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Beneath the Rising
Nick Prasad has always enjoyed a quiet life in the shadow of his best friend, child prodigy and technological genius Joanna Johnny Chambers.
But all that is about to end. When Johnny invents a clean reactor that could eliminate fossil fuels and change the world, she awakens primal, evil Ancient Ones set on subjugating humanity.
From the oldest library in the world to the ruins of Nineveh, hunted at every turn, they will need to trust each other completely to survive
All the Birds in the Sky meets Lovecraft Country in this whimsical coming-of-age story about two kids in the middle of a war of eldritch horrors from outside spacetime.
But all that is about to end. When Johnny invents a clean reactor that could eliminate fossil fuels and change the world, she awakens primal, evil Ancient Ones set on subjugating humanity.
From the oldest library in the world to the ruins of Nineveh, hunted at every turn, they will need to trust each other completely to survive
All the Birds in the Sky meets Lovecraft Country in this whimsical coming-of-age story about two kids in the middle of a war of eldritch horrors from outside spacetime.
462 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
224 people are currently reading
6070 people want to read
About the author
Premee Mohamed
79 books725 followersPremee Mohamed is a Nebula award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is an Assistant Editor at the short fiction audio venue Escape Pod and the author of the 'Beneath the Rising' series of novels as well as several novellas. Her short fiction has appeared in many venues and she can be found on Twitter at @premeesaurus and on her website at www.premeemohamed.com.
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May 18, 2020A deeply weird and exceedingly involving SFF tale of a young supergenius (Johnny, a girl) and her very ordinary best friend Nick. Johnny invents a machine that creates free non-polluting energy, and in the process breaks reality, letting Lovecraftian Things from outside start sidling into the universe in a terrifying way. As Johnny and Nick race to put things right, lots of truths start slithering out from under the rocks.
I loved this. It's really weird, but it's absolutely centred on humanity--people and character, love and friendship and hate and betrayal and how people use each other even while they love each other. There's a very short scene where Nick is being berated by his mother that's honestly as scary and disturbing as the horrific alien attack things, just differently. The wild ancient knowledge/elder gods stuff is very deeply grounded in a story about two friends struggling with what friendship and love really means to them both, and that gives the book its depth and reality and emotion. Extraordinary, and terrifically written.
I loved this. It's really weird, but it's absolutely centred on humanity--people and character, love and friendship and hate and betrayal and how people use each other even while they love each other. There's a very short scene where Nick is being berated by his mother that's honestly as scary and disturbing as the horrific alien attack things, just differently. The wild ancient knowledge/elder gods stuff is very deeply grounded in a story about two friends struggling with what friendship and love really means to them both, and that gives the book its depth and reality and emotion. Extraordinary, and terrifically written.
May 15, 2022
3.5 Stars - Video Review: https://youtu.be/qdAF9eb6ht0
This was an incredibly unique speculative fiction novel that blended together elements of horror, science fiction and fantasy.
At its core, this is the story of a deep relationship between two lifelong friends. This was easily the best aspect of the novel. I loved reading about the friendship between Johnny & Nicky, which felt very authentic.
Another fantastic element of the story was the focus on wealth and race. This story explored the discrepancy of status and privilege of the two characters. Frequently, we saw the advantages that Johnny unknowingly enjoyed while Nicky had to overcome so many obstacles related to his income level and ethnic background. This book really spoke to the inequality that,sadly, very much still exists in our modern times.
This book was a horror novel in the more literary sense of the word. In terms of tone, this book was not really creepy, but rather used the horror elements to move the narrative forward. The horror within this book is rather fanstatical, or cosmic, which is not my personal favourite.
The challenge of this novel comes with the believability of the plot, which required A LOT of suspension of disbelief. Compared to other speculative fiction I have read, this one really stretched me. The main issue was that, in order for the story to progress, the characters and readers needed to understand and accept the fantastical elements in a short period of time. As a result, the genius character immediately jumped to certain conclusions, which were then immediately accepted as truth without being tested. The narrative just felt rushed, which made it hard for me to fully buy into the premise.
So while this was not a perfect book for me, I still very much enjoyed aspects of it. Given its unique nature, I would strongly encourage readers to try it for themselves. If you are looking for a diverse, genre-bending story featuring a strong friendship, then you should consider picking up Beneath the Rising.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Rebellion Publishing.
This was an incredibly unique speculative fiction novel that blended together elements of horror, science fiction and fantasy.
At its core, this is the story of a deep relationship between two lifelong friends. This was easily the best aspect of the novel. I loved reading about the friendship between Johnny & Nicky, which felt very authentic.
Another fantastic element of the story was the focus on wealth and race. This story explored the discrepancy of status and privilege of the two characters. Frequently, we saw the advantages that Johnny unknowingly enjoyed while Nicky had to overcome so many obstacles related to his income level and ethnic background. This book really spoke to the inequality that,sadly, very much still exists in our modern times.
This book was a horror novel in the more literary sense of the word. In terms of tone, this book was not really creepy, but rather used the horror elements to move the narrative forward. The horror within this book is rather fanstatical, or cosmic, which is not my personal favourite.
The challenge of this novel comes with the believability of the plot, which required A LOT of suspension of disbelief. Compared to other speculative fiction I have read, this one really stretched me. The main issue was that, in order for the story to progress, the characters and readers needed to understand and accept the fantastical elements in a short period of time. As a result, the genius character immediately jumped to certain conclusions, which were then immediately accepted as truth without being tested. The narrative just felt rushed, which made it hard for me to fully buy into the premise.
So while this was not a perfect book for me, I still very much enjoyed aspects of it. Given its unique nature, I would strongly encourage readers to try it for themselves. If you are looking for a diverse, genre-bending story featuring a strong friendship, then you should consider picking up Beneath the Rising.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Rebellion Publishing.
October 26, 2019
I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this delightful novel about a teenager named Nicky Prasad, and his supergenius best friend, Joanna "Johnny" Chambers. Johnny has invented tons of technologies and scientific breakthroughs that have transformed the world for the better, in this alternate version of the early 2000s --- but when Johnny invents a perfectly clean reactor the size of a shoe box, which can provide nearly limitless power, she accidentally summons some ancient elder gods who want the reactor for themselves. Oh, and also the ancient elder gods want to enslave humanity.
That's the set-up for a novel that goes in lots of directions that I never expected, and is full of surprises and reversals and twists that complicate the above narrative. Beneath the Rising is one of those wonderful books that keeps peeling back layers, not of some cosmic mystery, but of its two main characters. Nicky and Johnny end up being much more complex and ambiguous than they appear at the start of this book, and every reveal is gasp-out-loud astonishing. Beneath the Rising is the kind of book that keeps you guessing, and yet makes you crave each new reversal, like another hit of narrative delirium.
But also, did I mention mad science? Elder gods? Eldritch magic? Chases and escapes and resourcefulness and clever banter and poetry and traps and ancient tombs? Premee Mohamed packs so much fun and neat ideas and fascinating settings into Beneath the Rising. But the best part is still the two main characters and their evolving, unspooling relationship at what might just be the end of the world. Definitely check out this super fun genre-warping novel.
That's the set-up for a novel that goes in lots of directions that I never expected, and is full of surprises and reversals and twists that complicate the above narrative. Beneath the Rising is one of those wonderful books that keeps peeling back layers, not of some cosmic mystery, but of its two main characters. Nicky and Johnny end up being much more complex and ambiguous than they appear at the start of this book, and every reveal is gasp-out-loud astonishing. Beneath the Rising is the kind of book that keeps you guessing, and yet makes you crave each new reversal, like another hit of narrative delirium.
But also, did I mention mad science? Elder gods? Eldritch magic? Chases and escapes and resourcefulness and clever banter and poetry and traps and ancient tombs? Premee Mohamed packs so much fun and neat ideas and fascinating settings into Beneath the Rising. But the best part is still the two main characters and their evolving, unspooling relationship at what might just be the end of the world. Definitely check out this super fun genre-warping novel.
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February 10, 2020DNF @ 34%
Okay i'm sorry i lost interest in this book and it was taking me way too long to finish even with the promising start and premise.
And the fact that it said Morocco is in the middle east took me out of the story sooo fast and was the last thing i needed to convince me to put the book down.
It was really intriguing at first and there are so many good concepts put in it and things i've never seen explored before which might have kept me reading but it all requires huge amounts of research and if the book gets something you can get right with a google search wrong then I can't help but question the authenticity and veracity of everything else in it.
Okay i'm sorry i lost interest in this book and it was taking me way too long to finish even with the promising start and premise.
And the fact that it said Morocco is in the middle east took me out of the story sooo fast and was the last thing i needed to convince me to put the book down.
It was really intriguing at first and there are so many good concepts put in it and things i've never seen explored before which might have kept me reading but it all requires huge amounts of research and if the book gets something you can get right with a google search wrong then I can't help but question the authenticity and veracity of everything else in it.
March 4, 2020
Premee Mohamed’s globe-trotting sci-fantasy cosmic horror alt-history adventure debut doesn’t exactly shatter genre conventions as much as pants them and run away giggling. The novel has a kind of nervous energy that is both puckish and disarming, like a court jester whose council the king values.
Beneath the Rising begins in Alberta, Canada, not long after the September 11, 2001 hijackers failed to bring down the World Trade Center in New York. Many of the world's biggest problems have already been solved—or soon will be—thanks to teenaged super-genius Joanna “Johnny” Chambers, a multi-billionaire who has been making earth-shaking scientific breakthroughs since the age of four: rewriting the laws of physics, curing every illness from HIV to Alzheimer’s, etc., and who now has her sights set on renewable energy. You would think this gender-reversed take on the “boy genius” trope would be the hero of the novel, but that burden rests on the shoulders of Johnny’s long-suffering, distressingly ordinary best pal Nick Prasad, who also narrates. Soon after Johnny shares her latest triumph with Nick, an extra-dimensional eldritch terror called Drozanoth harasses and tries to threaten Nick into handing over Johnny’s newest invention. Johnny already knows exactly what Drozanoth is, where it comes from and what it wants. With their families’ lives and the world’s survival at stake, Johnny drags the hapless Nick into a world of international conspiracies and secret societies, Ancient Ones and Elder Gods, as the two teenagers search for a way to stop unimaginable evil from overrunning the Earth.
Despite being a little plot-heavy at times, Beneath the Rising is an attention grabbing romp that separates itself from the pack with its brisk pace, acerbic humor and fiendish world-building. Mohamed exploits the contrasts between the two lead characters to great comedic and dramatic effect. Johnny—white, pretty, blonde, rich and absurdly good at everything—can’t help but take the lovelorn, otherwise friendless Nick for granted. For his own part, Nick must tamp his pride down and keep his unrequited feelings in check just to hang on to her coattails, but he’s also self-aware enough to question the wisdom of his devotion. Mohamed never lets us forget that these differences matter: conflicts born of class, gender and race periodically bubble to the surface in the tension between them.
Sometimes I felt the novel was too narrowly focused on Nick and Johnny, leaving secondary characters to serve as little more than props and obstacles. But overall, Beneath the Rising is way too imaginative and way too much fun to miss.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Solaris books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Beneath the Rising begins in Alberta, Canada, not long after the September 11, 2001 hijackers failed to bring down the World Trade Center in New York. Many of the world's biggest problems have already been solved—or soon will be—thanks to teenaged super-genius Joanna “Johnny” Chambers, a multi-billionaire who has been making earth-shaking scientific breakthroughs since the age of four: rewriting the laws of physics, curing every illness from HIV to Alzheimer’s, etc., and who now has her sights set on renewable energy. You would think this gender-reversed take on the “boy genius” trope would be the hero of the novel, but that burden rests on the shoulders of Johnny’s long-suffering, distressingly ordinary best pal Nick Prasad, who also narrates. Soon after Johnny shares her latest triumph with Nick, an extra-dimensional eldritch terror called Drozanoth harasses and tries to threaten Nick into handing over Johnny’s newest invention. Johnny already knows exactly what Drozanoth is, where it comes from and what it wants. With their families’ lives and the world’s survival at stake, Johnny drags the hapless Nick into a world of international conspiracies and secret societies, Ancient Ones and Elder Gods, as the two teenagers search for a way to stop unimaginable evil from overrunning the Earth.
Despite being a little plot-heavy at times, Beneath the Rising is an attention grabbing romp that separates itself from the pack with its brisk pace, acerbic humor and fiendish world-building. Mohamed exploits the contrasts between the two lead characters to great comedic and dramatic effect. Johnny—white, pretty, blonde, rich and absurdly good at everything—can’t help but take the lovelorn, otherwise friendless Nick for granted. For his own part, Nick must tamp his pride down and keep his unrequited feelings in check just to hang on to her coattails, but he’s also self-aware enough to question the wisdom of his devotion. Mohamed never lets us forget that these differences matter: conflicts born of class, gender and race periodically bubble to the surface in the tension between them.
Sometimes I felt the novel was too narrowly focused on Nick and Johnny, leaving secondary characters to serve as little more than props and obstacles. But overall, Beneath the Rising is way too imaginative and way too much fun to miss.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Solaris books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
April 22, 2025
A mediocre outing combining young adult urban fantasy with eldritch cosmic horror. The plot is good but lacks in its execution while the writing is okay but boring.
December 15, 2022
The blurb promised me wonders beyond my wildest imagination: … All the Birds in the Sky meets Lovecraft Country in this whimsical coming-of-age story about two kids in the middle of a war of eldritch horrors from outside spacetime…
What I got instead was a book, and characters, that I failed to connect with. I was stoked about the eldritch horror angle, wanting to see what how teenaged besties might take on the Elder Gods. But it didn't click with me - maybe I'm just too old for penguin-print panties (nah!) and jokes about pimples, but these two didn't cut it for me when they took on cosmic horrors. I also found the explanations for Johnny's genius, her corrupt bargain, as pretty hard to swallow. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming large sections of this book until I got to the end.
I'm not sure if I will continue with the series.
What I got instead was a book, and characters, that I failed to connect with. I was stoked about the eldritch horror angle, wanting to see what how teenaged besties might take on the Elder Gods. But it didn't click with me - maybe I'm just too old for penguin-print panties (nah!) and jokes about pimples, but these two didn't cut it for me when they took on cosmic horrors. I also found the explanations for Johnny's genius, her corrupt bargain, as pretty hard to swallow. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming large sections of this book until I got to the end.
I'm not sure if I will continue with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 23, 2020DNF @36.%.
I have really embraced the DNF this year. This is not a bad book. I just wasn’t enjoying it and there are just too many books out there that I could totally love to push through reading one I don’t care about.
I have really embraced the DNF this year. This is not a bad book. I just wasn’t enjoying it and there are just too many books out there that I could totally love to push through reading one I don’t care about.
March 23, 2021
2 stars, a promising premise that devolves into a bit of a mess
Young girl gets genius level intellect from ancient Lovecraftian creatures and sets about using her genius to invent new science to fight these Ancient Ones to save the world. That's a premise that sounds like it could be spun out into any number of interesting story from a creeping cosmic horror to a lighthearted action adventure. The problem with Beneath the Rising is that it wants to tell all of those stories all at once and consequently the tone cartwheels from horror to screwball comedy to lighthearted coming of age melodrama to action chases sometimes all within the same chapter. There's a serious tone problem here but I don't think that's quite the biggest issue.
The biggest issue to me is the dialogue. Main characters Johnny and Nick, while decent characters in concept, have really poor banter largely because Johnny is stuck at full tilt exposition in most scenes while Nick makes awkwardly inappropriate comments that are often barely relevant to what's happening. It's a weird dynamic that I kind of get in theory since Nick is in love with Johnny so a certain amount of awkward trying but failing to flirt would make a lot of sense, especially given that they're both teenagers, but that's not how it's executed. Instead it'll be something more like Johnny will explain that they might get arrested and held for interrogation in a foreign country and Nick will say he has to poop. Or Johnny will explain that the Ancient Ones might try to force someone close to her to kill her since they can't kill her themselves and Nick will reply "Exsqueeze me?" It's a painful dynamic that makes Nick seem insanely childish and relegates Johnny to a weird gray zone where she seems more like an elder mentor than a nearly same age love interest that is just not fun to sit through in the way I think it was intended to be. It really does feel half the time like Johnny is a 30 year old single mother lugging around her anxious 5 year old rather than a 17 year old and and 18 year old going on an international journey together.
When the story does settle into a nice groove and picks a single consistent tone to stick with (usually the more horror-based tones work best), I think it chugs along nicely and it's at least decently paced so that it reads quickly. Unfortunately, I think the disappointing elements kinda sink the whole endeavor. Maybe others will find this funnier than I did if cutesy awkward dialogue is less of a dealbreaker in your Lovecraftian horror stories but I wouldn't count on it.
Young girl gets genius level intellect from ancient Lovecraftian creatures and sets about using her genius to invent new science to fight these Ancient Ones to save the world. That's a premise that sounds like it could be spun out into any number of interesting story from a creeping cosmic horror to a lighthearted action adventure. The problem with Beneath the Rising is that it wants to tell all of those stories all at once and consequently the tone cartwheels from horror to screwball comedy to lighthearted coming of age melodrama to action chases sometimes all within the same chapter. There's a serious tone problem here but I don't think that's quite the biggest issue.
The biggest issue to me is the dialogue. Main characters Johnny and Nick, while decent characters in concept, have really poor banter largely because Johnny is stuck at full tilt exposition in most scenes while Nick makes awkwardly inappropriate comments that are often barely relevant to what's happening. It's a weird dynamic that I kind of get in theory since Nick is in love with Johnny so a certain amount of awkward trying but failing to flirt would make a lot of sense, especially given that they're both teenagers, but that's not how it's executed. Instead it'll be something more like Johnny will explain that they might get arrested and held for interrogation in a foreign country and Nick will say he has to poop. Or Johnny will explain that the Ancient Ones might try to force someone close to her to kill her since they can't kill her themselves and Nick will reply "Exsqueeze me?" It's a painful dynamic that makes Nick seem insanely childish and relegates Johnny to a weird gray zone where she seems more like an elder mentor than a nearly same age love interest that is just not fun to sit through in the way I think it was intended to be. It really does feel half the time like Johnny is a 30 year old single mother lugging around her anxious 5 year old rather than a 17 year old and and 18 year old going on an international journey together.
When the story does settle into a nice groove and picks a single consistent tone to stick with (usually the more horror-based tones work best), I think it chugs along nicely and it's at least decently paced so that it reads quickly. Unfortunately, I think the disappointing elements kinda sink the whole endeavor. Maybe others will find this funnier than I did if cutesy awkward dialogue is less of a dealbreaker in your Lovecraftian horror stories but I wouldn't count on it.
July 2, 2020
A brisk, interesting riff on adventure stories and Lovecraftian horror that manages to pull off a number of quite genuine surprises, over the course of its story. The worldbuilding here is rich and fascinating, the characters are likeable, and the plot has a fun, pulpy feel to it without coming off as derivative. This is a fun book. You ought to read it!
April 17, 2024
This sucked.
I attempted to DNF somewhere around 60% it but I had gotten too far into the audiobook to just get an easy credit refund from Audible and I was also too lazy to reach out to customer service so I made the idiotic decision to go ahead and finish this while I was doing chores at home.
This is a young adult book that is being sold as an adult scifi which is completely misleading and annoying. I have almost picked up the first book at the book store multiple times and you can find these in the adult sci-fi section at my Barnes & Noble as well so this is not just how it was listed on Audible. I don't care that the characters are, like 18 and 19 years old, the subject matter is very YA focused which kept the stakes feeling way too low. There was too much focus on the petty drama between the characters and not the literal fight for their lives.
The main character is a Mary Sue, I don't are if she had to bargain for her gifts so there is a reason she is a Mary Sue, reading a perfect character that can just work their way out of each situation with ease IS BORING TO READ. Every author should know this by now, I don't care if Mohamed wrote some stupid caveat to try and convince us that a Mary Sue is ok in this particular instance, it's not! Ever! So annoying. I know that in sci-fi and fantasy we are supposed to suspend out disbelief to a point but the things that our female lead was achieving was just too much. Even a true prodigy would not have dozens of patents in dozens of different areas before the are 18 years old.
The book was set in 2003 but it was published in 2020. Just because your book is set, like 20 years prior doesn't mean that you have to lean on tired tropes that were used by authors in 2003 as well. I had to remined myself multiple times while reading this that it was published within the last several years and not in the early 2000's.
This this was horrible. Don't waste your time. I gotta go now and never think about this book again.
I attempted to DNF somewhere around 60% it but I had gotten too far into the audiobook to just get an easy credit refund from Audible and I was also too lazy to reach out to customer service so I made the idiotic decision to go ahead and finish this while I was doing chores at home.
This is a young adult book that is being sold as an adult scifi which is completely misleading and annoying. I have almost picked up the first book at the book store multiple times and you can find these in the adult sci-fi section at my Barnes & Noble as well so this is not just how it was listed on Audible. I don't care that the characters are, like 18 and 19 years old, the subject matter is very YA focused which kept the stakes feeling way too low. There was too much focus on the petty drama between the characters and not the literal fight for their lives.
The main character is a Mary Sue, I don't are if she had to bargain for her gifts so there is a reason she is a Mary Sue, reading a perfect character that can just work their way out of each situation with ease IS BORING TO READ. Every author should know this by now, I don't care if Mohamed wrote some stupid caveat to try and convince us that a Mary Sue is ok in this particular instance, it's not! Ever! So annoying. I know that in sci-fi and fantasy we are supposed to suspend out disbelief to a point but the things that our female lead was achieving was just too much. Even a true prodigy would not have dozens of patents in dozens of different areas before the are 18 years old.
The book was set in 2003 but it was published in 2020. Just because your book is set, like 20 years prior doesn't mean that you have to lean on tired tropes that were used by authors in 2003 as well. I had to remined myself multiple times while reading this that it was published within the last several years and not in the early 2000's.
This this was horrible. Don't waste your time. I gotta go now and never think about this book again.
November 3, 2021
Flows well enough at the start but as soon as the stakes are set it becomes something like when you humour a friend who wants to recount an incoherent dream they had the night before. Lasting impressions are of unfunny banter, both connection and conflict that don't ring true, mundane money details, Nick's narc-y concerns about whether certain world-saving actions are illegal, his dubious internal dialogue, and getting out of tight spots and battles with gods by magic.
October 9, 2021
Authors sometimes have to adopt a device in their story to set up what they want to do. As if they came up with the ending first and then reverse engineered the story to arrive at that ending. The device serves as the Splenda packets under the wobbly restaurant table leg of the story; not ideal but functional enough. Often the story is good enough to let the reader abide that device.
Other times, it serves as the singular point that I focus on and it's something that is so consuming of my thoughts that it is very difficult to sink into the actual narrative. In this book, the problem for me is the relationship between the two main characters. Since that relationship is what underpins the entire story, it quickly became a big problem.
The issue is the disparity between them. They are teenagers. One of them is a world renowned genius who's invented all manner of miraculous, life-saving things, making a vast fortune in the process. The other lives in poverty with his single mom and three younger siblings, struggles to pay the bills, and works a job where he gets treated like shit. There is some brief notion presented by the author that his family is so proud and would never accept charity. The problem is that anyone with whom I have a relationship similar to what the author suggests these two characters have - some lifelong, filial, soleful connection - I would never let them struggle like this.
I can't imagine a world in which I have endless resources and connections and do absolutely nothing to help someone I care about. I'm not talking about charity. I'm referring to any of the thousands of ways you can help a friend. Likewise I can't imagine a scenario where I am desperately in need or I am struggling to feed my family and I'm too proud to ask my dearest friend for any kind of assistance. Especially if that assistance wouldn't inconvenience my friend in the least.
Neither side of that arrangement makes sense to me and it becomes difficult for me to stay with the story when I resent one character for for supposedly being some thoughtful genius intent on improving the lives of all people of the world and find the other an idiot for not taking the smallest bit of advantage of a resource he has. How am I supposed to believe that these people care about each other? When one won't lift a finger to help the other and the other is too proud to ask for some miniscule help from their friend.
Even more troubling is the fact that he's gaslighting himself the entire book. He's so worthless. He's so stupid. He's lucky she's even willing to be his friend.
She supposedly has the greater concerns of the world in mind, wants to help people and save lives. But she doesn't give a shit about people. She treats her supposed best friend like an accessory. She essentially causes ALL the problems and then thinks it's okay because she kind of fixed some other problems. She is a shitty friend and not even a mildly decent person.
Meanwhile, he puts his own happiness to the side to work his ass off supporting his family and essentially raising his three younger siblings. And yet, as he adamantly proclaims - repeatedly - he's the stupid, worthless, asshole who's dragging her down.
It's also strange to me that reading through a number of the other reviews, people's perception of this relationship is completely opposite to my own. People people think Nick is the problem. The prevailing opinion seems to be that Johnny is a driven, fascinating, well-realized character and Nick is just some mope she is burdened with.
I should have listened to my heart and DNF this.
Other times, it serves as the singular point that I focus on and it's something that is so consuming of my thoughts that it is very difficult to sink into the actual narrative. In this book, the problem for me is the relationship between the two main characters. Since that relationship is what underpins the entire story, it quickly became a big problem.
The issue is the disparity between them. They are teenagers. One of them is a world renowned genius who's invented all manner of miraculous, life-saving things, making a vast fortune in the process. The other lives in poverty with his single mom and three younger siblings, struggles to pay the bills, and works a job where he gets treated like shit. There is some brief notion presented by the author that his family is so proud and would never accept charity. The problem is that anyone with whom I have a relationship similar to what the author suggests these two characters have - some lifelong, filial, soleful connection - I would never let them struggle like this.
I can't imagine a world in which I have endless resources and connections and do absolutely nothing to help someone I care about. I'm not talking about charity. I'm referring to any of the thousands of ways you can help a friend. Likewise I can't imagine a scenario where I am desperately in need or I am struggling to feed my family and I'm too proud to ask my dearest friend for any kind of assistance. Especially if that assistance wouldn't inconvenience my friend in the least.
Neither side of that arrangement makes sense to me and it becomes difficult for me to stay with the story when I resent one character for for supposedly being some thoughtful genius intent on improving the lives of all people of the world and find the other an idiot for not taking the smallest bit of advantage of a resource he has. How am I supposed to believe that these people care about each other? When one won't lift a finger to help the other and the other is too proud to ask for some miniscule help from their friend.
Even more troubling is the fact that he's gaslighting himself the entire book. He's so worthless. He's so stupid. He's lucky she's even willing to be his friend.
She supposedly has the greater concerns of the world in mind, wants to help people and save lives. But she doesn't give a shit about people. She treats her supposed best friend like an accessory. She essentially causes ALL the problems and then thinks it's okay because she kind of fixed some other problems. She is a shitty friend and not even a mildly decent person.
Meanwhile, he puts his own happiness to the side to work his ass off supporting his family and essentially raising his three younger siblings. And yet, as he adamantly proclaims - repeatedly - he's the stupid, worthless, asshole who's dragging her down.
It's also strange to me that reading through a number of the other reviews, people's perception of this relationship is completely opposite to my own. People people think Nick is the problem. The prevailing opinion seems to be that Johnny is a driven, fascinating, well-realized character and Nick is just some mope she is burdened with.
I should have listened to my heart and DNF this.
June 28, 2020
Somewhere between 2.5-3 for me.
This book took me longer to read than normal, and I’m still not exactly sure why. I think overall, I wanted this book to be more about the monsters/gods, but it was strongly focused on a literary exploration of the relationship between the two main characters. Usually that would be fine, I like those kinds of books too, but the relationship between Nick and Johnny was so hot and cold that it was just difficult to read about after a while. The ending gives you an interesting explanation for that, but that revelation doesn’t make the last couple hundred pages retroactively more worthwhile.
This is a good book. It isn’t perfect, but it has some exciting moments, interesting little twists, and some powerful messages about sacrifice, the price of power, and what friendship and love truly mean. It won’t be on any favorites lists, but I’m not mad that I read it.
This book took me longer to read than normal, and I’m still not exactly sure why. I think overall, I wanted this book to be more about the monsters/gods, but it was strongly focused on a literary exploration of the relationship between the two main characters. Usually that would be fine, I like those kinds of books too, but the relationship between Nick and Johnny was so hot and cold that it was just difficult to read about after a while. The ending gives you an interesting explanation for that, but that revelation doesn’t make the last couple hundred pages retroactively more worthwhile.
This is a good book. It isn’t perfect, but it has some exciting moments, interesting little twists, and some powerful messages about sacrifice, the price of power, and what friendship and love truly mean. It won’t be on any favorites lists, but I’m not mad that I read it.
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December 21, 2022DNF at 30%. Too messy for me. Got none of the eldritch horror I've expected, too much debates between someone who's hopeless in love and another who's just too all over the place so reading about them both was exhausting. Too bad since there were a few underlying themes about how they are both very different - like race, economic status, popularity and the baggages that come with those - but these don't necessarily make an enjoyable story. And I really want to end my 2022 with a nice book, so...
May 28, 2020
This was just one of those random library acquisitions I stumbled upon during my usual catalog perusing. It sounded intriguing, but a book featuring two teenagers…well, it reeked of YA potential. Which is perfectly fine…for YA readers of appropriate ages and absolutely weird for adults. And yet, this one has such praise and accolades from such respectable genre luminaries and nowhere (absolutely nowhere, I checked) did it suggest YA. Coming of age story, sure, but that’s different and infinitely more palatable. So I decided to read it and I’m glad I did. This book is, in fact, one of those singular display of literary excellence that manages to offer a story featuring two characters ages 18 and 17 and not dumb it down in any way. Plus it’s just a great story all around. A globe trotting adventure set within a Mythos universe of Ancient Ones straight out of cosmic nightmares. And yes, it is a coming of age story also, with two very different young people on a brink of adulthood who are suddenly thrust into the power seats on a mission to save the world. It started with a discovery…a reactor unlike any other, pure clean unlimited energy. Invented by no other than Johnny Chambers, a girl genius, a child prodigy, the greatest mind of all time, a 17 year old determined to improve the world through science. And, as far as characters go, a perfect mix of a teenage girl (tears, sparkles, angst) and a genius extraordinaire. The life of world improvement hasn’t been easy socially, but Johnny has always had her trusted sidekick, Nick. Loyal devoted friend Nick who is madly hopelessly in love with Johnny. Johnny and Nick are from radically different social stratospheres, she a wealthy white girl, he an impoverish brown immigrant. Unequal in every way, socially, economically, intellectually and yet inseparable since early childhood, so, of course, when the Ancient Ones show up to convey their dismay for Johnny’s latest invention and threaten the very fabric of all existence, Nick (any resentments aside) will be by Johnny’s side, no matter what it takes. And so the adventure awaits, the stakes are high, and revelations will be made along the way that’ll not only teach Nick the mysteries of the universe, but also the treacherous map of friendship and love itself. This isn’t a sort of fight one walks away from unscarred. Tough lessons, taught in sibilant whispers of nightmares come to life. But it is, in every possible way, a character shaping epic quest story. And it’s really, really good. I’m not at all familiar with the author, though she seems like a smart (with degrees to prove it) cookie, not even sure whether this is a debut, but at any rate this was a most impressive introduction. Great writing, terrific visuals and imagery, excellent balance of darkness and light, wherein it isn’t YA directed as discussed previously, but can be pretty inclusive for different ages provided a certain level of intelligence. Excellent characters, complex, engaging, with just the right levels of maturity for their ages and life experiences without being too young, as a reader you really come to care about Johnny and Nick. It has that certain spark of dynamic energy, but also the stygian darkness of the abyss and those who inhabit it and as such should appeal to fans of a variety of genres, from all things horrific to general action/adventure category. It’s just such a fun book to read. And appropriately enough for a cosmic terror it isn’t light in any way, not in content, not in bulk (over 400 pages) and, most importantly, not in quality. The only thing that stood out and might be worth mentioning is that it reads kind of out of time with peculiarly dated references for a book published in 2020. And that’s because it was actually conceived so long ago, it’s now as old as its characters. So when Johnny states the year she was accepted into Bilderberg or gets recognized as Britney, it just reads weird. Because the novel is set in present (backtracked) day, a sort of alternate reality where great (really great actually) inventions took place to improve people’s lives, it’s already kind of weird timeline wise, but dated references make it all the weirder. For my money, it should have been set reference free in the near future. It would give it a more timeless appeal. But then again this book doesn’t exactly lack in appeal, so go and read it already. This review has gone on long enough, ideally enough to convince you to check out this book. Stay random, library, genre random. Recommended.
May 23, 2020
Alternate history cosmic horror globe-traveling adventure SF that's primarily a study of the relationship between two young people: Joanna "Johnny" Chambers who is a 17-year old super-genius who has single-handedly rewritten the history of the early 2000s with her amazing inventions and discoveries and her best and only friend, Nick Prassad, a fairly ordinary Canadian teenager.
When Johnny invents a new shoebox reactor that seems to generate free energy she also opens a gate into our universe for creatures of cosmic horror ("Them") to flood in. And they want Johnny and her invention so that they can enslave humanity and take over the world. So Johnny and Nick go on the run to try and stop them.
This is imaginative and fun in parts, but a tad long. It's main point is also its biggest problem, because its all about Johnny and Nick and their long friendship and all the complexities of their relationship and each other. The tight focus on the two of them really only leaves room for the unfolding apocalypse and not really for any other characters.
When Johnny invents a new shoebox reactor that seems to generate free energy she also opens a gate into our universe for creatures of cosmic horror ("Them") to flood in. And they want Johnny and her invention so that they can enslave humanity and take over the world. So Johnny and Nick go on the run to try and stop them.
This is imaginative and fun in parts, but a tad long. It's main point is also its biggest problem, because its all about Johnny and Nick and their long friendship and all the complexities of their relationship and each other. The tight focus on the two of them really only leaves room for the unfolding apocalypse and not really for any other characters.
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August 22, 2020This book was a challenge because I found the main character wholly unsympathetic. Was he written with that in mind, or is the reader meant to empathise with him? He's resentful, blamey and jealous and his love for Johnny never seems to rise above those feelings into, oh, a genuine attempt to understand her and support her.
I absolutely *loved* the mad science, the social commentary and the looming eldritch horrors.
But I was so wrong footed by Nick's attitude and choices. I wanted to shake him throughout the book. I was most certainly rooting for Johnny!
I absolutely *loved* the mad science, the social commentary and the looming eldritch horrors.
But I was so wrong footed by Nick's attitude and choices. I wanted to shake him throughout the book. I was most certainly rooting for Johnny!
July 26, 2023
The first time I tried to read this (a couple of years ago) I made it less than 20% and then DNF'd.
I decided to try it again - this time with more success.
While there were still parts that kind of dragged (oh, that 50-60% section), I found that like I liked our main characters, was very curious about what exactly they'd do to handle the evil they were facing, and I wanted to know how it would all end.
I do think, though, that the style wasn't really for me. I found that I enjoyed most of the book, but won't be reading further in the series.
I decided to try it again - this time with more success.
While there were still parts that kind of dragged (oh, that 50-60% section), I found that like I liked our main characters, was very curious about what exactly they'd do to handle the evil they were facing, and I wanted to know how it would all end.
I do think, though, that the style wasn't really for me. I found that I enjoyed most of the book, but won't be reading further in the series.
April 4, 2023
This book combines a B-movie fantasy/action plot with meticulous characterization and gorgeous literary writing—and I think I … love it? I can’t wait to pick up the next one.
June 4, 2020
Joanna “Johnny” Chambers, child prodigy, multiple-billionaire, and inventor of countless technologies that save lives, has awoken Them, the other-dimensional horrors intent on conquering everything, with her latest invention, and she and Nicky Prasad, her hopelessly in love with her and her best friend, must travel the world to locate the bits of arcane knowledge necessary to close a gate between our world and where They reside.
Premee Mohamed keeps things moving, and the scares are frequent and escalating, as the two race from one place to another, constantly under threat of apprehension by authorities, or violence by monsters.
Joanna is the pretty, genius, girl Nicky has loved for most of his life, after a violent incident brought the two together. Nicky and his family are well below Johnny on the economic scale, and by putting us in his head for the whole book, the author gives us a chance to reflect on the “hero”, as well as the myriad ways in which Nicky’s and Johnny’s very different experiences affect them as they suffer threats and attacks, and how the fear and anxiety of their situation exacerbates their differences and their feelings for each other.
And while there are many otherworldly horrors present and threatened, it’s the many problems that lie at the heart of their relationship, as well as the very real economic and racial issues between them that affected me the most about this story. I struggled to feel anything but irritation for Johnny, and her often blithe approach, her unthinking dismissal to so much that someone without her options, or skin colour, has to live in the world.
Did I enjoy this book? I enjoyed many parts, such as the wild rush from place to place, and the dissection of differences between the pair of friends. I did feel a little let down by the ending, as I had thought that the growth hinted at for Johnny seemed to be walked back. Will I check out more by this author? Yup.
Premee Mohamed keeps things moving, and the scares are frequent and escalating, as the two race from one place to another, constantly under threat of apprehension by authorities, or violence by monsters.
Joanna is the pretty, genius, girl Nicky has loved for most of his life, after a violent incident brought the two together. Nicky and his family are well below Johnny on the economic scale, and by putting us in his head for the whole book, the author gives us a chance to reflect on the “hero”, as well as the myriad ways in which Nicky’s and Johnny’s very different experiences affect them as they suffer threats and attacks, and how the fear and anxiety of their situation exacerbates their differences and their feelings for each other.
And while there are many otherworldly horrors present and threatened, it’s the many problems that lie at the heart of their relationship, as well as the very real economic and racial issues between them that affected me the most about this story. I struggled to feel anything but irritation for Johnny, and her often blithe approach, her unthinking dismissal to so much that someone without her options, or skin colour, has to live in the world.
Did I enjoy this book? I enjoyed many parts, such as the wild rush from place to place, and the dissection of differences between the pair of friends. I did feel a little let down by the ending, as I had thought that the growth hinted at for Johnny seemed to be walked back. Will I check out more by this author? Yup.
September 26, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
It was fun to read Premee Mohamed in a text vastly different from what I associate with her fiction, and she finds a confident voice in a fast-paced, high-stakes adventure as well. Her debut novel draws heavily from tropes - from the supergenius Johnny (and what a good deconstruction of that trope it is!), through many-tentacled cosmic horror and direct references to Lovecraft, to secret libraries and archaeological wonders hidden under the dunes. It's a journey through popculture as well as through the places the protagonists visit, interwoven with eerie poetry.
That's not where the book's strength lies, though. Its greatest forte is the relationship between the protagonists, Nick and Johnny. Mohamed explores its many layers with empathy and heartbreaking precision, and the depth and ambiguity of that relationship will haunt you for days after you've read the book. It will certainly haunt me like no Old God ever could.
It was fun to read Premee Mohamed in a text vastly different from what I associate with her fiction, and she finds a confident voice in a fast-paced, high-stakes adventure as well. Her debut novel draws heavily from tropes - from the supergenius Johnny (and what a good deconstruction of that trope it is!), through many-tentacled cosmic horror and direct references to Lovecraft, to secret libraries and archaeological wonders hidden under the dunes. It's a journey through popculture as well as through the places the protagonists visit, interwoven with eerie poetry.
That's not where the book's strength lies, though. Its greatest forte is the relationship between the protagonists, Nick and Johnny. Mohamed explores its many layers with empathy and heartbreaking precision, and the depth and ambiguity of that relationship will haunt you for days after you've read the book. It will certainly haunt me like no Old God ever could.
January 18, 2022
really good representation of brown mc, but the bit at the beginning felt there was no relevance to the story and used simply as a way to attract more readers. didnt enjoy the plot and the dialogue was just terrible, simply horrible. the banter felt too forced and cringey AND THATS WHATS BOTHERING because the writing style was soo good if only there were less dialogue, more meaningful and relevant dialogue that moved the story forward, id have enjoyed this.
January 27, 2021
Fantastic. Great prose and dialogue. Great characters, terrifying horrors, actions and scary consequences, past and present slamming together for the MC (Nick) over and over as the girl genius and our MC try to right wrongs and confront mistakes and do the right thing.
The end is at once satisfying and terrifying; the sequel drops March 2, 2021.
I've read The Collected Works of H.P. Lovecraft, so let me tell you definitively; THIS is the eldritch horror you are looking for.
Bonus, this author is a delight to follow on Twitter, weird and funny and genuine.
The end is at once satisfying and terrifying; the sequel drops March 2, 2021.
I've read The Collected Works of H.P. Lovecraft, so let me tell you definitively; THIS is the eldritch horror you are looking for.
Bonus, this author is a delight to follow on Twitter, weird and funny and genuine.
April 17, 2020
Beneath The Rising is a rollicking 21st-century take on cosmic horror, moving away from the dark and stormy climes of the New England coast to the rolling plains of the Canadian mid-west and the Festival City of Edmonton, Alberta. Joanna "Johnny" Chambers is a teenage, Canadian wunderkind who has brought uncountable scientific achievements to the world. Her best friend is Nick Prasad, an ordinary teenage boy keenly aware of the massive social, economic, and cultural gap between the two.
On one level, Beneath The Rising is about Johnny's latest invention, a clean, limitless source of energy, being the trigger that sets off a new invasion of the Cthulhoid-type Elder Gods into our world. As you'd expect, you get your unnameable horrors, people staring into the abyss of madness and being forever changed by it, and earth-shaking events that the public is not sure what to do with, let alone acknowledge.
On another level, this is also a story very much about friendships, the kind that lasts a lifetime, and may not always be healthy or balanced. Some people have good families and good friends. Other people have harmful family situations or friends, where the dynamic is unbalanced and even negative. Nick Prasad is the child of immigrants, gets so-so grades, and can't even imagine getting approved for a mortgage. Johnny was already doing Ph. D level university work that was improving solar power generation before her age even broke the double digits.
This creates wonderful interweaving plotlines where you come for the Eldritch Horror, but stay for the emotional drama. In most stories, Johnny would be the character we follow, with Nick the ever-ready Watson, asking the questions that move the plot along. Here, we get a story about the world's very existence being threatened from the point of view of the side-kick. And he is painfully aware he IS the side-kick, and constantly wrestles with this. If you ever wondered what was going on in Watson's head when Sherlock was a jerk to him and whether he really was okay with that abuse, you'll get your answers here. The dynamic between Nick and Johnny is very real, very raw, and for anyone that has ever had an acquaintance where you wondered whether this person was really good for you, very poignant.
Beneath the Rising is a fun romp with cosmic threats, tentacles, insanity, Ancient Magic, Elder Gods, and some surprisingly deep questions about the nature of friendship. If you want a globe-trotting adventure with paranoia, Forbidden Entities, plenty of pop culture references, deep characters, and deep lore, you'll want to read this.
On one level, Beneath The Rising is about Johnny's latest invention, a clean, limitless source of energy, being the trigger that sets off a new invasion of the Cthulhoid-type Elder Gods into our world. As you'd expect, you get your unnameable horrors, people staring into the abyss of madness and being forever changed by it, and earth-shaking events that the public is not sure what to do with, let alone acknowledge.
On another level, this is also a story very much about friendships, the kind that lasts a lifetime, and may not always be healthy or balanced. Some people have good families and good friends. Other people have harmful family situations or friends, where the dynamic is unbalanced and even negative. Nick Prasad is the child of immigrants, gets so-so grades, and can't even imagine getting approved for a mortgage. Johnny was already doing Ph. D level university work that was improving solar power generation before her age even broke the double digits.
This creates wonderful interweaving plotlines where you come for the Eldritch Horror, but stay for the emotional drama. In most stories, Johnny would be the character we follow, with Nick the ever-ready Watson, asking the questions that move the plot along. Here, we get a story about the world's very existence being threatened from the point of view of the side-kick. And he is painfully aware he IS the side-kick, and constantly wrestles with this. If you ever wondered what was going on in Watson's head when Sherlock was a jerk to him and whether he really was okay with that abuse, you'll get your answers here. The dynamic between Nick and Johnny is very real, very raw, and for anyone that has ever had an acquaintance where you wondered whether this person was really good for you, very poignant.
Beneath the Rising is a fun romp with cosmic threats, tentacles, insanity, Ancient Magic, Elder Gods, and some surprisingly deep questions about the nature of friendship. If you want a globe-trotting adventure with paranoia, Forbidden Entities, plenty of pop culture references, deep characters, and deep lore, you'll want to read this.
May 16, 2022
I gotta give this one star. The only thing I liked was the barebones idea of discovering something then some ancient evil is awakened. Everything else sucked.
The dialogue, maaaaaaaaan. Like, c'mon. Is there an editor or even a friend to say this sucks, please rewrite it. People don't talk like this. Everything is compared to something in pop culture. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc, etc. The thingy chasing them (I can't remember its name and I don't want to) is constantly called Boba Fett. It felt like I was reading a dialogue meant for a Marvel movie. Also, my man Nick likes to say Jesus.
I didn't see any promo quotes on the cover prior to ordering it. It makes sense that this book would have shitty dialogue when Chuck Wendig gives it a glowing review.
Having a super genius that can figure everything out with like 5 minutes of uninterrupted thought is pretty boring. There was never any suspense because of it. Will they stop the gurgly monsters from invading? Of course they will. Johnny can seemingly to and create anything.
Absolute slog to get through with lots of inane writing. Not reading the rest of the series. Author seems cool. I'm sure her career will be bright if the writing thing doesn't work out seeing as she's a scientist.
The dialogue, maaaaaaaaan. Like, c'mon. Is there an editor or even a friend to say this sucks, please rewrite it. People don't talk like this. Everything is compared to something in pop culture. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc, etc. The thingy chasing them (I can't remember its name and I don't want to) is constantly called Boba Fett. It felt like I was reading a dialogue meant for a Marvel movie. Also, my man Nick likes to say Jesus.
I didn't see any promo quotes on the cover prior to ordering it. It makes sense that this book would have shitty dialogue when Chuck Wendig gives it a glowing review.
Having a super genius that can figure everything out with like 5 minutes of uninterrupted thought is pretty boring. There was never any suspense because of it. Will they stop the gurgly monsters from invading? Of course they will. Johnny can seemingly to and create anything.
Absolute slog to get through with lots of inane writing. Not reading the rest of the series. Author seems cool. I'm sure her career will be bright if the writing thing doesn't work out seeing as she's a scientist.
March 28, 2020
Great genre crossing story with an alternative 2001; a world with great scientific achievements but now ancient monsters awaken and two friends must save the world and possibly their friendship
Full Review - HOPE HAS A PRICE
Nick Prasad has always enjoyed a quiet life in the shadow of his best friend, child prodigy and technological genius Joanna ‘Johnny’ Chambers. But all that is about to end.
When Johnny invents a clean reactor that could eliminate fossil fuels and change the world, she awakens primal, evil Ancient Ones set on subjugating humanity.
From the oldest library in the world to the ruins of Nineveh, hunted at every turn, they will need to trust each other completely to survive…
Full Review - HOPE HAS A PRICE
Nick Prasad has always enjoyed a quiet life in the shadow of his best friend, child prodigy and technological genius Joanna ‘Johnny’ Chambers. But all that is about to end.
When Johnny invents a clean reactor that could eliminate fossil fuels and change the world, she awakens primal, evil Ancient Ones set on subjugating humanity.
From the oldest library in the world to the ruins of Nineveh, hunted at every turn, they will need to trust each other completely to survive…
August 24, 2024
I really, really wanted to be able to rate this book at least a 3. Unfortunately, I think this book needs a LOT of retooling to deliver on the premise it promised to us as readers.
I can't continue to criticize this book without first acknowledging how beautiful some of the writing is. Mohammed has a way of describing certain scenes, sensations, and visuals in which she seems to blend the clinical, scientific realities of the world with magic and fantastical.
Beautiful prose, however, was not enough to occlude the poor plotting/story structure, awkward "quippy" dialogue, and the lackluster exploration of potentially very interesting themes. The novel can not decide if it is a sci-fi horror or a "buddy road trip/adventure" comedy. Additionally, the pacing of the plot felt like a constant stream of "and now we go here.... and now we go here... and now here, " with limited information about WHY we would go "here" and "there, " which ultimately led to me feeling disinterested about what was happening even though the stakes were very high.
Every problem in the book was more or less immediately solved by Johnny, who acts in mostly unexplained and mysterious ways, which left me feeling apathetic towards the danger the characters were in. Especially when most of the explanations we received from Johnny could be condensed to "just trust me, and I'll tell you later." I realize that at the end of the book, we discover that Johnny has bargained for Nick in the same way she's bargained for her prodigy, and this is supposed to explain how she treats Nick-and by extension, us as the reader since we are stuck in his POV. In the book, Nick is angry with Johnny for treating him like a dog and dragging him across the world with her covenant, and I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD because again, as the reader, I had been on the same nonsensical, unexplained journey, following Johnny around because she said so. It's unfortunate, however, that I wasn't bound to love and trust this novel by the same eldritch magics that afflicted Nick because, I fear, I found the entire ordeal even more painful, confusing, and disappointing than he did.
Edited to add: I could go on the superficial examination of themes of poverty, race, self-esteem, etc... and how the constant pop culture references took me out of the novel, but I lost steam writing this review and just want to move on to a new book.
I can't continue to criticize this book without first acknowledging how beautiful some of the writing is. Mohammed has a way of describing certain scenes, sensations, and visuals in which she seems to blend the clinical, scientific realities of the world with magic and fantastical.
Beautiful prose, however, was not enough to occlude the poor plotting/story structure, awkward "quippy" dialogue, and the lackluster exploration of potentially very interesting themes. The novel can not decide if it is a sci-fi horror or a "buddy road trip/adventure" comedy. Additionally, the pacing of the plot felt like a constant stream of "and now we go here.... and now we go here... and now here, " with limited information about WHY we would go "here" and "there, " which ultimately led to me feeling disinterested about what was happening even though the stakes were very high.
Every problem in the book was more or less immediately solved by Johnny, who acts in mostly unexplained and mysterious ways, which left me feeling apathetic towards the danger the characters were in. Especially when most of the explanations we received from Johnny could be condensed to "just trust me, and I'll tell you later." I realize that at the end of the book, we discover that Johnny has bargained for Nick in the same way she's bargained for her prodigy, and this is supposed to explain how she treats Nick-and by extension, us as the reader since we are stuck in his POV. In the book, Nick is angry with Johnny for treating him like a dog and dragging him across the world with her covenant, and I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD because again, as the reader, I had been on the same nonsensical, unexplained journey, following Johnny around because she said so. It's unfortunate, however, that I wasn't bound to love and trust this novel by the same eldritch magics that afflicted Nick because, I fear, I found the entire ordeal even more painful, confusing, and disappointing than he did.
Edited to add: I could go on the superficial examination of themes of poverty, race, self-esteem, etc... and how the constant pop culture references took me out of the novel, but I lost steam writing this review and just want to move on to a new book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 25, 2021Confieso que, cuando comencé a leer Beneath the Rising, no tenía ni idea del género del libro. Juzgando por su portada, no sabía si lo que me encontraría iba a ser una versión terrorífica de la película La Llegada o algo totalmente opuesto.
La primera novela publicada de Premee Mohamed (autora canadiense de origen guayanés) comienza con un tono intimista que te atrapa desde el principio (la primera frase reza: «El recuerdo más antiguo de ella huele a sangre», ¡como para no querer seguir leyendo!), por eso cuando, bastante más adelantada la trama, uno de los protagonistas se enfrenta cara a cara con lo que parece un primo hermano de un shoggoth, mi primera reacción fue de sorpresa y mi segunda reacción fue de entusiasmo.
El estado de ánimo que provocan los primeros párrafos, evocadores y llenos de misterio, se conserva durante toda la lectura de la novela, que sorprendentemente logra fusionar horror cósmico, aventuras, humor y conflicto intimista de manera magistral.
El personaje principal es una chica que se llama Johnny, pero quien nos narra la novela es su mejor amigo desde la infancia, Nick. Su primer encuentro, cuando ambos tienen seis años, tiene lugar en un evento terrorífico y que por desgracia no es infrecuente en Norteamérica: un tiroteo. Los únicos supervivientes de esa masacre desarrollan una relación con muchos tintes tóxicos, cuyo alcance devastador se nos va enseñando a lo largo de la novela. Johnny es hija única, blanca y su extraordinaria inteligencia la ha convertido en alguien tremendamente rico y arrogante a sus diecisiete años; Nick es hijo de inmigrantes de origen indo-guayanés, tiene dos trabajos para mantener a su familia y vive con mucha ansiedad. Las diferencias insalvables entre uno y otro resultarán ser mucho mayores, y generarán parte de los sentimientos de incomodidad que afectarán al lector a lo largo de la obra.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2020/11/0...
La primera novela publicada de Premee Mohamed (autora canadiense de origen guayanés) comienza con un tono intimista que te atrapa desde el principio (la primera frase reza: «El recuerdo más antiguo de ella huele a sangre», ¡como para no querer seguir leyendo!), por eso cuando, bastante más adelantada la trama, uno de los protagonistas se enfrenta cara a cara con lo que parece un primo hermano de un shoggoth, mi primera reacción fue de sorpresa y mi segunda reacción fue de entusiasmo.
El estado de ánimo que provocan los primeros párrafos, evocadores y llenos de misterio, se conserva durante toda la lectura de la novela, que sorprendentemente logra fusionar horror cósmico, aventuras, humor y conflicto intimista de manera magistral.
El personaje principal es una chica que se llama Johnny, pero quien nos narra la novela es su mejor amigo desde la infancia, Nick. Su primer encuentro, cuando ambos tienen seis años, tiene lugar en un evento terrorífico y que por desgracia no es infrecuente en Norteamérica: un tiroteo. Los únicos supervivientes de esa masacre desarrollan una relación con muchos tintes tóxicos, cuyo alcance devastador se nos va enseñando a lo largo de la novela. Johnny es hija única, blanca y su extraordinaria inteligencia la ha convertido en alguien tremendamente rico y arrogante a sus diecisiete años; Nick es hijo de inmigrantes de origen indo-guayanés, tiene dos trabajos para mantener a su familia y vive con mucha ansiedad. Las diferencias insalvables entre uno y otro resultarán ser mucho mayores, y generarán parte de los sentimientos de incomodidad que afectarán al lector a lo largo de la obra.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2020/11/0...
June 18, 2024
I think this is Premee Mohamed's second publication (aside from short stories) and the first full length book. And it shows, unfortunately. If I wasn't reading this for a readathon prompt I would have DNFd it pretty early on; I don't think it gets more engaging as it goes on.
I've deeply enjoyed several of her other books and the way she dives into themes of war and class, the way she challenges morality and systems of power, the dark fairytales that guide her works. But this book is largely influenced by Lovecraftian themes, from the point of view of a simplistic boy. I don't know much about the other characters in this book, and the more I know about our POV character, the less I wish I knew.
I'm so terribly grateful this wasn't the first book I read from her, cause I never would've picked up another; but this year she's become one of my favourite authors and earned at least three 5 stars from me! (I also bounced off her debut novella, The Apple-Tree Throne, but moderately enjoyed her Lovecraftian anthology and have loved everything else)
Nit:
I'm not a big fan of real world references in a fictional universe. Ozymandias and Ozzy Osbourne... it just doesn't age well, especially if a person ever later becomes controversial (reading a book that mentions Harvey Weinstein or JK Rowling hits different in 2024, for example)
I've deeply enjoyed several of her other books and the way she dives into themes of war and class, the way she challenges morality and systems of power, the dark fairytales that guide her works. But this book is largely influenced by Lovecraftian themes, from the point of view of a simplistic boy. I don't know much about the other characters in this book, and the more I know about our POV character, the less I wish I knew.
I'm so terribly grateful this wasn't the first book I read from her, cause I never would've picked up another; but this year she's become one of my favourite authors and earned at least three 5 stars from me! (I also bounced off her debut novella, The Apple-Tree Throne, but moderately enjoyed her Lovecraftian anthology and have loved everything else)
Nit:
I'm not a big fan of real world references in a fictional universe. Ozymandias and Ozzy Osbourne... it just doesn't age well, especially if a person ever later becomes controversial (reading a book that mentions Harvey Weinstein or JK Rowling hits different in 2024, for example)
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