Book Review: Northshore, Vol. 1 by Sheri Tepper

[kilroy]

The tl;dr version of this is "meh."

The book introduces new characters every ten pages, many of whom fade from importance in another ten, none of whom we care about even if they do stick around. The plot is much the same; massive threads introduced in single paragraphs and then forgotten. I feel like this is the kit from which I could construct a trilogy, not a novel in its own right. If the book came with "some assembly required" as a warning on the front, that would be about right. Or possibly "Bring Your Own Narrative Thread."

But that's not all there is to dislike. The main character is broken and eventually mad. The author's problems with organized religion are manifest and ugly but weakly told. There's unnecessary interspecies sex and torture.

And this is all setup. It's just a lousy, roundabout way to introduce all the pieces of clockwork that will fit together for the real story in volume two. I think the necessary plot points of the first book could be summed up in maybe three sentences. Which would have suited me better.



Print date: 1987 (60s: 1, 80s: 1, 00s: 1)
Page count: 240 (1496 total)

Verdict: Skip Volume 2 and give both away.

Next book due: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, 2/17/10