Joyland

                  Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

 

This is one of the less spooky books by Stephen King that I have read, but that just brings into focus how well he can tell a story. Nobody does characterization like he does. Even the secondary characters are well rounded and feel finished. This story in particular focuses on the relationships between people and how a series of different relationships help shape Devin’s life. Set primarily around the amusement park Joyland, the whole thing just has a fun, carny feel to it that’s actually charming instead of off putting like I thought it might be

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This story definitely has a different feel to it than other books I’ve read from King in the past that some people might not be into but I thought it worked. There was a bit of mystery to it, but not as much or as intense as some of his other novels. The fantastic story telling and depth of the characters make it a worthwhile read for sure. Devin comes across a bunch of different characters (as you would expect given the line of work) It tells about love and loss, bitterness and moving on in a no B.S. manner. King just gets how people think, what makes them tick and his characters are believable with realistic reactions and their thoughts don’t seem forced or staged like you run into in so many novels. It is definitely worth picking up.

The Medea Complex

1885. Anne Stanbury – Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems?

Edgar Stanbury – the grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity, and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life.

Dr George Savage – the well respected psychiatrist, and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne’s future wholly in his hands. 

The Medea Complex tells the story of a misunderstood woman suffering from insanity in an era when mental illnesses’ were all too often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity.

I was familiar with Medea from mythology, so between the title and description I thought I had a fairly good idea what I was in for with this book.  I was surprised to learn that it was based on a true story, and also at the depth the story had. It is written from multiple perspectives and gives you insight into the mind of the mentally ill, their family members, and the doctor which blends together seamlessly to give a well rounded picture of the experience. In the past when I have read stories from more than two points of view it either gets confusing or just leaves you feeling like

Roberts executes the shift between four different points of view flawlessly. There is no fluff dialogue (or pointless inner monologuing). Every change in perspective serves a purpose and the writing doesn’t fall behind. Her insight into the state of mind regarding insanity and the general attitude toward women is incredibly insightful and unapologetic. One of the most interesting things about this book is the characters. They all have some qualities that make you feel sympathetic toward them, but you’d be surprised by how as the story unfolds you just wish they would get trampled by a horse or something. It really gives credence to the saying that nobody is perfect. The pacing of the story is great, it gives plenty of detail without being too slow and definitely keeps you reading. By the last couple of pages I was just like

 

Overall, this one is definitely worth reading. Can’t wait to see more from this author 🙂

Things I’ve read recently…

“No secret stays hidden forever.”

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he’d abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

You know those books with a shy, clumsy, slightly moronic heroine with no backbone or personality? She falls for an equally 2-dimensional guy who is controlling and is instantly obsessed with her?

(Ahem)

Yeah. This is not one of those books. Elizabeth Hunter knows how to write a story that makes you want to keep reading. She hints just to enough to keep you guessing and her pacing is perfect. You don’t end up with a whole book where you figured out every secret by page 10 and then get an info dump shoved down your throat in the last moments of the story. The characters are completely endearing and well-rounded, even her secondary ones. She creates a really good balance between romance that doesn’t dive into cheesy ridiculousness and a little bit of mystery. Beatrice is smart, witty and not a massive whiner (which I can’t stand in  heroines), Giovanni is  guarded and you don’t start to figure him out right away which albeit confusing in the beginning of the story is also a good hook that keeps you interested. Carwyn is the best character Hunter has written into this story. He is freaking hilarious and adds a lot to the character aspect of things, also the man must be some kind of philosopher with sayings like…

“Love is friendship, but with less clothes which makes it far more brilliant”

Overall, this whole thing is well written. It’s smart, funny and engaging and totally worth reading.  4 stars 🙂