Reincarnation Blues

Thank you to the publisher, Del Ray, for proving me with a free finished copy to review – all opinions are my own!

First of all, that cover!! It immediately caught my eye and it was the original reason I wanted to dive into this book. It’s beautiful and colorful and I secretly want to stick it under a black light and see how cool it looks all lit up! Now, having read the book, I can clearly see it’s a visual representation of all the book’s events.

In all honesty, this is a tough review for me to write because I’m really not sure how I felt about the book. It was a fun, magical, whimsical journey that, at times, literally had me laughing out loud, crying real tears down my face, and shrinking from the pages in horror at the brutality of the words on the page. There were times I thought in my head, I am loving this!, and other times where I seriously contemplated not finishing it. Now, having finished, I’m truly on the fence with my thoughts and feelings.

What I loved? The author’s writing style; specifically, his humor. Michael Poore is quick-witted and funny. I loved some of the comebacks in the dialogue and, as I said before, I would literally laugh out loud. The characters were well-developed and I genuinely liked them. I thought the premise of the book was imaginative and unique (read the synopsis here).

What didn’t I like? I found the story somewhat jumbled and disjointed, making it difficult for me to relate to in the beginning. I like and enjoyed the storyline, but I was confused. By the time I’d read the whole book, I’m not sure the purpose of the story had been fulfilled?? And I just found some of the scenes so horrific and gruesome that I skipped those parts – which I NEVER, EVER do. Also, I’m not the hugest fan of fantasy writing and this novel definitely falls under that genre.

I’ve read some reviews from other readers and many say this is a book for Neil Gaiman fans. I would LOVE to talk to others who have read this one, so if you have, would you be so kind to comment below?