchises. Does the book live up to its hype? The art is pretty cool, done in typical garish Goosebumps style. and integrates screenshots from the movie.  The book tells  you about the Goosebumps monsters, such as the Godzilla sized praying mantis, and zombie pirate One-Legged Ben, each in turn. Accompanying text identifying the monster includes  the name of the book or books the monster appears in and then a short block of text from that book, But the problem is that the book does not live up to its title. In most of the book, the entries do NOT tell you how to survive an invasion or defeat the monster, and if the entry does include that information, it is not really helpful. For example, with the Godzilla-sized mantis the books  says you have to squash it with your foot, but the REAL question is: How do you squash something that is bigger than you?. So that is what I saw while reading the survival guide. I did find helpful information on Slappy the Dummy, who has an extended six-page entry. When it says that Slappy is afraid of termites you might be able to defeat it by releasing termites nearby, because termites love to eat wooden dummies. So all you Goosebumps fans (and monsters) alike might like this when you are about to settle down for a long winter’s nap. But readers beware because you might have some unexpected visitors while reading.   Recommended for elementary school and children’s libraries, especially because of the media tie-in, but with reservations for young monster hunters.

Reviewed by the Monster Kid

 

 

 

Posted on December 24, 2015 by , Reply
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