I'm Reading: What We Buried, The Wolf and the Woodsman, The Plot

 

I started What We Buried by Kate Boorman ~ Goodreads I believe it's a thriller and I thought I would kick off spooky reading season and clear a physical book off my TBR list. I made it through about 2 chapters when my 2 library holds came in so I moved to those instead. The clock was a ticking!

So here are my thought's on those while I get back to What We Buried and will hopefully have that wrapped up by next week!

In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, this unforgettable debut— inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology—follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: I'll be the first to admit that fantasy is not really my preferred genre. But I've been able to enjoy quite a few on audio. Several people had recommended this one but, unfortunately, I could only get the e-book. 

I may have enjoyed it more on audio but I don't think so. While I liked the ambitious premise and some specific chapters (like the encounters with various magical, dangerous beings from the forest, religious bigotry and conflict/refugees) there was so much repetition of words and phrases (blushing, turning pink - 33 times, stomachs roiling/turning @47 times according to my Kindle search), the metaphors and flowery language grew tiring.

"Her cloak is precisely the same color as her hair, white as a carp's belly..."

"A bit of grief leaches into me, like rainwater through roots."

"Yehuli words float  through the air in whispers, thin and pale as dust motes."

"Gaspar's face is hesitantly open, like the very first crocus to bloom." 

And on and on and on...

As for the magic - the King is desperate get magic but like....every single character had some? lol I can see why a seer's magic would be prized but some characters had near immortality or other valuable skills and no one seemed to care - or use it to stay alive. It was just weird and not explained enough for me.

I had other issues as well with the pacing (stopping to tell folktales, stories of the Gods - while interesting - it put an abrupt halt to the narrative and often didn't often mean anything in the larger scope of things), Evike is constantly rehashing and agonizing over everything she does. For example, I don't know how many times she regrets saying something to Gaspar only to do it again and feel guilty days later. Again. 

She grew up in a very abusive village with only one good friend - yet she thinks of the two people who tortured her most (a valid feeling in the context of the story) but not once of her best friend. 

Again...not a big fantasy reader so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Check out Amber's 4.5 star review here where she calls "The Wolf and the Woodsman was the perfect blend of magic, religion, politics, and romance."

Hailed as breathtakingly suspenseful, Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Plot is a propulsive read about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: Mysteries/thrillers are another genre I don't often read or enjoy but wanted to try on audio and it does seem the format helped.

The Plot has a pretty decent hook. Jacob Finch Bonner is a published but not widely successful author - now teaching in a MFA program. He just can't seem to get an idea for his next novel.

A brash student, Evan Parker, comes to his course declaring that he has THE best story idea. A guaranteed, cannot fail, best selling plot. Although Evan keeps the story very close, he does share a few pages with Jacob before his untimely death. 

Fast forward...and Jacob is a best selling, Oprah's Book Club author of a book with a very familiar sounding plot. Someone else has noticed too and starts sending Jacob "I know what you did last summer" kind of emails. "You are a thief" they say and Jacob is paralyzed with fear wondering who this person is, waiting for his life to unravel if it were to become public.

The Plot tells Jacob's story while also telling the fictional novel. It's an interesting choice at first but with a great payoff.  You can easily figure out the who at a certain point but the why go to such lengths is still up for grabs with a satisfying end. 

I will say, that as with most thrillers I've read, I didn't really connect to any of the characters. Jacob is such a milquetoast type of guy - just floating through life passively. Neither his failures nor his successes seem to make a blip on his personality. I think these stories are more about getting you from point A to point B and less about loving or investing in the people but as a die hard romance /YA reader - I'm always looking for that. lol

Also, The Plot occasionally gets down in the weeds of the craft/business side of writing and publishing. That could make it more or less interesting depending on the reader. 

Nevertheless, I was interested in the story, the outcome and liked the ending. I even had a laugh at the diabolical nature of it.