BLOOD MARK
(PSYCHOLOGICAL URBAN FANTASY)
WRITTEN BY J. P MCLEAN
WHAT THIS BOOK DOES WELL: There are few books that introduce readers to a familiar world in an unfamiliar way, all while defining the characters in that world so well, and telling different sides of the same story, Not as well as this one has at least. Even in the predictable, the tension, the chess game being played, and turn on a dime blistering action that ratchets up and intensifies even through dialogue-driven moments not only keep you glued to and subsequently turning the page but plays almost like a scorecard/ This reveal leads to this reveal, check. This person is this person, check. So on and so forth. The attention to detail down to the very nature of why the details even shift is what makes this story vivid, powerful, and cinematic. Author McLean really has a sense of how to draw from POV and climb into several headspaces not ever losing the reader and with that just leave enough breadcrumbs to make sure the exterior bends that happens in the story itself align and reveal so much more when the time comes to do just that. Leaning on the settings so cleverly allows a lot of what we experience as readers to go along for the ride or at least keep tabs on what bits we are given beyond the character's scope and hope we are rewarded for that investment; Spoiler Alert: We are. All that being said McLean never loses focus and in those rare quiet moments, she is able to throw in something that piques interest, foreshadows, or dances around not just in your head, but the characters' as well, to bank for future callbacks. This clever, engaging, and very well thought out, executed, and all that leads to it being my #3 pick for Indie Book of 2021.
WHY YOU SHOULD CHAMPION IT: If you don't get hooked in the very first scene, I almost would say to you, check your pulse, you might not be breathing actually. Really though for anybody who is looking at doing multiple POVs in their own writing or are just a reader who needs that stimulus and hasn't found one that does it right yet, here it is. If you are writing though and wanting to know how to work from within while keeping a story on track, this is one of those books I think would serve you well to absorb. I also think if you are a clever reader, even if you are like me and figure everything out right away, you aren't put off by that so you can appreciate a great story, this might become one of your favorites. It is really on par intellectually with clever stories like The Usual Suspects and Gone Girl. It still also stimulates all the emotional rollercoaster turns and thought processes that lead to just enjoying a story too. After a while, you even start to go back and look at the most minute of details just to see if it gets covered or makes sense. If that sounds like fun to you, then I think this is the book you have to read.
YOU CAN GET THIS BOOK HERE
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