The In-Between by Hadley Vlahos

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? An aspiring hospice nurse, I picked this up at DC Library to learn more about the specialty.

Why not 3 or more stars? The premise of this book captivates: a seasoned hospice nurse shares what she’s learned about death and whatever comes after. There’s not much meat here beyond Vlahos’s observations and anecdotes that read as if they’ve been told many times, which might be meal enough for some. I would have appreciated a deeper dive into the subject matter, supplementing the personal with an academic or historical perspective about the experience of death. What is the medical experience of death? How does practicing medicine affect the beliefs of health care practitioners? How can family members prepare for the end of life? All questions neither asked nor answered.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? In moving house, I tried to group books by the same author in boxes (an enterprise that ultimately proved too time-consuming) and came across this copy, which belongs to my spouse.

Why not 3 or more stars? This book is fine. The writing, the plot, the literariness of it — all fine. I wanted the story to move beyond its repetitive elements (winter in Starkfield is rough — got it) and further develop present-day Ethan or Mattie, who is presented as little more than sentient hair despite snippets of fascinating backstory. Mercifully short yet unrelenting in its bleakness.

I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? After seeing this book on Electric Literature’s list of favorite short story collections of 2020, I bought a copy at Politics & Prose.

Why not 3 or more stars? It takes me a long time to pinpoint why I don't like a particular work, especially because I feel a critique should transcend the reviewer's peculiar tastes and preferences. For that reason, I read everything I start until the end. To make an informed judgment. I knew during the first story that I Hold a Wolf by the Ears wasn't my taste and found no other flaw, so that's all the "why" I have to offer here: good story nuggets, but lacking conviction and innovation in form.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? On publication day, I marched myself over to Solid State Books and got myself a signed copy.

Why not 3 or more stars? It pains me to give this book anything less than four stars, especially because I love (LOVE) The Passage trilogy fiercely. These reluctant two stars have nothing to do with the story driving The Ferryman. The tensions between Prospera and the Annex build deliciously, and our time in the Nursery marks the beginning of an unexpected new twist in the plot. Ambitious and exciting to read. Seriously, no notes. This has the trappings of good sci-fi.

But the writing. It doesn't rise to the challenge set by the story. Expect precious, a surface-level treatment, archetype as character. "I am Proctor Bennett." Expect lots (and lots) of telling. The figurative remains cookie cutter, uncomplicated. Was The Passage the same? I can't remember. Either way, unlike The Passage, this one might fare better when it's adapted for the screen. It could use a little more magic.