Book 31 - Sparkless

Title: The Island of Excess Love

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Genre: YA sci-fi/fantasy

I am SO disappointed in this book. Oh man. "Okay," I thought when I first started, "just have to get into it, get into the groove. It'll pick up - Block never disappoints."

But let me tell you: it did not pick up. And, apparently, Block does disappoint.

I'm extra salty because pretty much everything else I've read by Francesca Lia Block has rocked my goddamn world. Her stream-of-consciousness writing is (typically) this incredible portal into a candy-coloured, neon-lit, magical version of LA where art comes alive, weirdness is encouraged and embraced, and the horrors of the world are all living right under your skin.

THIS book, though, lacked all that sparkle. Maybe she's trying something new, trying something more linear and structured instead of her typical dizzying, almost psychedelic, explorations into intriguing characters...well, I do not like it. Everything falls flat for me - it just seems like the usual words, the usual wealth of imaginative language, is lost to her, was a struggle to tease out. Maybe it's because the premise was inspired by mythology; whatever the case, nothing felt new.

Block, I love you, but this one is not for me. Now excuse me while I revisit my battered copy of Dangerous Angels.

Rating: 🍓🍓