Sandwich Joe
I went into Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman with high expectations. Given the current political climate, the premise felt timely, maybe even urgent. I was so excited for a bold, thought-provoking narrative that held a mirror to our current reality. What I got instead was... disappointing.
The writing style just doesn't work for me. It feels overwrought and lacking the kind of rhythm or subtlety I usually look for in speculative or politically-charged fiction. The characters are thinly drawn, more like mouthpieces for ideas than fully realized people. As a result, I struggled to feel any emotional connection or investment in their storylines.
And while the book clearly has something to say, it delivers its message with the subtlety of a bullhorn. I don't mind fiction that is clear, bold, and political, but this feels like an odd sermon rather than a story. Combine that with a plot that treads familiar ground without offering much new insight, and the novel doesn't land for me.
That said, I did enjoy the disturbing horror elements. Chapman knows how to unsettle, and there were moments that genuinely creeped me out in a good way. I just wish those strong horror beats had been anchored in a more nuanced story.
I wanted to love this book. I really did. But ultimately, it left me more frustrated than inspired.
I went into Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman with high expectations. Given the current political climate, the premise felt timely, maybe even urgent. I was so excited for a bold, thought-provoking narrative that held a mirror to our current reality. What I got instead was... disappointing.
The writing style just doesn't work for me. It feels overwrought and lacking the kind of rhythm or subtlety I usually look for in speculative or politically-charged fiction. The characters are thinly drawn, more like mouthpieces for ideas than fully realized people. As a result, I struggled to feel any emotional connection or investment in their storylines.
And while the book clearly has something to say, it delivers its message with the subtlety of a bullhorn. I don't mind fiction that is clear, bold, and political, but this feels like an odd sermon rather than a story. Combine that with a plot that treads familiar ground without offering much new insight, and the novel doesn't land for me.
That said, I did enjoy the disturbing horror elements. Chapman knows how to unsettle, and there were moments that genuinely creeped me out in a good way. I just wish those strong horror beats had been anchored in a more nuanced story.
I wanted to love this book. I really did. But ultimately, it left me more frustrated than inspired.