E. Lockhart presents a suspenseful story, rich with secrets that are tantalizingly unfolded by the main character, Cadence Sinclair Easton, a wealthy teen staying on her family’s private island for the summer. Lockhart’s lush descriptions of the island are clear and engulfing, and they contrast wonderfully with the confusion, dysfunction, and unreliability of Cady’s understanding of her current life – excruciating migraines and amnesia. With brief chapters and lots of dialogue, the book is a fun, quick read whether you’re hanging out at the beach or just dreaming you are.
The Strange Library is a dreamy, meandering novel that makes you feel like you fell down the rabbit hole in Wonderland and popped up on the other side in an eerie labyrinth of a library. Murakami’s quirky characters, including a crazy librarian and a goat-man, lead you on a magical realism adventure. Many illustrations and graphics infiltrate the text, helping set a dark tone, enhance the suspense, and perhaps even induce some anxiety. This slim book can be read in one sitting, but its unique format and deceptively layered story might lead you to sit and ponder it for much longer.
Allie Brosh’s drawing style appears crude and childlike but don’t let that stop you from picking up this definitely-for-adults book. Beautifully balancing hilarity and poignant honesty, Brosh’s anecdotes touch on many aspects and absurdities of life including her strange neuroses, her insecurities about being a “real” grownup, and her struggles with depression. Deadpan humor and the spot-on timing of Brosh’s storytelling will keep you turning the pages.
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