book review time
Jan. 14th, 2009 11:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paperclippyHow did I end up reading two werewolf books in a row? Weird. It's not exactly a genre I actively seek out.
Benighted by Kit Whitfield
I picked this one up from half price books on a recommendation from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
quigonejinn. It's about as unique a werewolf book as Murcheston was, but in a completely different way. The premise is that almost all humans are born feet first, which makes them werewolves (yeah, I know). People who are born head first are not werewolves, and are responsible for keeping an eye on things when the full moon is out. Basically all nons are recruited to work for a government agency called DORLA (Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activity). On full moon nights, responsible citizens lock themselves up, and DORLA employees patrol the streets catching anyone who is out. Supposedly the reason that the lycos lock themselves up instead of the other way around is that if they are out in werewolf form, they cause property damage. Yeah, okay. I have some issues with the premises of this book.
In any case, the story is really a mystery. The main character, Lola, is a lawyer for DORLA, kind of like a public defender, who is mostly responsible for defending lycos who were caught out on moon nights. Also, like all nons, she takes shifts of going out "dogcatching" on moon nights. The mystery starts when a coworker who was mauled on a recent moon night gets killed. Lola is defending the guy who mauled her coworker, and gets involved in the murder investigation (sort of). There are further maulings and murders, and various other strange things, and through the course of the book the mystery is solved. Along the way there's a romance story between Lola and a lyco social worker she meets through work, plus family drama, etc.
I can't make up my mind about this book. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being best), I'd give it a 3.
Positives:
Negatives:
Overall, I'd say it's worth reading, and the mystery was enjoyable, which is why it gets a 3. Probably not something I'd reread though.
Currently reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
Benighted by Kit Whitfield
I picked this one up from half price books on a recommendation from
quigonejinn. It's about as unique a werewolf book as Murcheston was, but in a completely different way. The premise is that almost all humans are born feet first, which makes them werewolves (yeah, I know). People who are born head first are not werewolves, and are responsible for keeping an eye on things when the full moon is out. Basically all nons are recruited to work for a government agency called DORLA (Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activity). On full moon nights, responsible citizens lock themselves up, and DORLA employees patrol the streets catching anyone who is out. Supposedly the reason that the lycos lock themselves up instead of the other way around is that if they are out in werewolf form, they cause property damage. Yeah, okay. I have some issues with the premises of this book.In any case, the story is really a mystery. The main character, Lola, is a lawyer for DORLA, kind of like a public defender, who is mostly responsible for defending lycos who were caught out on moon nights. Also, like all nons, she takes shifts of going out "dogcatching" on moon nights. The mystery starts when a coworker who was mauled on a recent moon night gets killed. Lola is defending the guy who mauled her coworker, and gets involved in the murder investigation (sort of). There are further maulings and murders, and various other strange things, and through the course of the book the mystery is solved. Along the way there's a romance story between Lola and a lyco social worker she meets through work, plus family drama, etc.
I can't make up my mind about this book. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being best), I'd give it a 3.
Positives:
- totally unique take on lycanthropy
- engaging writing, such that I did actually want to know what was going to happen and care about the characters
- I totally didn't expect the resolution to the murder mystery
- a number of interesting characters
Negatives:
- Lola is kind of a jerk.
- There were discussion questions in the back of the book. WTF? This is a recent author's debut novel. Isn't it a little much to claim it's worthy of scholarly discussion?
- Related to the discussion questions, a little heavy-handed on the issue of prejudice and minority populations.
- There was one incident with Lola's boyfriend that was extremely predictable.
- I totally didn't get the history that she put in. Maybe because I have little knowledge of Catholicism and near zero knowledge of the Spanish Inquisition.
- Reminded me a little much of the Anita Blake series, although admittedly far more well-written and far less trashy.
Overall, I'd say it's worth reading, and the mystery was enjoyable, which is why it gets a 3. Probably not something I'd reread though.
Currently reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
