Book Review- Alexandra Kleeman's Something New Under the Sun

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Alexandra Kleeman’s novel, Something New Under the Sun, in exchange for an honest review.

Patrick Hamlin is thrilled and beyond flattered to learn that his novel will be turned into a major Hollywood movie. His ego is further stroked when he is invited to be a production assistant. Patrick’s dreams are soon crushed, when he realizes that he is a glorified water boy and that his screenplay bears little resemblance to his novel.

Still dazzled by the idea that this could be his Hollywood “In” Patrick sticks around and becomes a chauffeur for the leading lady, Cassidy Carter. Cassidy Carter is a former child star and notorious party girl. She is trying to break-free from her association with the character that made her famous, a teen detective. This hit show not only propelled her to stardom, but inspired a cult-like following that believes that the show was riddled with hidden messages that affect the real world.

While people are focused on conspiracies and Hollywood, a real life and death scandal is unfolding on the west coast. Severe droughts have created a situation where a synthetic water product called “Wat-r” has replaced much of the real water. The product is insidious, and only the very wealthy are able to access authentic water. Cassidy even negotiates to be paid in real water for her role.

Wat-R has been linked to cognitive decline in certain individuals, affecting people of all ages and races. This situation has been shrouded in secrecy with the affected being whisked away to private hospitals, but the more popular that Wat-R becomes, the more people are being affected, and the problem is increasingly more difficult to hide. Patrick and Cassidy begin to suspect that the producers of their film are involved in a nefarious Wat-R scheme and they become amateur sleuths, not unlike Cassidy’s former character.

Something New Under the Sun is an anxiety producing read. It deals with some true fears of mine, including extreme drought, harmful substances, and general environmental woes. I finished Kleeman’s novel this morning and the first news story I read was about a dire climate change report. Something New Under the Sun takes place in a near-future and it is not unreasonable to think that some of the fictional results from this story could be a reality.

I’m originally from Los Angeles, it’s always going to be my home. Kleeman did an excellent job with her descriptions of the city and the landscape, including the Palm Desert area. She also does a fabulous job at creating the characters that populate a movie set, those opportunistic loafers who are just waiting for their own big break. It’s an interesting contrast to have a story regarding the doom of humanity set against the Hollywood movie scene.

Although I found the premise and the characters to be intriguing, I struggled to connect with the story, especially during the last third. Possibly my connecting block came from the sheer volume of anxiety I felt thinking about my beloved hometown devolving into a wasteland. It’s a bleak novel. Also, I think the end took such a strange and surreal twist that I wanted off the ride. My mind was wandering and I found myself skimming the last thirty or so pages.

Book Review- Rachel Kushner's The Mars Room

Single-mother and former addict, Romy Hall, is about to start two consecutive life sentences for the brutal murder of a man who had been stalking her. Romy is bereft at losing her son and livid at the justice system, who swiftly declared her guilty, despite an incompetent public attorney. Romy quickly learns that she must adjust to her new reality behind bars, which also means trying to let go of things that she cannot control, including her young son ending up in the foster care system.

Other prisoners at California’s Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility teach Romy to take advantage of weak men through penpal connections or even through men working at the prison. She discovers a soft touch in Gordon Hauser, who has accepted a teaching job at the facility. Gordon is fascinated by the beautiful Romy, even more so, when she reveals that she is educated. Gordon uses his own money to purchase Amazon books for Romy, as she tries to use her charms on Gordon to help locate her son.

Although Romy and Gordon are the primary perspectives in The Mars Room, we also hear the narratives of Doc, a former bad cop who is behind bars, Fernandez, Romy’s prison roommate, and Kurt Kennedy, Romy’s stalker. The women’s perspectives ( Romy and Fernandez) are told in first person, while all of the male perspectives are in a close third. Every character gives us reason to doubt their reliability, yet since the story is set in a women’s prison, it mostly speaks to how the burden of proof is placed more heavily on women. There are plenty of women who have committed heinous crimes and are not rehabilitated, however, even those who have served their time or who may not have been given a fair trial, are treated without mercy. No one is ever considered innocent or healed, if they are branded a criminal.

It’s impossible to read The Mars Room and not compare it to Orange is the New Black. I consider this both a valid comparison and also a compliment. Both show empathy towards women trapped in cycles of poverty and abuse, often the very reasons that they wind up in the prison system. Both show a diversity in characters and circumstances. Both hold a mirror to society and make us consider a broken system, a system that most people who are not caught up in it, would like to ignore because the suffering is upsetting. Our lack of empathy is inhumane and thus, easier to ignore.

The biggest strength in The Mars Room is Kusher’s powerhouse narrative and unique voice. The writing is cutting and observant with intense pacing and intriguing characters. I purchased The Mars Room several years ago at Powell’s Books in Portland. It is a book that I picked up based on the cover art and title, simply pulled towards it, and I bought it without even reading the back cover. I do this sometimes, just grab a book based on a gut feeling. The Mars Room really paid off and I can’t believe that I allowed it to sit on my TBR shelf for over two years without diving in!

The Mars Room is gritty, not for the faint of heart. Kusher’s words and characters will linger in your thoughts long after you read the final sentence. It’s impactful, affecting, and highly recommended!

Book Review: Christina Clancy's Shoulder Season

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of Christina Clancy’s novel, Shoulder Season, in exchange for an honest review.

Only child Sherri Taylor is nineteen when she finds herself alone in her small Wisconsin town, with both of her parent’s having passed away. Her parents left behind their apartment and her father’s old watch repair shop, both properties that she can’t manage to sell in a bad economy. Sherri’s life prospects seem bleak, until her childhood friend, Roberta, suggests that they both apply to be bunnies at the new Playboy resort that is opening in nearby Lake Geneva.

Sherri is quiet and meek, while Roberta is brazen and outgoing. No one is more surprised than Sherri, when she lands the job and Roberta doesn’t. Soon, Sherri’s eyes are opened to a new lifestyle, one where she is discovering a sense of power. Sherri leaves behind her depressing apartment and small town, to live in the dorms at the Playboy Club, quickly becoming entrenched in the partying lifestyle of her fellow bunnies. She attracts the attention of several suitors, including a Hollywood stunt man and a trust-fund baby from a prominent midwestern family.

Shoulder Season is a gripping story. I enjoyed the historical elements and even spent some time looking up photographs of the real Playboy property in Lake Geneva to see pictures of the club and bunnies from the early 80’s. I was born in 1977, so this is a bit before my time, but my mom used to tell me about the Playboy clubs and how they were seen as sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Clancy’s writing transported me to that era and gave me a taste of that world. It’s fascinating.

Sherri is a frustrating protagonist. She makes choices that had me screaming at the book. That said, Clancy made me care about Sherri, which is why I was so upset by her choices. As with any great story, Sherri has a solid character arc and is able to find peace and forgiveness. Her redemption isn’t trite at all, it’s balanced within the story.

Shoulder Season has a really surprising plot twist that changes Sherri’s world view. I was caught off-guard by it and it packs an emotional punch.

On a personal note, a small part of Shoulder Season takes place at the Palm Springs Art Museum in California, which is one of my favorite places. We are even headed to Palm Springs next week!

Shoulder Season is a page-turning story with fabulous locations and affecting character relationships. I highly recommend that it be added to your TBR pile. Clancy is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading her other books.