An almost entirely SPOILER-FREE REVIEW.
Without a doubt, this one of the best books I’ve read in 2018.
I had seen a lot of excitement around The Electrical Menagerie’s release and I am always constrained when reading a hyped book but this book did more than not disappoint—it carried all my expectations like the crest of a wave as I was immersed in this beautiful story and world. I stayed up far into the wee hours to finish TEM simply because it was impossible to put it down.
THE CHARACTERS.
It’s been a while since I’ve read such well-crafted characters. Every piece of dialogue, every scene—it is all constructed with skill and care. Reeder has true control over her characters and story, and wields her power masterfully.
CARTHAGE. I was overjoyed to find that Sylvester was an older character—age-wise—and I was touched by his childlike personality and his incredibly sad back story. Carthage is the heart of The Electrical Menagerie—a flawed, flinching, damaged heart hiding beneath a cloak of glitter and illusion. It would have been easy for an author to let showy characters like Huxley or quirky ones like Dominic to steal the show, but Carthage remains firmly at the center in all his subtle, gentle beauty—and I gasped and had tears in my eyes as his moving character arc was laid bare.
I could also relate to Sylvester’s physical limitations and pain, and I really appreciated Ms. Reeder’s inclusion of a character that is heroic because of the tenacity they display in their physical weakness. We need more of this in fiction and I really appreciated seeing that in TEM.
HUXLEY. What a treat. A delightful smooth-talking, smooth-walking, smooth-operating genteel salesman. But far from being a one-dimensional charmer, Huxley was fully developed with a heavy dose of thoughtfulness, quirkiness and practicality and had his own poignant arc developing nicely. It was also delightful to find a romance burgeoning for the “sidekick” instead of our main character.
DOMINIC. Oh my heart! That dear, darling little robot! I want to hug his dear head. I am a perfect sap for robot characters, and I was delighted that this character remains a robot. Instead of grasping at humanity, Dominic remains unquestionably a machine. It coincides with my favorite treatment of robots of all time - George Lucas's stipulation that: robots ought to possess a personality, but no soul. And yet there is an incredibly amount of soulfulness in Dominic in his role of observer to the humans around him. I simply cannot express my how enamored I am with this precious little electrical. I squealed, I moaned. I CRIED.
Last of all, this story is built around a buddy story. Oh my goodness people, I will jump through hoops to see a good male buddy story and this book provided an utterly satisfying take on that classic relationship.
THE WORLDBUILDING
Did I mention there are robots? Robots of all kinds?
I’m finding difficulty locating the appropriate superlatives to describe the thrill of Reeder’s world building. The Celestial Isles, the electricals, the circus, the cities. It’s bogglingly interesting and my little steampunk heart was thrilled right down to the ground with how Reeder took steampunk and put an entirely new twist on its settings.
And I mentioned the robots, right?
The Menagerie is one of the main backdrops in this captivating world, and there were several show-stopping moments featuring the Menagerie and I kept wondering each time how Reeder would top the previous act, but each magical performance was airy, joyous and full of wonder.
And did I mention there are robots?
One especial world building highlight for me was the isle that was based on the Deep South—I wouldn’t have thought of using the South as a cultural basis for one of the Isles and I thought that was really clever.
THE STORY
Rollicking, thoughtful, heartfelt, thrilling, introspective, gentle and breezy – it’s all here, fine details etched against a background of spectacle. The plot kept developing in ways I didn’t expect and held my attention for every page. There was one point involving Dominic that had me shrieking and moaning that I can’t relate here because of spoilers.
STYLE
Clear and smooth and, I think, written like a man . . . and in my book that is one of the highest compliments. Her style does not contain the over-emotionalized tone that can often hamper female writers. She writes male characters and their banter with refreshing straightforwardness and her background in show business also stamps the book with a tough realism as technical detail sprinkle the pages.
QUIBBLES
The only character I didn’t care for was Andromeda. She honestly felt like a character I’ve seen a lot and was a tad annoying.
The finale felt a little rushed. After such an incredible build-up, I expected a bit more spectacle for the final action sequence and a bit more development for the surprise character at the end.
SUMMARIZATION
So many authors (specifically Christian ones) are hampered by forcing morals into their stories when the stories themselves are not as strong as they could be—like focusing on the paint when there is structural damage. Consequently, the moral itself falls flat.
But Reeder rises above that pitfall. Her faith seeps through the story’s exceptional craftsmanship. There is nothing sloppy here; it bears the mark of a dedicated artisan. The plot and the arcs resonate with truth without Reeder having to over enunciate the lessons or her faith. Nothing is bludgeoned, nothing is marred.
“The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature.” C.S. Lewis
“We needn’t all write patently moral or theological work. Indeed, work whose Christianity is latent may do quite as much good and may reach some whom the more obvious religious work would scare away. The first business of a story is to be a good story. When Our Lord made a wheel in the carpenter shop, depend upon it: It was first and foremost a good wheel. A good story which will give innocent pleasure is a good thing, just like cooking a good nourishing meal.” C.S. Lewis
I was nourished by The Electrical Menagerie. I have read an abundance of books this year, but the stellar have been few and far between, and that search for the exceptional was satisfied in TEM.
First and foremost, it is a good wheel – as attractive as a warm fire, as flavorful as a nourishing soup – and I enjoyed every single bite.
Reeder has touched upon the key that every author should know – that an author’s primary goal is to entertain . . . and Reeder does more than entertain—she enchants.
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Reviews with images
A lovely twist on steam, I mean Electrical Punk (and stardust)! :)
So I'm half way though the book thinking, "Wow, this is really a fun read! No long dialog to push through, no hurry to find out what happens next, (my problem with really long fights), I'm really enjoying this read!" Great clean, exciting, suspenseful, adventuress, and so creative!I met the author at a convention and really enjoyed talking with her. She told me about the book and it seemed really interesting but one never knows until you actually read it. And now that I have, I'm hooked! can't wait for the next one. And Mollie, if your reading this. I now really want a deck of cards! :) (see the pic, he found a home)
