I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
A flawed heroine makes for a good character study. Tragic backstories, ill decisions, they can all work in tandem to make a protagonist believable. Except when they don’t. Since I am in Switzerland now, I think I will quote Paracelsus: “All things are poison…only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” That’s the problem with Red, the protagonist, and this book “The Name of Red,” by Beena Khan . Too much of everything, has made the story a poison pill.
Our titular character has experienced quite a bit of tragedy. So has her simpatico (and most of the supporting cast). Through their love of books, and shared pain they slowly come together in friendship. And, maybe more.
That’s pretty much it. Normally I expand this section out to dig a bit deeper into the plot, but this one is a shake-n-bake, one and done
The book is rather simplistic, but it isn’t all bad. Khan has some wonderful, if inconsistent prose, scattered throughout. The opening chapters can really set the mood. Lord knows I love rain – when used correctly – to frame the background. Her use of descriptions is immersive, and there is some real potential here.
Unfortunately, the prose is often ruined by stilted dialogue. And the angst, initially appearing only to flavor the story, never ends. Tragedy after tragedy. Bad decision after bad decision. Theme repetition. Plot that ambles along like a starving zombie – never ending. In the end I wasn’t rooting for the characters to succeed, because they were unlikable, but rather for someone to come along and do what’s right: put the whole thing down like Old Yeller.
Beena Khan’s book is a nice effort, but still misses the mark. The first couple of chapters could have been saved and pulled off for what would have made a lovely short story. However, the rest of it? To put it bluntly, I think this book will make many readers see red.
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