tiny pink books

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Random House, 2010

I’ve only read Aimee Bender’s short stories in the past, but they have always been a delight.  I picked up an ARC of this at a conference and was immediately attracted to the title.  Her newest novel, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, took a while to get into, but once I did, it was reading treat.  Whimsical and strange, this is a unique treat of a read for fans of magical realism and Bender’s previous work.

Set in modern (yet wonderfully timeless) Los Angeles, Lemon Cake is about Rose Edelstein, a girl who discovers that she can taste the in food.  She discovers her ability as a very young age, when she tastes her mother’s depression in a slice of home baked lemon cake.  Growing up with this inexplicable and often disturbing ability is difficult for Rose, who faces family drama, childhood friendships and, of course, her struggle with overly emotional food.

It took me a while to get into this book (I think mostly because Rose’s childhood voice is not very childlike), but once Rose grows up a little, I found myself charmed by the characters and the general oddness to the story.  Rose’s ability is not the only piece of magic in here-there’s a whole heap of weirdness in these pages for the willing reader.  This is a book that takes place more in your head than on the pages-not recommended for the realists who want plot twists and dramatic cliffhangers.  For those who like fairytales, whimsy and emotional drama, Bender’s writing is right on key-delivering heartbreak and strangeness with a tender lightness that is captivating and completely engrossing.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009

Cameron Smith is your underachiever teen.  He floats through life passively, putting in the bare minimum at school, in his family, work, and even in his friendships.  When he is diagnosed with mad cow disease, it’s like he’s going to die without ever having lived.  The disease eats away at his brain, causing visions and general madness…or is it madness?  Through a series of cryptic clues and possibly insane visions, Cameron is sent on a quest to find a mysterious Dr. X to save not only himself, but the entire world.  Bringing a new friend, Gonzo, along for the ride, Cameron is forced to really engage on an adventure that is part madness, part love story, and part spring break road trip.  But will he find a cure for his disease?  Can he save the universe?  Is this really happening or is it all just the breakdown of his mad cow infused brain?

I don’t really know what to make of Going Bovine.  It is appropriate that the main character has a deteriorating brain…because the story is messy and mad in its own way.  There are gems within it, for sure, but I can’t say, with any confidence, that they have been pulled together into a great work.  The humor, for example, is spot on.  Libba Bray is one funny lady and the world is a better place for it!  The friendship between Gonzo and Cameron and their road trip antics is hilarious in that buddies who rag on each other a la John Green’s characters kind of way.

Despite some downright delightful moments in Going Bovine, however, it was hard to get through.  The good part is, this is a teenage, stoner version of magical realism.  The unexplained happens and the entire story is unique and interesting for what it is.  Maybe it was just covering too much or maybe the mad cow journey lasted just a bit too long, but the whole story felt like it was falling apart by the end.  In a way, it was appropriate because Cameron’s brain is also falling apart by the end…but it just wasn’t that fun to read anymore.  I wanted to like this book, I really did.  I love that Bray has departed from the historical fiction setting of the Gemma Doyle books and there are some wonderful moments in Going Bovine, but I just grew tired of this book in its 496 pages.  Maybe, after writing under the more rigid constrains of the historical and fantasy worlds of Ms Doyle, Bray just had to break free and go hog wild, but Going Bovine was just a little too messy to be coherent at times.  It didn’t help that the epic journey had a bit of a letdown conclusion as well.

I would recommend this to John Green fans who want more of that buddy picture humor and don’t mind a meandering plot.  Likewise, fans of magical realism and epic road trips might be inclined to enjoy.  I would not recommend this to reluctant readers or readers who need a neatly packed plot with a clean resolution.  I’m also not sure if fans of Bray’s previous work will cross over, though those who were savvy enough to pick up on the subtle, but delicious humor, of the Gemma Doyle books may find something within Going Bovine as well.

The Bones of the Moon by Jonathon Carroll
Orb Books, 2002

The Bones of the Moon is an interesting little book about Cullen James.  Cullen is happy with her life.  She has a wonderful husband, a healthy baby daughter, and loving friends.  Everything seems very wholesome and normal until Cullen begins to have very clear and sequenced dreams of a journey through a magical land with a boy named Pepsi.  Her dreams in this land become a second life, of sorts, as she finds herself on a hero’s quest.  Strangely, the dreamworld and the waking world begin to collide as the quest peaks in its intensity.

It’s easy to describe The Bones of the Moon simply as magical realism.  It starts out as realism with a hint of magic, but slips further and further to become almost pure fantasy by the end.  Although I don’t think that Bones of the Moon is Carroll’s best book, I did enjoy it.  Carroll’s ability to create this fantastic dream world, which could easily read like an overly wacky children’s novel or fantasy epic, and writes a restraint that keeps both Cullen’s waking life and her dreamlife connected.  It’s a quick and simple read that kept me entertained for the most part.  Although I would say that there are some part that lag, I would recommend this book to readers seeking a fiction with a bit of magic or fantasy.  Carroll fans will approve.

Bliss by Peter Carey
Vintage International, 1981

I was handed Bliss from a trusted source, but really, I had no idea what to expect.  Even 100 pages into it, I still had no idea what this book was really trying to do.  Part magical realism, part satire, and part mid-life crisis, Bliss is the story about Harry Joy and his awakening to life after suffering a heart attack that left him clinically dead for 8 nine minutes before he was revived.  Harry, generally regarded as a “Good Bloke,” comes to realize that his life, including his successful career in advertising, his wife, and his children, are all signs that convince him that he is actually trapped in Hell.  He runs into many interesting characters, the most interesting of which is Honey Barbara, part hippie, part prostitute who understands his plight and offers him wisdom and guidance.  It’s an interesting concept and the satirical tone keeps things on track as Harry bumbles his way, trying to find a way out of Hell.

The best parts of Bliss  are in the characters.  Harry is fairly passive, but the women in his life fascinated me.  Harry’s wife, a power hungry woman who has been held back by her husband, is both cruel and somehow understandable.  Honey Barbara, as well, is another strong female character, but in a completely different way.  Honey Barbara is practical, earthy, and kind.  Throughout the course of the book, her purity seems to be corrupted, leading her on a journey that is, in my opinion, more interesting than that of Harry Joy.  This would be the downfall of Bliss for me.  I found myself more interested in the characters, especially the women, around Harry than Harry himself.  As such, there were a lot of parts of Bliss that I found to be slow and disengaging.  The tone also changes.  I felt like I had read three books after reading Bliss.  This is not necessarily a negative experience, but it did take me much longer to finish this book than it does for most 300 page novels.  I still enjoyed Bliss, despite these aspects, for the quirky characters and the interesting ideas within its pages.