The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

 

The best part of this collection of stories, and novella, is that they all start in the middle. You're thrust into what often become unusual life situations, frequently at an uncomfortable point, watching uncomfortable things happen. It's fantastic.

You also don't really get any endings. Maybe a partial conclusion, but nothing that leaves you feeling complete. I love that too, because really, when is a person's story ever actually over? Even after many are gone, stories continue to evolve and change. It's real.

Nothing was cliched or forced either, leaving you with a catalog of character who were pleasantly complex if not a little strange. I appreciate, very much, the care that went into each story. You can feel it at every angle from the character development to the setting choices to how each scenario is shaped. It's true storytelling even without an obvious formula.

Bonus points also go out for the skill in where the backstory gets placed. Its unconventional use influences the present perfectly, especially in the novella.

Everything about how these stories were crafted felt right. You were supposed to go into them a little 'off,' whether the story discussed an issue related to race or explored the repercussions of personal choices. After finishing each story, I found myself wanting to spend time speculating on where they went afterward rather than diving into the next one immediately.

To rate my favorites, while suggesting you read the whole book in order, I loved:

• Anything Could Disappear
• Alcatraz
• The Office of Historical Corrections (the novella)

Enjoy this one!

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

 

This is a solid story that felt very much like a puzzle slowly coming together. I loved the interconnectivity of the characters and the way one small gesture brought them all together.

Julian used to live a life of excess and eccentricity. As an artist, he had a life in the spotlight, but now, in his 80's, he's lonely and forgotten. To break back into the world, he creates The Authenticity Project. He writes his truth in a notebook and leaves it behind in his neighborhood coffee shop, encouraging the next person who finds the notebook to add their own story and pass it on.

The concept works, drawing in a cast of characters who somehow become engaged in each others' lives. There's Monica, the uptight cafe owner. Hazard, the adict. Riley, the traveler. Alice, the frazzled new mom. Lizzie, the nosy, but caring nanny. And, finally, the notebook comes to Mary, who surprises everyone and brings the story full circle. There's no rationale, really, for why a group of strangers suddenly want to be there for each other after reading a few pages in a notebook, but they do, and it works. 

By the end of the book, almost everyone has found their potential, what was honestly missing for them when they initially discovered the notebook. It's not necessarily closure on what was pressing on them, but a sense of hope that wasn't there before.

It's hard to say which character is at the heart of the story, and I was surprised at how Pooley was able to take such a large cast and not make anyone feel more important than another. They all seem to have equal impact on the movement of the narrative, and I found that different and very well done. This is a nicely packaged story that moves quickly, and proves to be a satisfying read. Although some of the 'surprises' are a little predictable, I didn't finish things up feeling like I was reading a cliche. 

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

 

I needed a dose of science fiction/fantasy, so happily picked up another book by Naomi Novik. Although a bit verbose, she's an excellent storyteller and creator of worlds. I might not always like how she wraps things up, but I appreciate the work that goes into her narratives.

In A Deadly Education, we're put into a high school situation on the fringes of the void. All the students have magic, and if they can survive through graduation, they can go out into the world and use it. The problem is the whole pantheon of Mals who want to eat them. We're talking serious monsters of every shape and size. There are pinchers, tentacles, webs, and blobby goo. Breaking into what should be a protected space, the Mals are doing their best to create a student feast. Students expect something bad at every turn, never go anywhere alone, and use enchantments and shields just to get from their dorm room to the cafeteria.

There's also the graduation hall. It's full of hungry creatures just waiting for the end of the year.

The school has no teachers, just a self-motivated, magically-guided curriculum, where books find you. They appear on the library shelves when they want to, or come flying out of the void if you ask right. Students focus on a specialty, spending time in language classes to learn spells and the workshop to construct magical objects.

It's the junior class that stands out the most in this book, thanks to two specific students. Orion is a real hero. He can't help but attack, and successfully bring down, any Mal who threatens a student. What's more, the monsters seem to avoid him. El, short for Galadriel, is an outcast harboring a prophecy and a strong magical ability. She's never had friends, has a bad attitude, and is someone people usually avoid. Orion has the opposite problem. He can never get a moment alone, away from adoring fans.

Suddenly, these two are seen together. In fact, Orion begins picking El over his established group of friends. El isn't thrilled by this change, but it forces her into the realization that she needs friends. She'll need them to survive the school and graduation itself. Then something unexpected happens, and she must learn to trust others more than she ever thought.

This book is full of magic and the threat of death, but it's more complex than that. You're stuck in the middle of fragile teenage relationships while exploring human nature and the tendency we have to judge books by their cover (ha, ha). The book also explores intelligence -- academic vs ability vs natural intuition. 

The best parts of the book flow through the action, which increases in intensity as you read on. It's a fun and exciting read and an interesting new world to explore. Just prepare yourself to hit small roadblocks of over explanation -- it's the author's style.

Other reviewed books by Naomi Novik

• Spinning Silver