A few days passed, and one bright afternoon while nursing a head cold I gave the book another chance, deciding that I could just skip the horrific passages. And then, written with 12 POVs in the present tense, I could hardly put it down. It's a genius idea: a serial killer driven by his own terrible pathology plus the sinister demands of a spooky house in Englewood, Chicago, spends almost 7 decades hunting his victims: the "shining girls." All of these girls are filled with potential, and all but one are destined to be stalked and die a grisly death at the hand of Harper Curtis, who disappears into another era leaving behind nothing but small, puzzling artifacts. The group of victims is an odd cross-section of historic icons: a biologist, a social worker, a cross-dresser, a Rosie-the Riveter type, and a "radium girl," among others. The radium dancer is a clever device: shining too brightly is fatal in Harper's dark world.
 |
| "Radium Dancers" were entertainers who painted themselves with radium for a glowing effect. Image from Vintage Photos. |
And then there is Kirby Mazrachi, who survives Harper's attack (thanks to the heroics of her poor dog, who dies in the act, because it's an awful rule that all dogs have to die sad deaths in every book ever written.) Kirby hunts back. Her sidekick, Dan Velasquez, a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times makes a good partner in her unlikely quest.
In the end, The Shining Girls wasn't the slasher-novel I feared, but an original take on the tried-and-true crime novel. If I were to change anything about this book it would be:
1. Let Kirby's dog live; there is certainly carnage enough.
2. Illustrate it with vintage pics of the Chicago neighborhoods and landmarks that all play a part.
3. Allow me to like something about the sociopath Harper Curtis. I prefer my villains to be confusing.
There was a bidding war between publishers when Beukes-who is from South Africa- first released a partial manuscript in 2011. It's kind of funny that Harper Collins won out with its high 6-figure amount, because the name "Harper" will never be quite the same after reading this book. I hope they don't make a movie out of "The Shining Girls," but it seems inevitable. Books with trailers like this seem to attract film options:
If you'd like to submit a book review, by all means join the list. The Cephalapod Coffeehouse participants publish on the last Friday of every month:
well, I do my book reviews every quarter of the year. I'll have to add this one to my list of future reads. I finally remembered to take the list with me the last time I went to the library and have two from it now.
ReplyDeleteIf you've got the stomach for it, this is a summer page-turner. A little weird, following The Camel Bookmobile, which I read on your recommendation!
DeleteIt doesn't sound cheerful.
ReplyDeleteEnglewood (between 55th and 75th streets on the south central side) is a pretty bad neighborhood and has one of the highest crime and murder rates in the Country, so you should leave that neighborhood off your tour list when visiting the windy city.
No. Not cheerful. I can't remember when I last read a cheerful book. It's a bit out-of-character for me to read this kind of stuff though.
DeleteEnglewood is an awful neighborhood these days, but it wasn't so bad in 1931. The "time machine" in this novel is actually an abandoned house in Englewood. I think there are quite a few such dwellings there, unfortunately.
I flew out of Midway today, and thought about south Chicago the whole time.
That neighborhood used to be filled with Irish and Swedish blue collar workers during the middle of last century. There are some nice spots on the south side, but it tends to be pretty feast or famine.
DeleteThere is a saying about Englewood that I used to hear, "Don't get caught in the 'wood after dark."
Drama aside, I go through there sometimes on the way to the University of Chicago, and it is mostly ok. Nothing like the horror that was the Bronx when I was a boy.
Yeah. It's best to use common sense. Stay out of places like this at night. I don't know much about the Bronx back in the day, but I think maybe it's better now? I don't know.
Delete:( After this: 'spends almost 7 decades hunting his victims: the "shining girls."' I couldn't even read the rest of the review. Just the bee thing gave me palpitations and made me want to cry.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand so much of this world.
I know. <3
DeleteI had to read this in broad daylight & think of it as nothing more than a video game, sort of. But what does it add to the world? That's an excellent question. And why do I always insist on finishing books that I have begun?
Came back to read your response and noticed your anti-word verification widget. :)
Deletehm. your review made it much more intriguing than that trailer. i'd probably really enjoy the historical aspect, but i dunno that it's going to the top of my list...i'm indulging in YA fantasy just now myself!!
ReplyDeletePlease share your YA list. And don't worry, I think this is a book that many people might want to skip.
DeleteDogs are the perfect martyrs.
ReplyDeleteThe story of your interaction with this book is wonderful. The picture and note on the Radium Dancers is fun, too. My, how things change!
I hate it that dogs are always martyrs!
DeleteThe radium dancers fascinated me. They really did that to themselves.
The radium is really a fantastic idea, as long as you have no clue what the stuff is actually doing to you.
DeleteAS, in the book, the victim kind of did know. She was admitted to hospitals repeatedly, and that's where she first runs into the time traveler.
DeleteWhat a strange mixture of elements: serial killers and time-travel! I have to say I am impressed by the quality of the book trailer. The ones I have seen before look very amateurish in comparison, but I guess you can afford a professional trailer if you get a six-figure deal!
ReplyDelete"...because it's an awful rule that all dogs have to die sad deaths in every book ever written."
So true!
There were at least 2 trailers. The other one was super tacky.
DeleteSounds like time travel was a common element this month!
ReplyDeleteTony, I just got back from a week away from computers. Your comment makes me want to investigate. I love the idea of time traveling.
DeleteI don't know, but watching that trailer gave me the whole creep factor! And 12 POVs. That's quite a lot! I was just watching Where the Red Fern Grows the other day with my daughter and we had the discussion about how all dogs die in books. That's just how it has to be for some reason.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Old Yeller! Where the Red Fern Grows! and on and on and on.
DeleteYeah the trailer is creepy. But so is the book.
"it's an awful rule that all dogs have to die sad deaths in every book ever written" This is so true. I want to write a book in which there's just some random dog who LIVES. Lives and lives and lives. I'll title it "The Dog Who Lived, For A Change."
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds too slashery for me, even if it's not as slashery as you feared at first, but it sure looks interesting. Love that tidbit about the radium girls, even if it made me cringe.
Stephanie! PLEASE write that book! I would so love that!
DeleteI'm glad you're reading the book, not me. Serial killers? I have never understood why people find them so intriguing. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah about slamming an ebook shut. It's the same with phones now - no way to hang up on someone by slamming the phone back in its cradle. Dang, man.
Reading a book like this is like going to a "Haunted House" at Halloween. Fake scariness. I don't read many of these, because I am actually easily scared. It's hard to remind myself "it's only a book." I think I read this because I was bored with being sick and without energy.
DeleteIt's easier to write a book about repeated crimes than it is to concoct a story around a single misdeed. There is built-in tension in such a book. However, being fascinated with serial killers is akin to gawking at accidents...something is not right about it.
I want a trailer.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we could use a trailer. It would be great to have a trailer.
Deleteoooh ... i am off to buy this right now ... i had read a review of it, okay i didnt read the whole review i got distracted but it did sound interesting and now that i have read all of your review i am going to get it ... thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt;s kind of intense, Daryl; I hope you like it!
DeleteI haven't visited in a while and not sure why... or how I hae missed you on my blog roll, but did want to congratulate you on your POTW from Hillary.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tabor. That was a nice surprise, getting the post-of-the-week for a piece about ladybugs. Really different from this post. I'm inconsistent.
Delete