In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw
My rating: 3/5 cats
i am immune to this book. it did not “keep me guessing until the very last page.” it was not “so terrifying (i would) not be able to put it down.” it was not “suspenseful and terrifying.” in fact, i had forgotten that it was supposed to be scary, and when i returned to the back cover and remembered i had intended to be scared, i was a little pissed. “highly readable.” okay, i can agree with that one. in the same sense as a spoon is highly spoonable. one can read this book, that is what it is for.
it’s not that it is a bad book, it is just very medium.
it reminded me a lot of a good and happy child—another “literary psychological horror” novel that left me flat. this one is about an imaginary friend with ambition. that his corporeality has been achieved is evident in the first chapter, the rest of the book is an explanation of how it came to be.
and it’s not poorly written, it is just a new twist on any old story of evil twins or demonic possession or mpd: there is the vulnerability in childhood, the suggestibility to “do bad things,” the animal casualties, the violent escalation in adolescence, the complications of sexuality. but this is old indian burial ground, with a fancier building erected on its ashes.
of course, this particular story has a more specific built-in ambiguity than most, as the mother of the “imaginative child” suffers from a number of mental disorders, so the interpretation-field is a little wider than most, and it can be read simultaneously in a number of ways.although the ending pretty much shows the author’s intent, and it is something of a let-down.
the pacing is very good—it is a very fast read, and i did want to know how it would all play out, but ultimately, it was a cool story idea that never brought anything new to the table. and i hate leftovers.
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