Literary Scene | Three New Books of Fantasy and Wonder

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | August 2022

Acts of Violet

by Margarita Montimore • (Flatiron Books, July 2022)

The Las Vegas magician Violet Volk vanished for good in the middle of her famous disappearing act and hasn’t been seen since. A decade later, people remain intrigued by her disappearance, but no one more so than Cameron Frank who wants to unlock that mystery for his podcast audience. All he has to do is get Violet’s family to play along, but that’s not going to be easy since Violet and her sister (Sasha) had a tumultuous relationship. Plus, Quinn—Sasha’s daughter—is doing some investigating on her own.

The story is a mashup of genres—science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, family drama, and more. What I like about it most is the way the story is delivered. We get Cameron’s podcast transcripts, emails from Cameron, letters to Violet from her sister Sasha, articles, a website that claims Violet’s a big phony, etc. It’s a fresh approach that helps the story feel even more authentic than most novels do. 

Ultimately, the book is long and some might find it slow at times, but it’s a layered, unconventional, and interesting story, and if you—like me!—enjoy stories about magic, Acts of Violet is abracadabra good.

**Bonus tip: I listened to part of the audiobook as well and it was exceptionally good. Highly recommended.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
www.montimore.com

Upgrade

by Blake Crouch • (Ballantine Books, July 2022)

With certain books, it’s difficult to write a solid review without spoiling the reading experience, and Blake Crouch’s new science-fiction novel, Upgrade, is one of those. I’ll do what I can to give you just what you need to tell if this is for you.

In the future, the US has banned gene editing. Our main character, Logan Ramsey, works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) to support that mission, but an explosion at work leaves him transformed by a synthetic virus. As a result, he multitasks better, reads better, thinks better, and even needs less sleep. Essentially, he’s been upgraded. But at what cost do these benefits come? The drawbacks are significant, after all. And what has been unknowingly unleashed? Will Logan be the savior of humankind, or will he follow in the footsteps of his mad scientist mother who was notorious?

The science might be a lot for some, though this three-part novel is a rewarding read that provokes readers to think deeply about the possibilities and ramifications of genetic manipulation.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
www.blakecrouch.com

Hooked

by A.C. Wise • (Atria Books, July 2022)

I typically avoid retellings but this one grabbed me despite me not being a big Peter Pan fan. I also avoid jumping into a series in which I haven’t read the previous books (this book is more or less a sequel to Wise’s Wendy, Darling). But once I realized that Hooked is a contemporary feminist spin on a Peter Pan story, I had to give it a shot.

Make no mistake, Hooked is a dark retelling. James (Captain Hook) is roaming London and using opium to mute his pain and suffering. Decades after leaving Neverland, he teams up with Wendy and Jane (Wendy’s daughter) to investigate a strange monster that’s siphoning off the essence of people—including Jane’s own roommate. What they come to realize is that the monster escaped from Neverland so there’s an obligation for them to make matters right.

I’m pleased at how this serves as a redemption arc for Hook and that Peter Pan comes across as cruel to the point of nearly being a villain (which readers saw in full in Wendy, Darling). In terms of the writing, Hooked is also quite beautiful at times, but the story itself is challenging. There are lots of time jumps, setting changes, and points of view. But the story has love—Hook clearly loves Samuel, and the mother-daughter dynamic of Wendy and Jane is handled quite well.

You might want to try Wendy, Darling first to see if Wise’s style works for you. If that novel pleases you, this one surely will as well.

Ryan’s Rating: 3.75 out of 5