Bacchanal, Veronica G. Henry, 2021
My favorite quote: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Notable characters: Eliza (Liza) Meeks, the new recruit; Clay, the talent scout; Jamey, his assistant
Most memorable scene: There are a few that stand out, but my heart will always belong to Officer Anderson’s ill-fated excursion through the House of Wax
Greatest strengths: The concept. I can’t really elaborate without giving away surprises, but the whole idea — specifically, the idea behind the carnival itself — is pretty great
Standout achievements: That cover! I don’t know who designed it but could somebody go get them on the phone? Seriously. It’s gorgeous
Fun Facts: Bacchanal is author Veronica Henry’s debut novel
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: The importance of characters the reader can connect with — which was something that, for me, this book profoundly lacked. There were other problems to be sure, but for me, the greatest failure here was the absence of engaging characters. My inability to connect with anyone made for a long, unsatisfying, and at times, tedious read
How it inspired me: Henry has a powerful knack for figurative language that makes me want to broaden my linguistic horizons. You’ll see no “cute as kittens” or “happy as clams” cliches here. When Veronica Henry decides to plant an image in the reader’s mind, she makes sure it’s something you’ve never seen before
Additional thoughts: I wanted to love this book. I tried really hard to love it … but the best I can say is that it was okay. I certainly wouldn’t tell someone not to read it — I just wouldn’t break my neck telling them they should. It was a great idea — I just felt the execution was lacking. I love multiple points-of-view, but here they felt messy. The writing seemed rough-drafty, the plot got too scattered, and in this case, the genre-bending resulted in a narrative that seemed like it couldn’t make up its mind. There were moments when it felt like there was a good story in here trying to to get out, but it never quite broke the surface in my opinion
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Alistair Cross 