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A review by bethreadsandnaps
Memorials by Richard Chizmar
3.5
3.5 stars
I was super impressed by Richard Chizmar's CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN, but his latest MEMORIALS (publishing October 22, 2024) didn't land as successfully with me.
The premise of this novel was so interesting. Three college students (Billy the narrator, Melody, and Troy) embark on a week-long trip in western Pennsylvania in May of 1983 documenting roadside memorials, including a memorial dedicated to one of the filmmaker's own parents, for a class project. They see strange symbols on these memorials, and people act oddly toward them during their travels, creating an unsettled feeling throughout most of the novel.
PROs
1. Great premise
2. Feeling slightly unsettled (what's going on?) throughout most of the novel
3. Lots of dialogue - allows the reader to be in the novel
4. Documentary filming set apart in different font
5. Would be a good movie
PRO and CON
1. Liked how it incorporated racism toward Troy but it had a 2020s sensibility to it that pulls you out of the 1983 setting.
CONs
1. Reads young adult instead of as an older narrator reflecting on 1983 self
2. A lot of repetition in the middle with different roadside memorial scenes, dragged down the pacing A LOT
3. Didn't buy into one of the big scenes at the end
4. Not as many 1983 vibes as I wanted
I found this to be a decent read due to its premise and some more novel inclusions into the narrative, but I didn't find this to be as compelling as other works by this author.
I was super impressed by Richard Chizmar's CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN, but his latest MEMORIALS (publishing October 22, 2024) didn't land as successfully with me.
The premise of this novel was so interesting. Three college students (Billy the narrator, Melody, and Troy) embark on a week-long trip in western Pennsylvania in May of 1983 documenting roadside memorials, including a memorial dedicated to one of the filmmaker's own parents, for a class project. They see strange symbols on these memorials, and people act oddly toward them during their travels, creating an unsettled feeling throughout most of the novel.
PROs
1. Great premise
2. Feeling slightly unsettled (what's going on?) throughout most of the novel
3. Lots of dialogue - allows the reader to be in the novel
4. Documentary filming set apart in different font
5. Would be a good movie
PRO and CON
1. Liked how it incorporated racism toward Troy but it had a 2020s sensibility to it that pulls you out of the 1983 setting.
CONs
1. Reads young adult instead of as an older narrator reflecting on 1983 self
2. A lot of repetition in the middle with different roadside memorial scenes, dragged down the pacing A LOT
3. Didn't buy into one of the big scenes at the end
4. Not as many 1983 vibes as I wanted
I found this to be a decent read due to its premise and some more novel inclusions into the narrative, but I didn't find this to be as compelling as other works by this author.