Magic Street by Orson Scott Card is an urban fantasy following Mack Street whose existence is as much of a mystery as his birth. This story has been categorized as a fantasy thriller, and I haven't read many of those, but figured I'd give this one a shot. We start off in what feels like a typical African-American neighborhood being set up for a quiet, contemporary story. Don't worry, it's not.
It takes a while for the true nature of what's happening in this book to really come into focus; and I think that's where the "thriller" aspect comes into play. Mack Street's "birth" is one of the most disturbing things I've read, and then from there is just got stranger. Weird and horrible things were happening, but you weren't getting any sort of explanation for any of it...things just kept happening. Clearly, Orson Scott Card knew what he was doing. One sure-fire way to make the spooky even spookier is to refuse to explain it.
That being said, I nearly stopped reading this one, as I don't like scary stories, and I felt like I was being led along, but not given any answers. I didn't understand where the story was going. But in the Desert Morning News' blurb, they say, "Compelling...By the time the ultimate conflict comes into focus, the novel is propelling the reader forward like a bullet." I certainly didn't feel like I was being "propelled" anywhere except away from this book.
That was on page 79.
On page 88, we start to get some answers.
By page 100, you're lost; there's no WAY you can stop reading this.
Compelling is a perfect word for this story. There is a Shakespearean element thrown in here that isn't even hinted at in the book's synopsis (don't worry, I won't spoil it for you here). Weaving urban fantasy and Shakespeare together into a thriller doesn't seem possible...but it is. The dialogue was spunky and full of life!
"I had a dream," said Mack.
"In three minutes?" asked Ceese. "That's quick dreaming."
"He's an efficient dreamer," said Word from the front seat.
I love how all the boys talked with - and about - one another, and you feel like you're getting a peek at a real, live neighborhood. And by the time you figure out what's really at stake, you're so in love with all the families that you can't help but hold your breath and hope everything is going to work out okay for them.
If you like a good magical realism story with the fantastical existing right up alongside reality, and don't mind a few explicit scenes and some language, give this one a shot. It was pretty good, though I would've appreciated a quicker start, or perhaps understanding a little sooner what was really at play here.
No comments:
Post a Comment