And the Shadows Took Him
I just finished reading, "And the Shadows Took Him," by Daniel Chacon, and I was extremely disappointed by the ending. I felt like it just left the reader hanging, without really explaining what happened with Leah. Throughout the entire reading, I was waiting for the big "bang" so to speak and there wasn't one. It was just problem after problem after problem without really resolving anything. In the end, there left more to be desired than the actual ending.
There were a few things that bothered me about the book. For one, I felt like it didn't really have any ground to stand on because I never felt like I could relate to any of the characters. I felt like they were all one person but each with different moments of their "realities" so to speak.
The entire gang concept never really sat well with me because Joey was afraid of pain but then wanted to pretend he's strong, while still trying to be in the drama club. It was just too many contradictions one after the other. And I still don't understand why his father would call him to make sure not to do something like go inside a refrigerator, and then not explain why he foreshadowed such a thing.
I felt like the mother and daughter relationship went way passed mother/daughter but more like veronica was the mother and rachel was the daughter. And when she says her daughter is brilliant, it's more or less of what her children accomplish rather than who they are. Veronica herself doesn't feel like a real character. I mean there were times when hated him, but then there were other times when she would sit with her dad in the garage and laugh. It just didn't add up. I think all of the relationships were turbulent.
I don't mean too sound too harsh about the book, but I felt like it just left me hanging and I felt like some things just didn't add up. I felt like there was a sense of hatred between Gilbert and George and Joey but it never amounted to anything in the end of the story. I just felt like there was one dead end after the other. And maybe that's how the author wanted it to be, but I just couldn't feel a connection the entire time that I was reading.
I felt like the best chapter in the story was probably the first, because it was the most interesting. And it foreshadowed the entire family, and how each of them would be. There were too many things going on all at once that there wasn't time to focus on one particular aspect of the book. I think another aspect that I liked was the acting aspect because I could relate to that.
I'm really hoping there's a sequel because for me novels should always have a certain closure, and I couldn't feel that with this book. I just felt like it left wide open spaces, and I'm hoping that the author closes them.
There were a few things that bothered me about the book. For one, I felt like it didn't really have any ground to stand on because I never felt like I could relate to any of the characters. I felt like they were all one person but each with different moments of their "realities" so to speak.
The entire gang concept never really sat well with me because Joey was afraid of pain but then wanted to pretend he's strong, while still trying to be in the drama club. It was just too many contradictions one after the other. And I still don't understand why his father would call him to make sure not to do something like go inside a refrigerator, and then not explain why he foreshadowed such a thing.
I felt like the mother and daughter relationship went way passed mother/daughter but more like veronica was the mother and rachel was the daughter. And when she says her daughter is brilliant, it's more or less of what her children accomplish rather than who they are. Veronica herself doesn't feel like a real character. I mean there were times when hated him, but then there were other times when she would sit with her dad in the garage and laugh. It just didn't add up. I think all of the relationships were turbulent.
I don't mean too sound too harsh about the book, but I felt like it just left me hanging and I felt like some things just didn't add up. I felt like there was a sense of hatred between Gilbert and George and Joey but it never amounted to anything in the end of the story. I just felt like there was one dead end after the other. And maybe that's how the author wanted it to be, but I just couldn't feel a connection the entire time that I was reading.
I felt like the best chapter in the story was probably the first, because it was the most interesting. And it foreshadowed the entire family, and how each of them would be. There were too many things going on all at once that there wasn't time to focus on one particular aspect of the book. I think another aspect that I liked was the acting aspect because I could relate to that.
I'm really hoping there's a sequel because for me novels should always have a certain closure, and I couldn't feel that with this book. I just felt like it left wide open spaces, and I'm hoping that the author closes them.
posted by Ahmad at 10:33 PM
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