Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo: I wasn’t sure I would be able to buy into a mystery whose plot hinges on ghosts, demons, and magic, but dare I say this was a romp. Silly in places, but very atmospheric, and I’ll definitely pick up the sequel.
Small Game, by Blair Braverman: I found this fun and overall satisfying, and though I’ve seen some quibbles about the ending, it worked for me.
To Be Taught, if Fortunate, by Becky Chambers: More outer space, in this case quieter and consumed by the human elements and questions of ethics rather than technology. At times it felt slightly didactic, and the ending wasn’t especially satisfying, but the depictions of other worlds and of a crowd-funded version of NASA were engaging.
Everybody Knows, by Jordan Harper: Oof this was well-plotted but made me feel somewhat gross. Definitely a page turner, clearly inspired by real, horrific elements of Hollywood, and perhaps slightly less ambiguous about the two main characters’ moralities than it intended to be (a fair amount of posturing about “finally doing the right thing” that felt…insubstantial). The author is a man and the female narrator is written believably but the characterization of the teenage girl is laughable.
The Ferryman, by Justin Cronin: I’m sorry but this was so dumb. You might be thinking, well, Claire, what did you expect? I would answer…something more like The Passage, which has a much less silly plot (granted, mileage may vary) and, at least in my recollection, has totally fine prose. The writing here felt like it may have been aiming for “fable” but instead was simply bad. As for the plot, maybe it could have been redeemed with better writing – it’s nothing especially new, but I’ve enjoyed similar ideas in Black Mirror and some other books – but I’m doubtful.
