I listened to 57% of this audiobook and at the point I quit, no mystery had yet appeared and no crime committed--except the addictive thievery of the incessantly self-absorbed junkie posing as a main character. And I just don't care. I'm out. ( )

Despite a slow-moving narrative and a very unlikable protagonist, Generation Loss ultimately succeeds in telling a harrowing story of a journey into the darkness of a Maine Winter and the human soul. Probably not on the recommended list of books from the Maine Chamber of Commerce, but the cast of characters comes to life as the book proceeds. Like all of us, there is still much hidden, however, but through her own darkness, the protagonist understands better than any of the natives what is going on. This is a book that name drops ceaselessly, photographers, musicians, you name it. But it is a much deeper and more satisfying book than the other novel of hers that I have read, Wylding Hall.

Audiobook narrator Carol Monda is fabulous, as always. I could listen to her voice every waking hour. ( )

CW: Brutal rape, alcohol, drugs, death

4.5 Stars

I see you

Well of course this won the first ever Shirley Jackson award!

I loved the gothic elements that created quite a creepy and atmospheric read. Cass is a washed up photographer whose penchant for drugs and alcohol after the loss of her lover, Christine, make her a damaged and disturbed main character. Her obsession with death as the main subject in her artwork makes us as Readers feel quite uneasy about her from the beginning.

It is important to know that this is a slow burn which was crucial in order for the layers of Cass’ character to be peeled back to reveal the dark truth of her. So for some it will feel like the story is kind of meandering along until ‘the good bits’. But seriously, you have to get to the point where you are unsure what choices she will make when confronted with a darkness greater than the one inside her.

The writing is so good and the clever weaving in of symbols and imagery throughout creates an increasingly ominous feeling as the novel progresses.

You and me, we carry the dead on our backs.

Thank you Fiona for your great review that drew this book to my attention. I thought it was incredible. ( )

http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2016-05.html#hand ( )

The sense of building dread provided enough suspense to keep me going despite the fact that this book has one of the least likable narrators I've come across. The Maine setting and focus on photography were also pluses. Anyone with substance abuse triggers should probably stay away... the main character is popping pills and drinking way too much throughout. I think we're supposed to see this as fallout from a personal trauma in her youth, but... she was doing all that before the trauma, too. Not sure if I want to check out the other books in this series or not. Maybe? She might have learned something by the end. It's hard to say. ( )