Tag: Techniques

Oli Jacobs – Bad Sandwich | Review

Title: Bad Sandwich

Author: Oli Jacobs

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 196

Rating: 3.75/5

 

Oli Jacobs - Bad Sandwich

Oli Jacobs – Bad Sandwich

 

This book is weird with a capital “we”. It’s no real surprise that this is an indie novel, because I can’t imagine mainstream publishers picking something like this up. Even though I’ve categorised it as fiction, it’s almost like a long, psychedelic prose poem using stream of consciousness techniques and word association. At the same time, though, it does also tell a story.

It’s also super visual, which is refreshing, and I actually thought that Jacobs did a great job of laying out the book while keeping it all on-theme with his unusual approach to writing a narrative. It was a lot of fun, but I don’t know whether I only thought it was fun because I’m also an author.

If you like experimental stuff and you want to support an indie author then you should give this one a chance. I’ve read a few of Oli’s books so far and each of them have been fun. I’m looking forward to reading some more of his stuff, and Bad Sandwich is a triumph for what it is.

 

Oli Jacobs

Oli Jacobs

 

Click here to buy Band Sandwich.


Patrick Ness – A Monster Calls | Review

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 216

Rating: 4*/5

 

Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness – A Monster Calls

 

I didn’t think much of this book, but I bumped it up from a three-star based on the writing to a four-star thanks to the illustrations by Jim Kay. Perhaps this book has been over-hyped, who knows? I was just hoping for so much more.

I think what we have here is a case of the story behind the story being better than the story itself. I have respect for Ness for what he did in terms of taking Siobhan Dowd’s idea and bringing it to life, because there’s nothing worse than an idea that dies with someone. I just didn’t get the “lyrical and transcendent” storytelling that the blurb promised. It reminded me more of R. L. Stine imitating John Green but with a few storytelling techniques pinched from The Princess Bride and The Empire Strikes Back.

All in all, this book was okay, and I guess I can see why people like it. It just wasn’t for me, and perhaps that makes me heartless. It was hard to care about Conor or his family because they were all so self-obsessed, which I guess is kind of the point of it. Great art, though.

 

Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness

 

Click here to buy A Monster Calls.