{"id":105,"date":"2015-11-27T12:56:08","date_gmt":"2015-11-27T17:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durkota.net\/?p=105"},"modified":"2015-11-27T14:41:51","modified_gmt":"2015-11-27T19:41:51","slug":"book-review-chemicals-by-erica-crockett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durkota.net\/?p=105","title":{"rendered":"Book review: Chemicals by Erica Crockett"},"content":{"rendered":"

I generally juggle two or three titles from my reading list at any given time. That was not possible with Chemicals<\/em>; this novel demanded my full attention. This novel reminded me how much I hate that stories must have endings. Especially great stories. Especially stories filled with rich and vivid characters such as those created by Erica Crockett. I missed them immediately, even the evil ones. I wanted to keep reading.
\n\"chemicals\"<\/a>
\nChemicals<\/em> is certainly a deftly articulated social commentary that is hauntingly prophetic. But I was impressed with the writing itself. I am a fan of writing as a craft. I am sometimes insanely jealous of great writing. The latter applied for Chemicals. I was captivated by the narrative. It\u2019s one thing to create some complex characters and tell a great story. It\u2019s far more difficult to do that using a third person, attached narrator in the present tense. Erica overcame the restrictions of that single point of view by delivering evocative dialogue, careful plotting, and a strategic use of time to develop the characters and move the story. The immediacy was powerful and effective. A writerly triumph indeed. Chemicals<\/em> was also filled with sentences I wish I had written. To list a few\u2026<\/p>\n