"Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now," -Ernest Hemingway
I feel like my book blogging goes through phases. Just like everything else in my life.
Oh well. Welcome Back to Olivia's Hodgepodge of A Blog, where some weeks we analyze the nuances of literature and film and other times Olivia posts whatever emo or self-serving shit she wants. It's a gamble, really.
But anyways, I'm back to reading and reviewing indie books, which is one of my favorite hobbies. This installment is a review of Mel Ingrid's debut, Bus 59 & A Half.
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As per usual, let's get the negatives out of the way.
Spoilers, duh.
The Bad
1. Cluttered Narrative
B59AAH follows several different narratives, all in third person. B59AAH also has a large cast of characters, from Alexi and Reid, to Dana and Ace, to Yusuf and Frank . . . the list goes on. While I did enjoy how the characters and their stories were interconnected, most of the time it all felt a bit too much. With so many characters and so many things going on in such a short book, very few characters were able to be developed to the fullest, and it was hard to get invested in all of the storylines.
Another problem was a lack of narrative focus. Who is the main character? The beginning will have you believe it is Alexi, but by the end, it's obvious that Yusuf is the main character. This also relates to there being so many perspectives and storylines. Because there is so much going on, it's unclear who we're supposed to be rooting for and who we're not. At times, Frank seemed like he'd turn out to be "the bad guy", but then he didn't do much for the rest of the book after Alexi, Ace, and Vanessa were captured.
Also, having this many storylines covering so much of the plot and covering so many characters, it undercuts the story being a successful mystery/psychological thriller. If Ingrid wanted the readers to truly be hooked, then she should have left much more to the imagination, and left some larger reveals toward the end. Keeping things a mystery is what makes a mystery a mystery. Ways this could have been fixed were to have cut out several different narratives, and really condense the story into something with razor-sharp focus and proper development that would truly hook and thrill the reader.
B59AAH has so much potential. There's a really good story here, but it's bogged down with too many perspectives and a lack of focus. Because there are so many characters and story threads, we never get fully invested in any of them.
2. Pacing
B59AAH is a scant 170 pages, and this definitely shows in the development and pacing of the story. Everything in B59AAH happens so fast - and sometimes, that's good. But not at the expense of proper development.
For example, the conflict that arises between Frank and Yusuf in Chapter Four and Five begins, culminates, and comes to a head very rapidly. The problem is that Ingrid is introducing and developing characters while simultaneously trying to develop and further character arcs. The reader has just been introduced to these characters - there's no way that we can be invested in Frank's character arc and the massive complexities of his character in the first chapter we're introduced to him. By having him go through such drastic emotions and such drastic change in such a short period of time feels rushed and undeserved, especially since Frank has little to nothing to do after Chapters Four and Five.
This theme continues on throughout the book. Not enough time and care is dedicated to characters like Mark, Reid, Frank, etc., who have the potential to further enrich the story and the characters to whom they're related to (Vanessa, Dana, and Yusuf). While many characters were written with finesse, others were just there. If B59AAH was given about a hundred pages more of development, the reader would have been able to be fully immersed in the story and in all of the characters.
The timeline also feels very rushed. Mysteries and thrillers are often slow burns, with just enough information to keep the reader turning one more page, with startling reveals throughout. However, B59AAH moves so fast that there's virtually no room for the reader to breathe, for the weight of a moment to sink in, or for proper and in-depth character, plot, or theme development. Emotional moments breeze by, and even when they're written well, they don't sink in because we've spent so little time with all of these characters.
Bus 59 and A Half would be a great story if the narratives and character arcs were drawn out and properly developed. It's not like a story with this many perspectives, this type of story, and these kinds of characters wouldn't ever work - it's just that B59AAH is much too short of a medium to do any of the elements justice.
And now . . .
The Good
1. Mature Writing
Ingrid is fourteen currently, and I was immediately impressed with her use of language. While the pacing falls short, her writing rarely fails to evoke a sense of tension. Her writing is quirky and atmospheric and actually fits perfectly with the mystery/thriller genre.
I loved her inclusion of poetry, with the prologues and epilogues. The cryptic writing, albeit curt and clipped in many emotional moments, works to benefit the tone of the novel.
Ingrid is also skilled at writing dialogue. The conversations between Alexi and Reid, I felt, were the most profound in terms of character. The beginning of B59AAH is so incredibly strong. We really do get essential snapshots of each character, however, not much else is expanded upon with the fantastic groundwork that Ingrid set up.
But really, despite all that I've said, I really did enjoy B59AAH, and I think the skilled writing added to that enjoyment.
2. Diversity
Mel Ingrid does diversity right. I was pleasantly surprised at how diverse B59AAH was - and the fact that it doesn't rub your nose in it. Diversity is present, but it doesn't overpower the story nor does it define the entirity of the characters. The diversity in B59AAH is awesome and beautiful, and it deserves a round of applause for that alone.
3. The Mental Illness Themes
This one's another small one, but super important. The moral behind Yusuf's character arc, summed up in the line about how mental illness isn't just angst or pretty tears or beautiful, but that it's actually very painful and destructive. Not only did this pleasantly surprise me, it's very relevant.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Bus 59 & A Half isn't bad - just short, fast, and unfortunately underdeveloped. What saves it are it's clean and efficient writing, and it's themes and use of diversity.
Objective Rating: 6.5/10
Enjoyment Level: 7/10
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Gah! Another book review complete! Get used to seeing these in your feed because I've got lots of indie books I want to discuss!
~The WordShaker
