Flashpoint

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www.dccomic.com

Flashpoint
Geoff Johns
Andy Kubert
2011

The Summary
After awakening at his desk one evening, Barry Allen (the Flash) realizes the world has undergone some drastic changes - his mother is alive, his powers are gone, and his friends are vastly different people - because someone altered the timeline.

Now trapped in an alternate reality, the Flash must stop the impending destruction of the world and, more importantly, discover a way to return the timeline back to normal - or else.

The Good
Filled with familiar characters and more than a few new faces, Flashpoint provides a very unique twist on the conventional tale of superheroes.

For instance, in the first few pages, you realize that the Amazonians (Wonder Woman) and Atlanteans (Aquaman) are not on amicable terms; in fact, they're embroiled in the middle of a war which may destroy the world.  Likewise, Batman is no longer the Batman everyone knows.

It's both intriguing and engrossing, as you attempt to pinpoint the differences between time lines and, more importantly, get to the bottom of the mystery of how this newest time line came to be - and it's a twist you'll never see coming.

The Bad
Although you can read Flashpoint without any prior knowledge of the DC canon and successfully understand the story, it can sometimes be difficult to place characters or understand their purpose in the comic.  You'll find context clues to help propel you through the story, of course, but that doesn't mean it's always possible to recognize the significance of the individual characters.

Honestly, if this is your first foray into the world of DC, it's a good book with which to start.  But it can occasionally leave you feeling like you're missing something.

The Ugly
The alternate timeline of Flashpoint is very harsh and, more significantly, brutal; in fact, for much of the novel, this alternative universe often appears to be entirely hopeless.

Comic binge

Lately, I've had a craving:  a craving for comic books.

So, I decided to indulge myself and I've taken to reading comic books.  Many, many comic books.  Some of the usual suspects I expect, like Superman and Batman and Daredevil, and a few of the more unusual ones, like Chew and Watchmen.

As you might expect, it's a comic book binge for Reader's Reach.  Just a few short weeks of reviews and examinations of comic books, and maybe a little more?

It might prove interesting.

As always, if you have any suggestions for comics - or books in general - or feel the need to leave a comment, don't forget to leave a message.

Cheers, and happy reading.

- The Scrivener

The Tempest

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www.barnesandnoble.com

The Tempest
William Shakespeare
1610-1611

The Summary
For Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, life has not always been kind; however, when his brother (Antonio) and the King of Naples (Alonso), the very men who chased him from his dukedom, arrive on the shores his island, Prospero has been given a great opportunity to seek his revenge.

Filled with grand adventure, a generous helping of magic, and a bit of romance, The Tempest tells the story of one man's rise and fall from power as he struggles to contend with his past, his own feelings of bitterness, and his hope for the future.

The Good
Simultaneously amusing and complex, The Tempest is one of those Shakespearean plays that's sure to hold your attention for the sheer ridiculousness and magic and botched political intrigue it holds.  Between the fairy mischief on Ariel's part and, of course, jokes about sexuality courtesy of Trinculo and Stephano, Shakespeare's play presents a rousing good time.

More to the point, Shakespeare's characters are something to behold.  Not only are the characters fully fleshed out - and some being the epitome of a stereotype - they are enjoyable to watch and understand as they grow and mature, or, in some cases, meet whatever end they happen to find.

In short, it's a brief but fun play that's sure to entertain.

The Bad
As always, Shakespeare's plays are a little difficult to read given the barrier between languages - or, more accurately, time periods.  Filled with jokes and references to his generation, and riddled with older, archaic versions of English words, Shakespeare can be a bit challenging.

That's no excuse for not reading his work, of course; however, it's sometimes better to see his work in person - that is, on the stage - than just reading it.  Simply put, actors can make Shakespeare's work come of alive, even when the imagination can't.

The Ugly
Well, it can't all be fun and games.

Between brothers bent on fratricide and fairy mischief and wizards intent on revenge, there will inevitably be a little bit of violence and a suitable amount of language.  It's to be expected in the cold, calculating, politically charged society of Shakespeare's play.

The Beach Trees

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www.karen-white.com

The Beach Trees
Karen White
2011

The Summary
After the death of her best friend, Monica, Julie Holt is left with guardianship of Monica's five-year-old son, Beau, and a house called Riversong all the way in Biloxi.  However, when she arrives in Mississippi, Julie discovers the house she hoped to find is no longer standing - and she is left with only one resort:  finding and embracing the family Monica mysteriously left behind nearly a decade before.

The Good
In Karen White's novel, you'll find a beautiful amount of detail and human emotion that reflects both the beauty and the struggles found when living on the Gulf Coast.  But it's also an interesting book, being equal parts drama and mystery, because it leaves you guessing what happened in Monica's family that made her leave them behind and what will happen now with Julie's own investigation.

The Beach Trees also has a unique narrative style by using dual protagonists:  Aimee Guidry, the family matriarch, and Julie Holt.  Not only do you receive an intimate glance into the life of Julie, who struggles daily with her sister's disappearance and figures out how to raise a five-year-old boy on her own in a city she has never seen, you are able to look into Aimee's life and discover what it was like to grow up on the banks of the Mississippi River, weathering year after year of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.

It's raw, real, and resonant, because the story will linger with you long after you close the pages for the last time.

The Bad
The Beach Trees, like the cities in which it's based, sets up a slightly languid pace.  While I wouldn't say this is a bad quality in a book - personally, I rather enjoyed the pace of this novel, because it allows you to adequately soak up the detail and the emotion written into every word - it may prove slightly frustrating when all you want are answers to that questions that keep arising from this novel.

For instance, I was dying to know about Aimee's past - who murdered her mother?  And what happened to her mother's wedding ring? - and Caroline Guidry - where did she go?  What happened to her?  And what secret has Wes Guidry, her son, been keeping?

It certainly manages to keep you glued to the pages for want of answers.

The Ugly
Some family secrets are too ugly to share.

Unfinished

Today, I decided to take a break from the books I have finished and take a look at the novels I've currently left unfinished.  I have a small list of books which I haven't completed - books which I am uncertain I will ever complete now or in the future - or I haven't liked well enough to read from cover to cover, so they've been put aside, forgotten, or ignored.

And, now, they're here.

-

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www.booksamillion.com

Vellum by Hal Duncan

It's an interesting concept, a unique blend of myth interwoven with lore and magic and insanity.  The first couple of chapters are intriguing, being creatively disjointed and wildly reordered in the mind of the story's only first-person narrator; however, the novel keeps the same, disjointed style throughout, which makes it infinitely more confusing and infinitely less enjoyable.

It's especially frustrating when old familiar characters are overlapped with ancient Mesopotamian gods and reformed into new characters with similar faces, different names, and different histories.  As a side note, it's also intensely violent and riddled with gore.  Thus, between the confusion and the violence, Vellum is a hard novel to stomach let alone understand.

Which is why it remains unfinished on the shelf of my bookcase.

-

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www.booksamillion.com

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A classic, I have no doubt.  From the few chapters I've read, the novel has a lovely cadence - a tempo that makes the reading of it almost poetic.  It's a beautiful story, well-written and detailed and enjoyable.  And, yet, I can't even force myself to slog through the rest of it.

I have no qualms about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I just can't seem to finish it.  I've tried, but I stop about three or four chapters into Francie's tale, put it aside, and promptly forget about it.

One day, I will finish it (and write about it).  Today, however, is just not that day, or so it would seem.

-

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www.harpercollins.com

A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer

Not a bad novel by any means; but it just happens to be unappealing to me.  Perhaps, I've struggled with the pace of the novel - the slow, endless trudge through detail and script - or the languid build of the story as it limps to some sort of resolution I can't really foresee.  Either way, this novel just seems uninteresting to me.

I can't say I will ever finish this novel.  Although passably interesting to me, it's just never been able to keep my attention for more than a few pages at one time.  The characters, while sometimes intriguing, just aren't that endearing and the story remains unremarkable.

In short, I may never finish reading it.

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Undoubtedly, more will follow in later weeks.  More novels I haven't finished, or simply haven't enjoyed and haven't had the patience or fortitude to write a proper review.  So, make of them what you will - and voice your own opinions.

- The Scrivener