Tag Archive for: fiction

Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead

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Colson Whitehead, our greatest living novelist, returns to Harlem in his final novel in the trilogy featuring Ray Carney, a furniture store owner and part-time fence for stolen goods. Cool Machine dazzles, both in the wordplay we expect from Whitehead and in the energetic thrum imbued in his writing. To fully appreciate this novel, readers are advised to start with the two previous books in the series, Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto. But Whitehead has talent to burn, so a reader can simply pick up the latest book, and—just like that—join Carney et al. in 1980s New York City.

Cool Machine constitutes three novellas that take us across the 1980s. Readers of the two previous Harlem Trilogy books have been with Carney since the 1950s. Now, Carney is in his 50s and his two grown kids have “spun off like rockets.” So, what is Carney to do? He tends to his store, sure. But knowing his kids want no part of it, there’s a certain spark missing from the narrative that is Carney’s life. When some white bankers deny his wife a business loan to start her own travel agency, Carney is compelled to return to the crooked world. In other words, Carney is alive again.

As with all of the Harlem novels, heists abound. What’s unique in this circumstance is the series of events that lead Carney to join a crew in a heist’s inception and execution, rather than just off-loading stolen goods. And if you’re a sucker for heist tales, reading about how and why the crew boosts Jesse Owens’ Olympic gold medal from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel is about as entertaining as it gets.

Because Carney has never lived anywhere but Harlem, he’s continually coming across visual reminders of his hardscrabble upbringing, most notably memories of his late cousin Freddie. Deceased for decades, Freddie is still a source of moral ambiguity for Carney. They were both born into a criminal world. But while Carney sought no small amount of normalcy, Freddie sank deeper into the underworld. How much Carney could have saved Freddie is a working question, brought to the fore once again when Freddie’s son, Robert, is in trouble with both the law and the Italian mafia.

Robert is an enigma to Carney, for while he’s helped out his nephew over the years, including employment at his store, he feels as though Robert merely tolerates him: “Politely tolerated, like when you take a perfunctory bite of your host’s cake.” Carney concludes that Robert is not cut out for New York City, even though he has never lived anywhere else. “A New Yorker was kidnapper and hostage in one, setting the impossible ransom for their own deliverance.”

And ultimately this is a novel about New York City. Whitehead manages to bring the city’s life to the page. As you read, you feel the city’s nonstop bass. A native New Yorker, Whitehead creates a protagonist who can only exist in New York City. To Carney, living in NYC is the only option, because it’s the only city that makes sense to him. Manhattan Island is a metaphor for life because—in the end—it’s on its own. “The underlying melody of death and rebirth in blocks and avenues. You wake up to discover that the city has unveiled another version when you weren’t looking.” It can be harsh, grinding down those who can’t join its unyielding churn. But to Carney, that churn is a foundation, the one thing he knows to be true. “That was the rule. That was the system: constant, turbulent change.”

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Review by Jason Sullivan

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

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Jennette McCurdy, a former childhood actress, exploded onto the literary scene in 2022 with her debut memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. I devoured this book that ended up shooting to bestselling status and marked McCurdy as an author to watch. It is currently my favorite memoir I’ve read. So earlier this year when McCurdy released her first step into fiction with her novel Half His Age I didn’t even need to read the summary to know I was going to read it. And read it, I have. And what a wild, memorable novel it turned out to be. 

The plot of the novel smacks you in the face. Waldo is a 17 year old senior in high school who works part time at Victoria Secret to help pay the bills at home. She is raised by a single mother who works nights, is hardly home, and has a boyfriend addiction. They live in poverty, Waldo primarily eating junk food and frozen dinners. She also uses her part time income to feed her shopping addiction, turning to online shopping carts at any inconvenience or strike of boredom. 

Waldo is also hiding a secret: she is obsessively consumed by her major crush on her creative writing teacher, Mr. Korgy. Mr. Korgy is married with a child, not to mention about 20 years older than Waldo, and her teacher. But Waldo is undeterred. If anything, she is a character that does not give up until she gets what she wants, single minded in her pursuit. Unfortunate to say, Waldo is successful; her and Mr. Korgy begin an affair. The writing of the affair is explicit, often revolting and off-putting, themes that carry to other parts of the novel as well. Waldo doesn’t hold any thoughts or actions back; if you don’t like novels that make you uncomfortable, this one probably isn’t for you. 

Luckily I love a novel that makes me uncomfortable! Even though there were parts of the unfolding obsession and affair that made me cringe I thought McCurdy did such a good job writing a realistic teenage character. Waldo is hard to like at times, there were moments I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. But there were also times I wanted to give Waldo a hug and apologize to her for the uncontrollable circumstances she finds herself in: in poverty, raising both herself and her mother, dealing with struggling friendships and low self esteem, as well as the eternal wanting of a teenager. Waldo wants and wants and yearns and thinks she knows everything better than anyone and that just felt so real, such a relatable teenage girlhood experience. Then of course I wanted to hug Waldo because her teacher takes advantage of her, abusing his power and ultimately Waldo. She’s a lost teenager on a journey to not be lost anymore, navigating life and growing up all by herself, and I appreciate the way her story came together in the end.

I cannot stop thinking of this bold novel. It’s a coming-of-age story that deals with consumerism, generational trauma, power, female rage, classism, and ultimately the sometimes painful lengths someone will go to feel loved. I like that it isn’t a gentle novel; it’s rattling and disconcerting. McCurdy uses the voice of the novel to caution against the student/teacher relationship, but it feels well done and subliminal by the end of the story, as Waldo is an active participant in the relationship, blatantly seeking out Mr. Korgy. I would recommend this novel to readers that like some weird and uncomfortable with their novel, that don’t mind explicit language and intimate scenes, and that can appreciate a different spin on the coming-of-age genre. At this point I’d read McCurdy’s grocery shopping list if she published it. Jennette McCurdy, thank you for becoming a writer; I’ll take another novel anytime you are willing to write one.

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Review by Sarah Grace, Adult Programming Coordinator

Voyagers by Meg Charlton

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Alex has spent his entire adult life trying to forget he was “abducted by aliens.” In 1997, six year old Alex was on vacation with his family in Palm Springs. There he met fellow six year old Ana and her mother Cyndie. One night, with no warning, Ana and Alex disappeared.

And then weeks later, just as suddenly, they came back.

Upon their return, the children told a story of bright lights, wind in the desert, and a room of people made of light. They were interviewed by the police and by a major from the US Marine Corps. The major said he believed their story, but the official word came back that it was not an extraterrestrial encounter.

The media was not deterred by the government calling Ana and Alex a hoax. They appeared on a late-night interview show on ABC, followed by other less-prestigious television interviews. Then some toothpaste commercials and a guest-spot on a sitcom.

Cyndie was eager to capitalize on her daughter’s moment of fame, and Ana was only famous as one half of a pair. Alex would have happily avoided the spotlight, but he was eager to spend time with Ana.

The two were best friends for a number of years, despite living on opposite sides of the country. They had long phone conversations, many of which revolved around a person who was sort of a game and not a game – a being they called Allen.

Ana and Alex spent years crafting Allen’s story. He was a xenobiologist living on a desert planet and studying humans. Ana and Alex would argue about aspects of Allen’s life until they found something that felt inarguably true about the person they only half-believed existed.

As teenagers, Alex and Ana had a big falling out and lost contact for years. Alex changed his last name, went to college, and got a job at a law firm in New York. He was moving on with his mundane life, until the Signal appeared.

The Signal is an unidentified tone being broadcast at Earth from somewhere near Pluto. Media speculation about what the Signal could be ranges anywhere from anti-satellite weaponry to a genuine extraterrestrial origin. Alex is very skeptical, having grown up in the world of close encounters.

When he sees Ana being interviewed about the Signal on the news, he reaches out for the first time in years. Ana invites Alex to a retreat for survivors of alien encounters she is hosting in the desert. Alex finds himself drawn to join her.

Alex makes his way from New York City to the California desert as the Signal draws closer to Earth, interfering with aircraft communication, GPS satellites, and cell phone towers. He and Ana will face this extraterrestrial encounter together – just as they always have.

VOYAGERS by Meg Charlton is a science fiction book in the vein of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The mystery about the Signal is overshadowed by the catastrophic reaction from humanity as it experiences its first undeniable alien contact. It is an apt speculation on Charlton’s part – as a group, humans have been known to overreact.

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

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After a seventeen-year wait, Kathryn Stockett returns with her second novel, THE CALAMITY CLUB. Her debut, THE HELP, was published in 2009, and after hearing several glowing endorsements of her new novel, I could not wait to get my hands on it. 

Like her previous novel, Stockett’s new offering is set in Mississippi, though this time the year is 1933, one of the bleakest years of the Great Depression. Times are hard, and everyone is doing their best to make ends meet.

The story opens with Birdie Calhoun trying to figure out a way to help her family pay the property taxes on their home in the tiny, rural town of Footely, Mississippi. Her father is deceased, leaving Birdie, her mother and her spitfire grandmother to tackle the problem. They finally decide Birdie should travel to the slightly larger town of Oxford to visit her socialite sister, Frances, and ask for a loan.

After an all-day journey, Frances is less than thrilled to have Birdie show up on her doorstep. But, in an unexpected turn of events, it is Birdie who ends up helping Frances and her new family.

The story is told from two perspectives: Birdie’s and that of 11-year-old Meg Lefleur, a girl living in an orphanage. The two stories eventually intersect when Birdie volunteers at the Oxford orphanage where Meg is staying, bringing their very different worlds together. 

Stockett brings many of the strengths of her previous novel to this one—memorable characters, a richly drawn historical setting, and a storyline that balances drama with moments of humor. Readers get a compelling story that propels the action forward while also gaining a sense of what life was like during one of the country’s most difficult periods. Through the striking contrast between the sisters’ socioeconomic circumstances—one struggling to keep her family afloat and the other living a privileged life—Stockett explores family, class, loyalty and the lengths to which people will go to survive using whatever skills and resources they have. 

Birdie is an especially engaging character. Matter-of-fact, determined and fiercely loyal, she is not easily intimidated, even when she finds herself in an unfamiliar world far removed from the one she knows. Meg, meanwhile, brings the viewpoint of a child who has learned much too early how uncertain life can be. As their stories gradually intersect, their relationship gives the novel much of its emotional heart. 

Readers who loved THE HELP will find familiar elements here: Stockett’s interest in women whose lives and contributions often go unnoticed, as well as her use of Mississippi as an important part of the story. Yet THE CALAMITY CLUB is ultimately quite different from her debut. The Depression-era setting gives the novel a very different social and economic backdrop. While women remain at the center of the story, Stockett focuses more heavily on their autonomy, resourcefulness and ability to determine their own futures. And rather than emphasizing broad social change, the novel is more concerned with the immediate, often desperate struggle to survive—and the strength women find by relying on one another. 

After such a long wait, Stockett’s return to fiction is a welcome one. THE CALAMITY CLUB is ultimately a story about family, struggle and generosity. Readers who enjoy strong female characters, historical fiction and stories about women finding strength in one another will find much to appreciate here. Seventeen years is a long time to wait for a second novel, but Stockett has returned with a story that makes the wait worthwhile.

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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The Shippers by Katherine Center

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In the opening of this newest Katherine Center offering, Josephine Burton is about to walk down the aisle to marry her fiancé, Pearce, when her best friend, Cooper Watts, makes a surprise appearance after being absent from her life for four years. Cooper had RSVP’d no, but after he unexpectedly shows up at the wedding venue, JoJo calls off the wedding.  

JoJo believes she is unlucky in love, but her real problem is a pattern of retreating whenever a relationship becomes serious. Pearce seemed perfect because he was self-absorbed and often absent.  She could never quite lock him down, but after the wedding date was set, her old pattern reemerged. 

After her wedding is called off, JoJo is soon boarding a cruise ship with her family as part of a destination wedding for her older sister Ashley.  Ashley works in marketing and is pursuing a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling. Through Ashley’s guidance, JoJo becomes convinced that this cruise adventure is exactly what she needs to break her cycle of failed relationships. She believes reconnecting with a childhood crush, Finn Turner, will provide the closure she needs to build a healthy relationship. 

As JoJo waits to board the ship, guess who shows up?  Yep, Cooper again, despite having RSVP’d no.  Soon she has shared her plan with Cooper and recruited him to assist her with her mission of closure. 

For Cooper’s part, he is a great assistant. In fact, he is JoJo’s biggest cheerleader.  He shows up for her whenever she needs him. Whether she is evicted from her room by her hypersexual cabin mate, struggling through a mini golf tournament, or left alone on the dance floor when Finn takes a work call, Cooper is there. There is no question that these two best friends belong together. The questions are how quickly will they figure it out and what will it look like along the way? 

That may seem like a spoiler, but the author has a note at the beginning of the book that tells readers there is going to be a happy ending. That the couple gets together. At first, I thought this was weird, but why not be upfront about it? That is what I expect from a rom-com book. That is why I read them. I want that happy ending. Yes, I want the drama, the fun, the shenanigans along the way, but ultimately, I want to know the time and energy I have invested in a book will be rewarded with a feel-good wrap up. Kudos Katherine Center! Thank you for giving me a happy ending and making it a fun ride along the way.

Highlights of the book include Center’s ability to write relatable characters and spot-on dialogue. JoJo quickly had my support; the emotional insight the narration provided about her inner thoughts had me rooting for her the entire book.  And Center’s description of Cooper, not only his unique sense of style, but his steadfast support of JoJo, made him easy to adore, and watching their friendship evolve was compelling.

Fans of beach reads, friends-to-lovers romances and vacation settings will find plenty here. In fine form, the author delivers exactly what readers expect from her books – humor, heart, relationship insight and a well-earned happy ending.

 

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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Into the Blue: a Love Story by Emma Brodie

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AJ Graves is feeling stuck. She was supposed to spend this summer at training camp, which would earn her a sports scholarship, which would get her into college, which would eventually lead to her dream job: writing on Saturday Night Live.

Instead, a broken arm has her spending her summer working at a video store and writing fan fiction about her favorite show – Astronauticals, a kitschy, decades-old sci-fi program with a dedicated fan-base.

The star of the show, Eudora Drew, is a local legend. One of the many members of the Drew family who have had illustrious acting careers, she is now a bit of a recluse.

AJ’s new co-worker Noah is Eudora’s nephew, and AJ is not sure why a member of the Drew family would need to work – let alone a puny summer job at a video store. Plus, it is embarrassing when he catches her watching Astronauticals all the time.

But then, Noah shares some insider trivia with her about the production and the improvisational aspects of the show. Eudora and her husband met on the set; before his death, Ezell taught Noah some of the improv games that they play on Astronuaticals.

Noah and AJ strike up a tentative friendship, and eventually get coerced into asking Eudora to participate in a convention that AJ’s younger brother is helping to run.

Enigmatic Eudora agrees to attend, but only if Noah and AJ will spend the summer working with her on their acting. Between work and acting lessons, the pair are nearly inseparable for months. They develop a deep, intuitive connection through improv training, and suddenly AJ can see a new future for herself as an actress.

Then, without warning, Noah leaves town and Eudora coldly severs their teacher-student connection. AJ is left floundering, but determined to succeed without them.

Seven years later, AJ’s career is up-and-running. She is writing both for television and a well-known improv troupe.

That is how she gets invited to an improv performance, which is actually a covert audition for a new TV show: a reboot of Astronauticals that will have to be fully improvised due to an ongoing writers’ strike. There, among the crowd of improv actors, is Noah Drew.

Noah is now a household name; he’s the current Hollywood heartthrob and the star of an HBO series, but their connection still feels the same.

The tension is palpable in their scenes, and AJ – much to her dismay – becomes one of the stars of the TV show. Off-screen, Noah keeps his distance. Until the moment that he really, really doesn’t, and all their history comes flooding back.

Emma Brodie’s INTO THE BLUE: A LOVE STORY is not a romance novel. The love story between AJ and Noah is the central point that the novel revolves around, but everything spinning around that hub is equally important.

Every detail of the novel has been carefully crafted; Eudora’s grief, the struggle between AJ’s family and her dad’s alcoholism, even what it means for AJ to have achieved her dream and found it was not perfect. I will be thinking about this book for years to come.

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian

THE NAMES BY FLORENCE KNAPP

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In the United States, we usually name our babies before they even leave the hospital, but in England, new parents are given a forty-two days’ grace period to live with their child before they register their birth with their local field office. In Florence Knapp’s THE NAMES, what would usually be a normal ritual for a new parent becomes a critical point of no return for new mother Cora.

While it has been made clear by her husband, Gordon, they will follow in his family’s tradition and name the baby after him, as Cora and her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, walk to the registry office, the two discuss possible other names. Maia is set on “Bear.” A name that she thinks sounds warm and cuddly, but also strong and protective. Cora likes “Julian,” and reasons that it could still be considered a tribute to her husband since it means “sky father.”  

During the discussion, the wishes of her husband weigh heavily on Cora’s mind, because despite Gordon being a well-respected local doctor, and a pillar of the community, he is a terrifying and volatile tyrant behind closed doors. She usually does her best to not upset him, but she knows she must try to make the best decision for her new baby. 

When Cora arrives at the field office she hesitates when it is time to fill in the blank for her son’s name.  Will she adhere to the expectations of her domineering husband or will she follow her heart and give the baby a different name?

What follows next is three stories. Told so readers learn what life looks like for the baby depending on which birth name Cora selects. One story features Bear, one Julian and one Gordon. 

It is a fascinating and inventive concept that Knapp utilizes. Readers get three separate glimpses into the child’s life, depending on the name chosen. The novel jumps forward in seven year increments and readers learn not only what Bear, Julian or Gordon have each been up to, but also what has transpired with Cora, Maia and other supporting characters.  

Knapp is not the first to use this “what-if” concept, think of the popular 1998 “Sliding Doors” movie, but I found Knapp’s use of this storyline immensely effective and satisfying. Each story is compelling on its own, but the combination makes this “Read with Jenna” selection ripe for discussion. 

The question of how much of one’s life is determined simply by the name that is assigned at birth is brilliantly explored. The novel quietly implores readers to consider how much of their own path was set the moment their parents wrote their name on the birth certificate. Knapp’s thoughtful, matter-of-fact narration keeps the narrative moving forward and readers will be hard-pressed to put this one down. I highly recommend it!  

 

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

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It’s not unusual for revered writers to lose some of their literary vitality as they age (sorry, Don DeLillo). It also appears that Ian McEwan received his immunization against this particular affliction. What We Can Know, his 18th novel, is a prescient work of fiction that both charms and haunts. And similar to McEwan’s Atonement, a novel published a quarter century ago, What We Can Know will eventually take residence somewhere deep in memory, where recalling its very existence evokes some weighty emotions—even if the details are lost.

The novel is set not too far in the future, 2120; yet it’s still just on the other side of human catastrophe. Nation-states as we know them are gone. AI-initiated defense systems led to various nuclear exchanges. Sea levels have risen dramatically and in what used to be England—and what now appears to be a series of archipelagoes—there lives a scholar, Thomas Metcalfe, trying to piece together an understanding of life in the early 21st century.

We are given microscopic glances into the state of the world Thomas occupies, which makes sense. Thomas doesn’t even know the immediate state of his world. Global interconnectivity via the web has essentially disappeared. Thomas still has access to the detritus of the once-digital world. He can read logs of our digital correspondences and posts. But he finds them—just as most of us find them now—to be not only indigestible but also garbage.

His focus of research concerns the events surrounding a 2014 dinner party that took place at the country home of Francis Blundy, an eminent poet. It would become known as the “Second Immortal Dinner” because it was when Francis, in front of notable guests, recited a sonnet cycle for his wife entitled “A Corona for Vivien.” There was only one copy of the poem. It was never published and not known to be read by anyone other than Francis. Through attendees’ journals and letters, Thomas studies their lives and the world they occupied. So, in many ways, this is the world Thomas lives in as well, a plentiful world he can only dream about.

But, of course, Thomas must make his way in his contemporary world. If you’re a humanities instructor today and think teaching literature and history is a struggle, Thomas and his colleague—and on/off romantic partner—Rose would like for you to try it after the collapse of civilization. To their students, with their “flattened and timorous” minds, there’s almost a cruelty in studying a world that once held so much. When forced to examine the past, their students wear a particular countenance: an unspoken knowing that most of the inhabitants of the early 21st century “deserved the mega-deaths they brought upon themselves.”

To Thomas and Rose, within the years the world shattered “world literature produced its most beautiful laments, gorgeous nostalgia, eloquent fury–and those masterpieces, so we promised, we would study together.” Still, they have intense disagreements over how one should chronicle the past. Thomas is so obsessed with the missing poem, Rose believes he’s no longer acting as a responsible scholar, at least when it comes to filling in the historical blanks around the time “A Corona for Vivien” was recited.

Thomas knows that the missing poem is famous because it’s missing. The real scholarship lies in the reactions it elicited, that the idea of the poem is what people find beautiful. It’s a repository for dreams. But Thomas is fixated with the poem proper. To complete the circle, he and Rose go on a journey to find it.

McEwan forces the reader to sit with his various characters. A first-time McEwan reader may wonder if the time is worth the payoff. A returning McEwan reader knows to wait. And sure enough, like an increasing electric current, What We Can Know starts to hum. Throughout the second part of the novel, I found myself quite often smiling as I read, beguiled by McEwan’s writing and devilish techniques.

What We Can Know places the reader in a unique position, for we are contemporaries of the people Thomas studies. We understand them more than we can understand Thomas and his contemporaries. Nevertheless, regardless of the human era, “We are trapped between the dead and the unborn, the past ghosts and the future ghosts,” thinks Thomas. After experiencing many tribulations, he continues, “Our ultimate loyalties must be to the loud and ruthless present.”

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Review by Jason Sullivan

The Accidental Rewrite by Milly Johnson

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Polly Potter is unhappy. Her partner, Christopher, takes her completely for granted at home and at work her misogynist boss treats her as a servant and takes credit for her work. But in The Accidental Rewrite by Milly Johnson, Polly is about to make some changes.

Polly and Christopher have been together for eight years and their relationship deteriorated to the point that he had an affair. Polly left but agreed to come back if they would work on getting back to what they once had. A year has past and things are no better. The only enjoyment she has is her creative writing class which Christopher doesn’t even know she attends. He has no interest in what she does other than cleaning and cooking.

Polly made her plan to leave but decided to wait until after a family commitment. Christopher’s sister is renewing her vows and Polly is to be bridesmaid and wear the hideous dress picked out for her. While waiting she begins an assignment for her writing class. She is to plan a novel. Her heroine, Sabrina Anderson, is all the things Polly wishes for herself. Sabrina is strong and leaving her unfaithful husband and lousy job, her daughter is alive and traveling, and she had parents who loved her.

Finally the day of the vow renewal arrives. Polly has her bags packed, her money and passport in her purse, and will load her car and leave after the ceremony. When she reaches the town hall and is ready to follow the bride down the aisle, she realizes something is terribly wrong. Even with all eyes on her Polly can’t do what is expected and flees.

She doesn’t take time to pack all her things in the car, she just goes. She sticks to her plan to spend a couple of weeks at the coast where she has happy memories. Almost there Polly stops at a scenic spot hoping to regroup and get a cup of coffee. But a bad day gets worse when she is mugged and injured.

Awakening in the hospital her mind is blank. Her purse and car are gone and the only thing she knows is her name, Sabrina Anderson. Of course, no one with that name is listed as missing and Christopher and family are not searching for Polly Potter. If her memory doesn’t return, she is destined for a long hospital stay then a shelter.

Marielle, a retired nurse and a volunteer at the hospital, befriends Sabrina/Polly and decides to help her regain her memory. Marielle has an apartment attached to her home and offers it to Sabrina while she is recovering. She even finds Sabrina/Polly a job working in her son’s restaurant.

As Polly settles into her new home and job, she remembers some things but it is all mixed up with Sabrina’s story. She grows close to the people she works with, especially Tony, Murielle’s son, and begins to build a new life.

But what will happen when her memory returns? When Sabrina’s life collides with Polly’s, will she be strong enough to fight for the life she deserves?

Johnson has written a humorous, heart-warming novel about found family and second chances. A special touch is the printed retractions from The Daily Trumpet between some chapters. The Daily Trumpet is the local paper renowned for all the mistakes they make including one involving Sabrina.

You may find it takes a while to get to the heart of this novel but keep reading, you will be rewarded. The library has this title in both regular print and large print.

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Review written by Patty Crane, Reference Librarian

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

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Minnie is a college freshman, feeling adrift and isolated after relocating from Denver to Austin. College was supposed to be a time to meet lifelong friends and have new experiences. Instead she finds herself eating dinner alone in the dining hall and watching internet videos in her dorm room.

That is where she first encounters HOURglass, a soon-to-be-viral boy band modeled after K-pop groups.

The boys make her feel less alone. Their shining light beaming out of the laptop screen and into her soul. She watches their performances, follows their journal videos, participates in live streams – HOURglass becomes the center of her life.

Jenny Tinghui Zhang’s SUPERFAN is a dual-perspective novel. Half of it follows Minnie through her first year of college while the other focuses on Eason, one member of HOURglass, and a secret from his past that could destroy their chance at fame.

To the fans, Eason is Halo. He is the bad boy of the group; rough around the edges, but loved the most because of it. Each member of HOURglass has had his image and history carefully curated to endear them to their fanbase.

The public knows that Halo is the member that came in with the least experience. Minwoo was an opera singer in Korea. Julian was a professional figure skater. Colt has model-like good looks and a background in sports.

Eason’s big break came when he delivered food to an audition. A week later, he got a phone call telling him the executives liked his air of pent-up frustration. It was a break that he did not know he needed. He has worked himself to the bone to become Halo – to avoid ever going back to his old life.

HOURglass has accumulated a devoted following. Their U.S. tour has sold out stadiums, and they have a huge following for all of the videos they post. Minnie feels deeply connected to the boys, but she knows that she is one devoted fan in a legion of devoted fans.

Still seeking connection, she finds an online forum dedicated to HOURglass called The Heaven. The people are all welcoming and she can tell that they are all huge fans of the band. Minnie is even able to find support about the other issues in her life through the forum.

But there is a darker side to The Heaven. A sub-group of members has dedicated themselves to following the band. They have connections in particular industries or enough money to buy privileged information. They appear at the airports and hotels when the band is traveling. And they know the secret that is haunting Eason.

SUPERFAN is an excellent examination of fame and fandom. The ways that we claim ownership over something that can never really be ours. Minnie loves Halo, and she is motivated by wanting to help and protect him.

When they do come face-to-face, Eason also feels a connection to her – he can feel how passionate she is about HOURglass. But she is more than just their fan and he is more than just her idol, and neither of them will ever experience that part of the other.

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian