The Wheels Come Off: When Fiction Fails to Deliver

The latest crop of new releases has critics abuzz, but beneath the surface lies a more complex issue: what happens when fiction falls short of expectations? This week’s batch of books promises much, from sweeping historical epics to genre-bending fantasies. Yet, as we explore these novels, it becomes clear that some have hit the skids.

A Real Animal: Where Victimhood Meets Agency

Emeline Atwood’s A Real Animal stands out for its searing portrayal of a young woman struggling to reclaim her agency after being raped. The novel tackles the rarely-explored theme of how sexual assault can warp love and desire, creating a protagonist that’s both deeply vulnerable and refreshingly human. Atwood’s refusal to flatten Lucy into a one-dimensional victim makes for a compelling read.

In contrast, Vikas Swarup’s The Girl with the Seven Lives feels like a rehashing of familiar themes. While it tackles cultural appropriation and power imbalance, the narrative is engaging enough but fails to challenge readers or offer anything new. It’s as if Swarup has taken all the lessons from his earlier work, Q&A, and applied them in a way that feels predictable.

The Problem with Reinvention

Victoria Hannan’s I Love the Whole World! raises questions about its own purpose. Ostensibly a self-discovery story, it relies on an improbable plot device to guide its protagonist, Leslie McDonald. The book wears its optimism lightly, but beneath the surface lies a more nuanced message: freedom comes from liberating oneself from limiting expectations.

However, Hannan’s character, Leslie, is no radical reinvention; she’s a middle-aged woman who finds her way by entering competitions and winning a holiday to Las Vegas. This feels like a jaded satire that takes the easy route rather than genuinely attempting subversion.

The Gothic Genre: A Mixed Bag

Jess Kidd’s Little Spark suffers from a different problem altogether. Set in a steampunk-inspired Victorian England, it has all the makings of a fascinating gothic tale – but fails to deliver. Kidd’s world-building is imaginative, but her narrative craft leaves much to be desired. The pacing is slow, and revelations are ill-timed, making for a slog that even genre fans may find difficult to navigate.

The Changeling: A Period Fantasy Romance

Kate Forsyth’s The Changeling, on the other hand, is a more confident entry into the world of period fantasy romance. Draped in Celtic folklore, it introduces a mortal heroine bound by deep ties to the mystical world of the fey. Caiti NicNeven is a faery princess, and her mother plots to use her as an instrument of vengeance against the Scottish kingdom that usurped their sovereignty long ago.

While The Changeling has its flaws – the pacing can be uneven at times – it’s clear Forsyth has done her research. Her world-building is meticulous, and Caiti’s journey is compelling enough to carry readers through even the more trying sections of the book.

This week’s crop of new releases highlights the ongoing struggle between expectation and reality in fiction. Some books deliver on their promises, while others fall short. But what does this say about our reading habits? Are we too quick to judge, or do we demand more from our novels than they can possibly provide? The wheels may have come off for some of these stories, but that doesn’t mean the journey wasn’t worth taking.