Trip At The Brain
When The Lights Go Out - Mary Kubica 5/5 stars
When Jessie's mother suddenly dies of cancer strange things begin to happen and then insomnia settles in and odd things begin to happen. A simple act sets off a chain reaction of events that force Jessie to question not only who she is, but everything she knows. Kubica has a knack for writing books that hurl a lot at you. While Jessie's story in itself is compelling you have her mother's journal adding other layers to the story and there comes a point where you really think you have it all figured out, but then you suddenly realize you were wrong. There are clues sprinkled throughout the story but they don't all fall into place until the end. It's a novel that keeps you guessing until the very last page. When The Lights Go Out seems like your normal, average suspense thriller, but Kubica is not the type of writer who seems content to be just average. While some may find the book frustrating, and a little pissed off at the end, I found it well written and layered in so much mystery I needed to finish it just to see if I was right. Once in a while, you read a book that unwinds slowly while adding other layers to the story to keep you invested. It's the type of suspense novel that shows that you can try something new and if done correctly it pays off well.
You begin to see the world through Jessie's sleep deprived eyes. Because she fell asleep, she missed saying goodbye to her mother. The body begins to break down, the brain though still functions. Is Jessie suffering from the effects of her insomnia or is there something else going on? The idea that a mother would hide something from a child is only half the story. Where did Jessie come from? Who is her father? This is the glue that holds Kubica's book together. She has a knack for keeping the reader guessing, of allowing the book to slowly evolve until you find yourself unable to stop reading. Sure, the ending here ties everything together, but getting there is the fun part. What parts are the most important? I enjoyed the journal just as much as I enjoyed Jessie's story. This is someone who is suffering from grief and slowly losing their mind and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. The simple reality here is that the lack of sleep is affecting her mind, it's causing her to see things that aren't there. to hear things that aren't there. The interesting thing is that once you reach the end you see again that these are clues to how things will end and even why things are progressing the way they are.
Yeah, there are a lot of people who hate this book, but I'm not one of them. I like stories like this. It's an engrossing read that instantly became a favorite. Kubica is a writer I like a lot because she doesn't write simple books. There's always some deeper meaning, some odd plot twist that so many other writers fail at. Is the hate justified? It all depends on what you read and what you expect from a book. Is this a plausible story? It is. Elements of it could happen, and the thing that infuriates people is the way it all ends. There's a disappointment there that makes sense, but it's a great story and one that I instantly loved. As a fan, I like that she's still churning out great fiction, and I look forward to reading more of her work
When Jessie's mother suddenly dies of cancer strange things begin to happen and then insomnia settles in and odd things begin to happen. A simple act sets off a chain reaction of events that force Jessie to question not only who she is, but everything she knows. Kubica has a knack for writing books that hurl a lot at you. While Jessie's story in itself is compelling you have her mother's journal adding other layers to the story and there comes a point where you really think you have it all figured out, but then you suddenly realize you were wrong. There are clues sprinkled throughout the story but they don't all fall into place until the end. It's a novel that keeps you guessing until the very last page. When The Lights Go Out seems like your normal, average suspense thriller, but Kubica is not the type of writer who seems content to be just average. While some may find the book frustrating, and a little pissed off at the end, I found it well written and layered in so much mystery I needed to finish it just to see if I was right. Once in a while, you read a book that unwinds slowly while adding other layers to the story to keep you invested. It's the type of suspense novel that shows that you can try something new and if done correctly it pays off well.
You begin to see the world through Jessie's sleep deprived eyes. Because she fell asleep, she missed saying goodbye to her mother. The body begins to break down, the brain though still functions. Is Jessie suffering from the effects of her insomnia or is there something else going on? The idea that a mother would hide something from a child is only half the story. Where did Jessie come from? Who is her father? This is the glue that holds Kubica's book together. She has a knack for keeping the reader guessing, of allowing the book to slowly evolve until you find yourself unable to stop reading. Sure, the ending here ties everything together, but getting there is the fun part. What parts are the most important? I enjoyed the journal just as much as I enjoyed Jessie's story. This is someone who is suffering from grief and slowly losing their mind and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. The simple reality here is that the lack of sleep is affecting her mind, it's causing her to see things that aren't there. to hear things that aren't there. The interesting thing is that once you reach the end you see again that these are clues to how things will end and even why things are progressing the way they are.
Yeah, there are a lot of people who hate this book, but I'm not one of them. I like stories like this. It's an engrossing read that instantly became a favorite. Kubica is a writer I like a lot because she doesn't write simple books. There's always some deeper meaning, some odd plot twist that so many other writers fail at. Is the hate justified? It all depends on what you read and what you expect from a book. Is this a plausible story? It is. Elements of it could happen, and the thing that infuriates people is the way it all ends. There's a disappointment there that makes sense, but it's a great story and one that I instantly loved. As a fan, I like that she's still churning out great fiction, and I look forward to reading more of her work
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