What I’m reading

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

The story didn’t quite end up where I thought it was going to. Or I should say, the story delivered on the events that lead up to those of the first chapter. I’ve read a lot of recent novels that are written in first-person limited, which is a fine enough way to tell a story, though I often find that a single character isn’t strong enough to carry a whole novel. It also means that we’re missing out on the motivations and character development of the other characters. This is especially felt in the way events unfold between Erin and her husband, Mark. Because Erin is our only window into the story, she’s our only window into understanding the characters, including herself. It was an enjoyable enough story.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

I am about fifty pages in. The story is turning into something closer to The Omen and We Need to Talk about Kevin than Sour Candy, a comparison I made last week. It is very well-written, bouncing between first-person limited perspectives of Suzette (the mother) and Hanna (the daughter). It’s hard to write from children’s perspectives effectively, but Stage handles it well. Getting the two perspectives from either side of the story as it unfolds lends to the story’s unfolding tragedy. I’m finding it hard to put the book down.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I’ve been trying to read outside my comfort zone for so long that it always feels weird when I have something on my TBR pile that I am absolutely confident I will like. I’ve read three other Gaiman novels (Neverwhere, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and enjoyed them all. I’m excited to be reading a Terry Pratchett book, my first.