TLDR/OPinion: 6/10
Hosseini's harrowing microcosmic tale of ​the wider degeneration of his native country, Afghanistan, tells the story of its oppression and corruption at the hands of other nations and terrorists groups from the unique perspective of 2 children. The book travels through history and across countries, a tale of betrayal, heartbreak, inequality and redemption.
Book Reviews and Analysis
I WAS A TEENAGE GHOST HUNTER:
BY BRIAN K. HENRY
PREDOMINANT THEMES:
1.
Investigation/Mystery
2.
Ghosts/Supernatural
3.
Teenagers
4.
Young Adult Read
5.
Comedy
6.
Suspense
7.
Misadventure
BLURB:
The story follows the other-worldly and surprisingly comic adventures of Devin, a recently outed ghost whisperer, who, whilst already battling through the difficulties of being a teenager, now has to solve the mystery of not only his unique spectral sightings but the motive behind the vendetta of the disgruntled, and dead, inhabitant of the Rousten Manor. Seemingly drawn to these spectres and their ghostly presence by some inexplicable instinct, Devin and his team of quasi detective sidekicks are eagerly sucked into a world of the preternatural, happy perhaps, to diverge from their routine of homework and a surprisingly broad range of mochas.
OPINION: 6.5/10
I'd like to thank the author for the copy in return for an honest review and commend said author for having enough conviction in his book to do so. Commendably the author has created a central character relatable to readers. Equipped with all the insecurities and characteristics applicable to the common teenager, Devin, and all his relatable fumbles and bumbles through everyday life becomes a likeable character worthy of empathy from the outset. With a very enigmatic opening, instantly drawing in readers, I was eager to delve into the story. The incorporation of digital age and authentic reliance upon it orientates the teenage reader and is an additional point of parallel with contemporary readers. As well as this, the author's incredible capacity for descriptive writing and creative imagery is almost immersive and inclusive in its realistic detail.
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The effectiveness, however, of the cliffhanger is all the in the timing of the reveal and in this case I think the burn was a tad too slow, with perhaps one fruitless trip to the manor too many as the wait to unfold the mystery of the disgruntled ghost is perhaps prolonged too far. The plot could have benefitted from more substantial hints dropped incrementally and strategically throughout so as to make the conclusion appear less out of nowhere and more cohesive with the trajectory of the story. Also, there is room for greater elaboration on the relationships between certain characters; Clive and Devin, Devin and his dad, Devin and Emily. ​
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All in all - Suspenseful in the right doses, a healthy smattering of unexpected comic elements and excellently crafted characterisation, Henry has created a refreshingly easy read and done a fantastic job overall especially because this is not my preferred genre.
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ANALYSIS
As a requested review I had, going into it, an overly critical mindset, Initially picking up on the author's tendency somewhat for alliteration, repetition and litotes in his writing style but ultimately this became apart of his niche as a writer and settles as the book progresses.
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CHARACTERISATION:
Rich and funny characterisation, not run of the mill and generic, particularly adept at capturing Nayra’s and Clive's eccentricities; Nayra is a mixture of infuriating and endearing with her malapropisms and upended idioms, spontaneously providing almost mature and obscure advice on the occult throughout.
His description of teenage tropes is well apt and unique from generic repurposed material; traversing strongly through the dense branches of the teenage stereotype tree, the author atypically portrays a plethora of teenaged stereotypes; the breezy hippie kind, the awkward bumbling kind, the affected and poised artist, the goth, the follower, the existentialist etc. - all of which are evidently trying to find their 'cog' in the machine of society. It, like many books suited to teenagers, exposes the teenage coping mechanism with insecurities - they project them outwards, often following an exaggerated teenage trope with eccentric behaviour or clothing - all of which appear to be the version from which their future adult self is mellowed.
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FATHER/SON RELATIONSHIP - The protagonist has an interesting dynamic with his father, the enigma that is Brendan Mulwray, as emphasised through the unusual first-name basis.
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HORROR/INVESTIGATIVE MYSTERY - True to its genre it capably provides tension intertwined with mystery and the reader almost feels compelled to shout out to the protagonist typical horror story frustrations; *'Dont go into a dark room by yourself NUMPTY!'
READING MOTTO - There is a strong spattering of high level vocabulary throughout, not enough to be verbose, but definitely fits my criteria for the education all good books should provide - when reading a good book you should only ever know around 99.9% of the words' meanings - it gives room for personal improvement. However, due to the sometimes complex vocabulary and the general vibe of the story, I would certainly recommend this book for 16 years old and over?
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PEDANTIC CRITIQUE - As someone who generally finds the word ‘like’ objectionable the inclusion of it even sparsely in conversational dialogue is a little too literal (but thats just personal fussiness) and does, unfortunately, reflect on modern day societies stilted idiosyncrasies.
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Favourite phrase:
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‘disorderly glop of indignity’