What do you think?
Rate this book
Personal Effects: Dark Art
Want to try it yourself? Call the phone number shown on book's cover: 212-629-1951 and listen to the voicemail message for main character Zach Taylor.
Personal Effects follows the extensive notes of therapist Zach Taylor’s investigation into the life and madness of Martin Grace, an accused serial killer who claims to have foreseen, but not caused, his victims’ deaths. Zach’s investigations start with interviews and art sessions, but then take him far from the hospital grounds—and often very far from the reality that we know.
The items among Grace’s personal effects are the keys to understanding his haunted past, and finding the terrifying truth Grace hoped to keep buried:
• Call the phone numbers: you’ll get a character’s voicemail.
• Google the characters and institutions in the text: you’ll find real websites
• Examine the art and other printed artifacts included inside the cover: if you pay attention, you’ll find more information than the characters themselves discover Personal Effects, the ultimate in voyeuristic storytelling, represents a revolutionary step forward in changing the way people interact with novels.
Personal Effects follows the extensive notes of therapist Zach Taylor’s investigation into the life and madness of Martin Grace, an accused serial killer who claims to have foreseen, but not caused, his victims’ deaths. Zach’s investigations start with interviews and art sessions, but then take him far from the hospital grounds—and often very far from the reality that we know.
The items among Grace’s personal effects are the keys to understanding his haunted past, and finding the terrifying truth Grace hoped to keep buried:
• Call the phone numbers: you’ll get a character’s voicemail.
• Google the characters and institutions in the text: you’ll find real websites
• Examine the art and other printed artifacts included inside the cover: if you pay attention, you’ll find more information than the characters themselves discover Personal Effects, the ultimate in voyeuristic storytelling, represents a revolutionary step forward in changing the way people interact with novels.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2009
28 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Hutchins
25 books218 followersFrom the About J.C. page of jchutchins.net:
J.C. Hutchins crafts transmedia narratives, screenplays and novels for such entertainment companies as A&E, Cinemax, Discovery, St. Martin’s Press, Smith & Tinker and Leviathan Games.
J.C.’s recent work includes Lead Writer & Experience Design roles on campaigns for the Cinemax espionage series Hunted, Stephen King’s Bag of Bones (a cable miniseries based on King’s bestselling novel) and The Colony, an intense survival reality series. He also recently created an educational transmedia experience based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
J.C. began his career has a “new media novelist,” using emerging storytelling strategies such as podcasting, social media and crowdsourcing to create and distribute his thriller novels.
His 2009 novel Personal Effects: Dark Art (co-written with web storytelling pioneer Jordan Weisman) featured online and physical transmedia elements that blurred the reader’s role from passive consumer to active participant. The Personal Effects IP is presently in development as a Starz TV series, with Gore Verbinski executive producing.
J.C. also also helps entertainment companies reach new markets by creating canonical tie-in content, and offering best practices for worldbuilding, revenue generation and cross-platform storytelling.
J.C. has been profiled by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR’s Weekend Edition, ABC Radio and the BBC. He lives in Denver with fellow novelist Eleanor Brown, and their cat, Chester.
J.C. Hutchins crafts transmedia narratives, screenplays and novels for such entertainment companies as A&E, Cinemax, Discovery, St. Martin’s Press, Smith & Tinker and Leviathan Games.
J.C.’s recent work includes Lead Writer & Experience Design roles on campaigns for the Cinemax espionage series Hunted, Stephen King’s Bag of Bones (a cable miniseries based on King’s bestselling novel) and The Colony, an intense survival reality series. He also recently created an educational transmedia experience based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
J.C. began his career has a “new media novelist,” using emerging storytelling strategies such as podcasting, social media and crowdsourcing to create and distribute his thriller novels.
His 2009 novel Personal Effects: Dark Art (co-written with web storytelling pioneer Jordan Weisman) featured online and physical transmedia elements that blurred the reader’s role from passive consumer to active participant. The Personal Effects IP is presently in development as a Starz TV series, with Gore Verbinski executive producing.
J.C. also also helps entertainment companies reach new markets by creating canonical tie-in content, and offering best practices for worldbuilding, revenue generation and cross-platform storytelling.
J.C. has been profiled by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR’s Weekend Edition, ABC Radio and the BBC. He lives in Denver with fellow novelist Eleanor Brown, and their cat, Chester.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 3, 2009
This book has innovative packaging, with all kind of bells and whistles like ID cards from the characters, bits of evidence, clues and other cool things, but screw all that -- if you base books on story and action, this one is for you.
PERSONAL EFFECTS: DARK ARTS is a flag planted firmly in the sand by a major new voice, J.C. Hutchins. This kid brings his A game. A blind serial killer locked in the bowels of a last-stop insane asylum is the key to a brutal mystery. Art therapist Zack Taylor is drawn into the story via a strange emotional connection with the killer. The story spills out of this desperate place, known as "The Brink," and into the street of New York City.
This one reads like a Hitchcockian thriller updated for online cultures of GenX and GenY. Hutchins is a smart writer, he knows how to build character and make extraordinary settings, all while pacing the book with bits of action and puzzles that will seem right at home to Dan Brown fans.
PERSONAL EFFECTS: DARK ARTS is a flag planted firmly in the sand by a major new voice, J.C. Hutchins. This kid brings his A game. A blind serial killer locked in the bowels of a last-stop insane asylum is the key to a brutal mystery. Art therapist Zack Taylor is drawn into the story via a strange emotional connection with the killer. The story spills out of this desperate place, known as "The Brink," and into the street of New York City.
This one reads like a Hitchcockian thriller updated for online cultures of GenX and GenY. Hutchins is a smart writer, he knows how to build character and make extraordinary settings, all while pacing the book with bits of action and puzzles that will seem right at home to Dan Brown fans.
December 25, 2024
Très bon livre, un bon suspense comme j'l'ai aime! Si tu aimes le paranormal mixé avec un roman policier = good pick! Je dirais un roman qui mérite d'être lu, je recommande! Cependant, pour avoir un 5, il faut que ça me marque dans l'âme et ce livre n'est pas arrivé à ce stade!
October 13, 2009
Well, what can I say?
The idea behind this book was superb, but the execution was severly lacking. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Dark Arts: Personal Effects I'll give it to you in a nutshell. You are given a short mystery / horror novel which also comes with props in the form of documents and photos that were featured in the book. Additionally, the websites and prominent phone numbers, when searched or called, turn up actual (though manufactured) websites and voicemails. The idea is to create an "experience" of sharing the investigation with the protagonist, Zachary Taylor.
If that's all I knew I would be beside myself with glee. I love puzzles like this, where I am given all the information I need to solve the crime, and all I have to do is fit the pieces together the right way and in the right sequence to find the truth.
However, the props and websites and phone numbers do little to help illuminate anything. The fact that they are all just dumped onto your lap at once means that anyone even mildly competent can piece together a "twist" that doesn't present itself until you're almost 1/3 of the way the story. The clues you are given don't make a lot of sense out of the context of the story, but once you arrive at the point when a particular prop is featured, the characters are already making the connection, robbing you of that opportunity.
The extra information presented on websites is fun for a little while, but as I may have said before, it doesn't help you get ahead of the characters.
I also have a big problem with what appear to be continuity errors and typographical errors throughout the book. Characters referencing things long before they are revealed to the protagonist. (If you are paying attention, you know some things before Zachary does, and this was one of them...but how would any of the other characters know?) It's possible that if you mapped out the typos you might get a hidden message, but frankly, the multiple shortcomings in the execution make it very, very unlikely that I'll go through that just to find the name of the author's girlfriend spelled out in the book.)
Now that I've talked about the gimmick, I'll devote some time talking about the book itself. The writing was competent, but I could almost feel the author stretching to make the references and characters as "cutting edge current" as possible. Frequent pop-culture references distract, and tragically and effortlessly hip and capable characters aren't all that interesting. For example, Zachary's girlfriend is a tattood master gamer chick who has her own website, does fact checking for a major publication and is an unsurpassed internet detective. Zach's brother is a super hip freerunner who's individuality is expressed in making up needless nicknames and catchphrases that no one else gets. I get the picture, Mr. Hutchins. New Yorkers are just better than the rest of us. You can stop drilling it into our heads at every opportunity.
Zach is an appropriately flawed character, but his flaws seem to be just contrivances of a plot that makes "gifted" leaps in logic occasionally. What begins as a reasonable mystery with a chance of supernaturality devolves into a parallel investigation of Zach's own past while he looks into the main plot, and of course, his own past is connected to the current case, and if that wasn't trite enough, the bad guy is exactly who you expected from the beginning, and yes, there is a supernatural bend to the whole thing that is ultimately kinda silly.
If it sounds like I'm being hard on this book, then you're right. I am being hard on this book, because it held so much promise. I hated to see such a great idea ruined by such sloppy execution.
I won't say don't read it. I will say that trying to follow along with all of the props and figuring out the end before the protagonist is a supreme waste of your energy. I broke this puppy apart like I was a homicide detective, I had relationship charts, timelines, each piece of information was chronicled meticulously, where it came from, whoe found it and when, and how it came to be imnportant to the plot. I stretched out the reading of the book to analyze and pick apart the websites and the information they contained, and it was all for nothing. The clues are nice little props to make the reading of the book more immersive. Depsite the advertiser's claims that you can learn more than the characters, which is a half truth at best, nothing you learn makes the book any better.
::sigh::
The idea behind this book was superb, but the execution was severly lacking. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Dark Arts: Personal Effects I'll give it to you in a nutshell. You are given a short mystery / horror novel which also comes with props in the form of documents and photos that were featured in the book. Additionally, the websites and prominent phone numbers, when searched or called, turn up actual (though manufactured) websites and voicemails. The idea is to create an "experience" of sharing the investigation with the protagonist, Zachary Taylor.
If that's all I knew I would be beside myself with glee. I love puzzles like this, where I am given all the information I need to solve the crime, and all I have to do is fit the pieces together the right way and in the right sequence to find the truth.
However, the props and websites and phone numbers do little to help illuminate anything. The fact that they are all just dumped onto your lap at once means that anyone even mildly competent can piece together a "twist" that doesn't present itself until you're almost 1/3 of the way the story. The clues you are given don't make a lot of sense out of the context of the story, but once you arrive at the point when a particular prop is featured, the characters are already making the connection, robbing you of that opportunity.
The extra information presented on websites is fun for a little while, but as I may have said before, it doesn't help you get ahead of the characters.
I also have a big problem with what appear to be continuity errors and typographical errors throughout the book. Characters referencing things long before they are revealed to the protagonist. (If you are paying attention, you know some things before Zachary does, and this was one of them...but how would any of the other characters know?) It's possible that if you mapped out the typos you might get a hidden message, but frankly, the multiple shortcomings in the execution make it very, very unlikely that I'll go through that just to find the name of the author's girlfriend spelled out in the book.)
Now that I've talked about the gimmick, I'll devote some time talking about the book itself. The writing was competent, but I could almost feel the author stretching to make the references and characters as "cutting edge current" as possible. Frequent pop-culture references distract, and tragically and effortlessly hip and capable characters aren't all that interesting. For example, Zachary's girlfriend is a tattood master gamer chick who has her own website, does fact checking for a major publication and is an unsurpassed internet detective. Zach's brother is a super hip freerunner who's individuality is expressed in making up needless nicknames and catchphrases that no one else gets. I get the picture, Mr. Hutchins. New Yorkers are just better than the rest of us. You can stop drilling it into our heads at every opportunity.
Zach is an appropriately flawed character, but his flaws seem to be just contrivances of a plot that makes "gifted" leaps in logic occasionally. What begins as a reasonable mystery with a chance of supernaturality devolves into a parallel investigation of Zach's own past while he looks into the main plot, and of course, his own past is connected to the current case, and if that wasn't trite enough, the bad guy is exactly who you expected from the beginning, and yes, there is a supernatural bend to the whole thing that is ultimately kinda silly.
If it sounds like I'm being hard on this book, then you're right. I am being hard on this book, because it held so much promise. I hated to see such a great idea ruined by such sloppy execution.
I won't say don't read it. I will say that trying to follow along with all of the props and figuring out the end before the protagonist is a supreme waste of your energy. I broke this puppy apart like I was a homicide detective, I had relationship charts, timelines, each piece of information was chronicled meticulously, where it came from, whoe found it and when, and how it came to be imnportant to the plot. I stretched out the reading of the book to analyze and pick apart the websites and the information they contained, and it was all for nothing. The clues are nice little props to make the reading of the book more immersive. Depsite the advertiser's claims that you can learn more than the characters, which is a half truth at best, nothing you learn makes the book any better.
::sigh::
January 30, 2018
You know it's a straight dude writing a book when the amount of times the "out of his league" girl reassures him he's hot and a good lay takes up more space than the actual climax of the book.
June 22, 2009
6/19/09, p. 114: Read about this online. According to the website: "Dark Art combines the experience of a traditional thriller novel with a multimedia-fueled “out of book” narrative. Clues in the novel — and items that come with the novel, such as ID cards and photos — propel readers into an online experience where they become protagonists themselves."
6/22/09: I think I'm too much of a traditional reader to appreciate this as a book. I also like computer games however, and Personal Effects Dark Art would make an excellent computer adventure game. As a game I would give it a higher score, but I was expecting a book (a book with additional ways to read it, but still a book) and as a book I have to give it two stars. The writing was adequate, but the over-the-top gothic elements and the hipster slang of the narrator and his "tribe" were jarring and annoying because my brain was applying "book" standards of narrative, not "game" standards.
6/22/09: I think I'm too much of a traditional reader to appreciate this as a book. I also like computer games however, and Personal Effects Dark Art would make an excellent computer adventure game. As a game I would give it a higher score, but I was expecting a book (a book with additional ways to read it, but still a book) and as a book I have to give it two stars. The writing was adequate, but the over-the-top gothic elements and the hipster slang of the narrator and his "tribe" were jarring and annoying because my brain was applying "book" standards of narrative, not "game" standards.
July 17, 2009
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
So are you familiar yet with this new type of creative project that's been catching on in the 2000s more and more, known as an "Alternative Reality Game" or ARG? Essentially started with a bang by entrepreneur and USC professor Jordan Weisman with the phenomenal 2001 experiment known as "Who Killed Evan Chan?," which believe it or not began as a bizarrely cutting-edge promotional campaign for the Steven Spielberg film A.I. (and which was so successful that Weisman was inspired to start the world's first creative agency devoted just to ARGs, the appropriately named 42 Entertainment [and which by the way happens to employ one of my favorite New Weird authors of all time, the exquisitely strange Sean Stewart:]), the medium gets its name from the fact that such games end up "jumping" out of the flat world of traditional storytelling, creating literally an entire fictional reality for themselves that exists among our own real physical reality, and with us randomly stumbling across these fictional elements in our day-to-day real lives. So for example, take the popular summer ARGs created each year to promote the hit television show Lost, and look at all the various ways that clues are delivered to the loose confederation of players worldwide who are trying to solve it: through fake websites that look real, telephone numbers people can actually call, fax services they can subscribe to, information "seeded" online so that it'll pop up in Google searches, even sometimes physical objects that are revealed by the show's producers during ABC press conferences and ComiCon appearances, the contents of which are blasted in Lost discussion forums for the thousands of players who weren't able to attend the actual physical event. Such ARGs have in fact turned into an astoundingly successful form of marketing for bigger artistic projects like movies and TV shows, which is why you're seeing them now more and more often -- after all, it's kind of a win/win situation, with such games not only keeping the most hardcore fans appeased but also generating a ton of traditional press. (In fact, the "Evan Chan" game inspired over a thousand mentions in the mainstream media in just the few months in 2001 it actually ran, making it one of the most effective publicity stunts in human history.)
All this of course has had a lot of artists thinking these days about the kinds of purely creative possibilities inherent in the ARG format itself, once you divorce it from its usual commercial purpose of simply promoting something else more traditional; and that's what gets us for example the brand-new Personal Effects: Dark Art, not exactly the first ARG ever released by a mainstream publisher (this was put out by Griffin, a corporate subsidiary of St. Martins Press), but certainly now the largest and most passionately supported, with the money people behind this throwing just a whole wad of resources at its multimedia component, including not only all the elements already mentioned but even a whole series of expensive fake physical objects in a sleeve in the front pocket of each and every book sold, fake drivers' licenses and fake birth certificates and other evidence linked to the tale being told in the main book. And hey, the multimedia elements were even put together by Weisman himself, based on a main story by author J.C. Hutchins who I've been a fan of for awhile, because of his willingness to embrace so many cutting-edge experiments while in the course of promoting his traditional genre thrillers; in fact, it was an interview I did with Hutchins a few years ago while running a blog about Second Life that got both of us our first mentions at Boing Boing, so needless to say I will always have a soft spot in my heart for his continual forward-thinking experiments.
So what a disappointment, then, to make my way through the project myself this week and realize what a dismal failure it is, and to be reminded of just how much even the most experimental work out there still must ultimately rely on some pretty ancient lessons about the arts to be a success. Because in my opinion, rule number one for ARGs simply has to be the following, a lesson that Weisman seems to have learned but that so few other ARG producers have: that for such an experimental, high-committment project to succeed, the underlying story fueling it has to be much better than most other traditional stories out there, much smarter and more engaging than the typical genre potboiler, instead of the typical attitude you see among so many of these producers, that ARGs can get away with subpar stories as long as you adorn them with a bunch of pretty crap. And so it is here with Personal Effects too, with Hutchins not only turning in a very rote, by-the-numbers horror tale (a genre I'm not much of a fan of to begin with), but with an overall quality clocking in on the low end of the genre scale as well, a sometimes laughably bad melodrama bound to be enjoyed only by the most diehard Stephen King fans out there (and in fact not even really Stephen King -- more like the most diehard Joe Hill fans out there).
If this were a traditional publishing project, for example, it'd be the type of book I'd give up on about halfway through, and just write one of my little weekend micro-reviews and be done with it, because of what turns out to just be a whole pile of extremely basic literary mistakes found throughout: wild inconsistencies in character development (for example, a supposed "world-famous" art therapist who half the time talks and acts like a petulant teenager); badly clashing tones in the setting (the main location is a crumbling state mental hospital from the Victorian Age that has supposedly been forgotten by society at large, yet is where the most notorious serial killer in New York history is sent for observation after being arrested); plotholes so large you could drive a truck through them (such as this intriguing question: "Why the f-ck has an art therapist been assigned to do a psychological profile of the most notorious serial killer in New York history instead of, say, a psychologist?"); antagonists so cartoonishly two-dimensional that they might as well be twirling their mustaches while tying a blonde to some railroad tracks; dialogue so ridiculously juvenile that it'll make even Joss Whedon fans cringe in embarrassment; non-white characters that threaten to actually turn racist from their sheer "Magic Negro" lefty earnestness*; and just a whole lot more that I'm not going to go into, because despite how it might sound, I don't mean for today's review to be deliberately cruel.
This then creates a troubling situation when it comes time for the multimedia elements of the project, which let's not forget are supposed to be integral within an ARG to fully understanding the story being told; because seriously, who in their right mind would read a book and hate it, yet stick around for hours' worth of multimedia exploring in the hopes that the whole thing somehow becomes better by the end because of it? Well, okay, I did, but that's because I'm a critic and it's my job; and this is when I learned of the second huge problem with Personal Effects, which is that the multimedia elements (even the ones included with the book) instantly disclose a whole series of key plot developments that Hutchins tries to string along slowly within the book itself to raise the level of suspense. And this gets again into the more general problem of trying to convert alternative reality games into plain ol' alternative reality stories; because by its very nature, a game is designed to be an ephemeral event, something to be played and finished and never really returned to again, and so it doesn't really matter what specific order an audience member actually receives the information that makes up the plotline. But a long-form narrative bound story is designed precisely to be visited again over and over, to still hold its original power even when picked up randomly fifty years later by some slacker in a used bookstore, which means that the information does need to come in a certain order, which obviously even Hutchins agrees with, since he deliberately withholds some of this information within the book to try to add drama.
So to cite an excellent example, it turns out that this accused serial killer actually worked in black-ops for the CIA all the way up to almost the moment the first murder happened; and it turns out that he was involved with some kind of spooky supernatural hush-hush mind-control interrogation project; and it turns out that something went terribly wrong during his very last mission, in the spirit-laden backwoods of eastern Europe, that may or may not have involved him making an evil psychic connection with a malevolent demon or something or other. Now, are you angry at me for what seems like the divulging of a major spoiler? Then brother, you are going to be super f-cking p-ssed to learn that I didn't provide this spoiler at all, but rather that it's printed out in plain ol' black-and-white in one of the fake physical documents right in the front sleeve of the book itself. And this is a real problem for any audience member who chooses to read all this supporting evidence before the actual book, which I imagine is going to be the case with a whole lot of audience members, just out of curiosity's sake if nothing else; because this then completely negates the 50 pages of expository filler within the actual novel leading up to this realization among the characters, 50 pages of this therapist and his Mountain Dew Extreeeeme brother traipsing around Brooklyn and breaking into apartments, and hiding bicycles in dumpsters and getting bailed out of jail by their creepy villainous dad and finding a mysterious box and then losing the mysterious box and then finding the mysterious box yet again. And this is how it should be (although like I said, could've been done a lot better), because this is how we humans like our long-form narrative stories, with a certain deliberate pacing to the information to maximize drama and enjoyment (this is how we get the three-act structure, after all); so to have elements of the project that divulge this information in a bad order fairly ruins the entire project altogether, unlike a simple game where part of the fun literally is in the randomness of the clue order.
And this then gets us into the last big problem with trying to fashion alternative reality stories out of the ARG format; that again, by its very nature, the multimedia elements of an ARG are designed to last for only a short, finite amount of time, with it being highly unlikely for example that a single one of these fake phone numbers or websites will still be around in even twenty years from now. (And if that doesn't seem so bad to you, try extrapolating the situation from your favorite classic of yesteryear; imagine if the only way to truly understand Sense and Sensibility was to also watch a supplemental live play that ran the year the book first came out, the script of which was burned and forever destroyed the day that Jane Austen died. Yeah, starting to see the problem now?) And so that of course means that authors can't relay any of the story's truly important information just through the multimedia elements alone; and so that tends to make the multimedia elements of such stories mere window dressing, shiny little doodads that have been attached to the self-contained book instead of the truly immersive cross-media experience such a project is supposed to be. And again, this isn't a problem with ARGs, because by their very nature they're designed to be played and forgotten, or at least shuttled off into a passive archived format for those who wish to simply study it after the fact; and so that really does let game designers divulge crucial information within the story exclusively through the multimedia elements alone, making the entire thing a unified whole instead of a book-based Christmas tree with pretty ornaments hanging off it**.
Like I said, despite how today's review may sound, I really don't mean to slag on the creators of this project just to be slagging on them, and as always I at least applaud Hutchins for jumping in there feet-first, for really embracing something so experimental in such a whole-hearted way even knowing full-well all the clunky drawbacks that come with it. It's just that this was such a damn letdown, after letting myself get all worked up over how great I thought it was going to be, a bold success that would not only inspire a new category in the CCLaP archives but a whole new avenue in the arts in general. Instead, it was just a reminder of how far we as a creative society still have to go, before we start understanding the true power of cross-media projects in any kind of sophisticated way, how it's going to still be years if not decades before we finally see a truly brilliant ARG, one that satisfies in transient pop-culture terms even while delivering a timeless work of art. Although I hate saying it, today I am recommending Personal Effects just to the most hardcore lovers of the experimental, those who devour cutting-edge projects just for the sake of them being cutting-edge; all of you in particular will like this project, while the rest of you sadly will not.
Out of 10: 5.8
*And since we're on the subject -- I know I've given this plea many times here already, but it looks like I'm going to have to again, so here we go...ahem...Dear Middle-Aged White Male Authors: Please stop including black characters in your novels who speak in ebonics and are always spouting homespun advice learned from their grandmama. It always ends up sounding vaguely racist in this way that's hard to describe but extremely easy to spot, kind of like when you all get drunk at wedding receptions and decide that you know how to rap; and the entire thing at the end just demeans us all. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
**And by the way -- seriously, Griffin people, I understand that for the money you're spending on all this, you want to make certain that the whole thing isn't going over the heads of the hillbillies or whatever, but actually printing one of these phone numbers on a fake sticky right on the front cover is about the most unsubtle way in all of human endeavor to reveal what's supposed to be a "secret clue," other than maybe to pay Borders employees to punch customers in the face after they've bought a copy while screaming at the top of their lungs, "DON'T FORGET TO CALL 212-629-1951 WHEN YOU GET HOME!!! DON'T FORGET TO CALL 212-629-1951 WHEN YOU GET HOME!!!" This is yet another detail that made the "Evan Chan" game so successful (and to a lesser extent the equally-loved "i love bees" ARG that they did to promote the videogame Halo 2) -- that in both these cases, the incredibly intelligent and talented staff of 42 Entertainment were allowed to go wild with their ideas for divulging clues, coming up sometimes with distribution channels so diabolically clever (text buried in webpage meta tags, literally sometimes calling key players' home phones in the middle of the night and leaving creepy-sounding clues on their answering machines), it became half the fun of following the ARG in the first place. Please, mainstream publishers, have the courage to sometimes make these "secret clues" actually secret; or at the very least, please stop broadcasting them in such pandering, obvious terms. Believe me, the slack-jawed yokels aren't playing in the first place, so there's no need to keep them happy.
So are you familiar yet with this new type of creative project that's been catching on in the 2000s more and more, known as an "Alternative Reality Game" or ARG? Essentially started with a bang by entrepreneur and USC professor Jordan Weisman with the phenomenal 2001 experiment known as "Who Killed Evan Chan?," which believe it or not began as a bizarrely cutting-edge promotional campaign for the Steven Spielberg film A.I. (and which was so successful that Weisman was inspired to start the world's first creative agency devoted just to ARGs, the appropriately named 42 Entertainment [and which by the way happens to employ one of my favorite New Weird authors of all time, the exquisitely strange Sean Stewart:]), the medium gets its name from the fact that such games end up "jumping" out of the flat world of traditional storytelling, creating literally an entire fictional reality for themselves that exists among our own real physical reality, and with us randomly stumbling across these fictional elements in our day-to-day real lives. So for example, take the popular summer ARGs created each year to promote the hit television show Lost, and look at all the various ways that clues are delivered to the loose confederation of players worldwide who are trying to solve it: through fake websites that look real, telephone numbers people can actually call, fax services they can subscribe to, information "seeded" online so that it'll pop up in Google searches, even sometimes physical objects that are revealed by the show's producers during ABC press conferences and ComiCon appearances, the contents of which are blasted in Lost discussion forums for the thousands of players who weren't able to attend the actual physical event. Such ARGs have in fact turned into an astoundingly successful form of marketing for bigger artistic projects like movies and TV shows, which is why you're seeing them now more and more often -- after all, it's kind of a win/win situation, with such games not only keeping the most hardcore fans appeased but also generating a ton of traditional press. (In fact, the "Evan Chan" game inspired over a thousand mentions in the mainstream media in just the few months in 2001 it actually ran, making it one of the most effective publicity stunts in human history.)
All this of course has had a lot of artists thinking these days about the kinds of purely creative possibilities inherent in the ARG format itself, once you divorce it from its usual commercial purpose of simply promoting something else more traditional; and that's what gets us for example the brand-new Personal Effects: Dark Art, not exactly the first ARG ever released by a mainstream publisher (this was put out by Griffin, a corporate subsidiary of St. Martins Press), but certainly now the largest and most passionately supported, with the money people behind this throwing just a whole wad of resources at its multimedia component, including not only all the elements already mentioned but even a whole series of expensive fake physical objects in a sleeve in the front pocket of each and every book sold, fake drivers' licenses and fake birth certificates and other evidence linked to the tale being told in the main book. And hey, the multimedia elements were even put together by Weisman himself, based on a main story by author J.C. Hutchins who I've been a fan of for awhile, because of his willingness to embrace so many cutting-edge experiments while in the course of promoting his traditional genre thrillers; in fact, it was an interview I did with Hutchins a few years ago while running a blog about Second Life that got both of us our first mentions at Boing Boing, so needless to say I will always have a soft spot in my heart for his continual forward-thinking experiments.
So what a disappointment, then, to make my way through the project myself this week and realize what a dismal failure it is, and to be reminded of just how much even the most experimental work out there still must ultimately rely on some pretty ancient lessons about the arts to be a success. Because in my opinion, rule number one for ARGs simply has to be the following, a lesson that Weisman seems to have learned but that so few other ARG producers have: that for such an experimental, high-committment project to succeed, the underlying story fueling it has to be much better than most other traditional stories out there, much smarter and more engaging than the typical genre potboiler, instead of the typical attitude you see among so many of these producers, that ARGs can get away with subpar stories as long as you adorn them with a bunch of pretty crap. And so it is here with Personal Effects too, with Hutchins not only turning in a very rote, by-the-numbers horror tale (a genre I'm not much of a fan of to begin with), but with an overall quality clocking in on the low end of the genre scale as well, a sometimes laughably bad melodrama bound to be enjoyed only by the most diehard Stephen King fans out there (and in fact not even really Stephen King -- more like the most diehard Joe Hill fans out there).
If this were a traditional publishing project, for example, it'd be the type of book I'd give up on about halfway through, and just write one of my little weekend micro-reviews and be done with it, because of what turns out to just be a whole pile of extremely basic literary mistakes found throughout: wild inconsistencies in character development (for example, a supposed "world-famous" art therapist who half the time talks and acts like a petulant teenager); badly clashing tones in the setting (the main location is a crumbling state mental hospital from the Victorian Age that has supposedly been forgotten by society at large, yet is where the most notorious serial killer in New York history is sent for observation after being arrested); plotholes so large you could drive a truck through them (such as this intriguing question: "Why the f-ck has an art therapist been assigned to do a psychological profile of the most notorious serial killer in New York history instead of, say, a psychologist?"); antagonists so cartoonishly two-dimensional that they might as well be twirling their mustaches while tying a blonde to some railroad tracks; dialogue so ridiculously juvenile that it'll make even Joss Whedon fans cringe in embarrassment; non-white characters that threaten to actually turn racist from their sheer "Magic Negro" lefty earnestness*; and just a whole lot more that I'm not going to go into, because despite how it might sound, I don't mean for today's review to be deliberately cruel.
This then creates a troubling situation when it comes time for the multimedia elements of the project, which let's not forget are supposed to be integral within an ARG to fully understanding the story being told; because seriously, who in their right mind would read a book and hate it, yet stick around for hours' worth of multimedia exploring in the hopes that the whole thing somehow becomes better by the end because of it? Well, okay, I did, but that's because I'm a critic and it's my job; and this is when I learned of the second huge problem with Personal Effects, which is that the multimedia elements (even the ones included with the book) instantly disclose a whole series of key plot developments that Hutchins tries to string along slowly within the book itself to raise the level of suspense. And this gets again into the more general problem of trying to convert alternative reality games into plain ol' alternative reality stories; because by its very nature, a game is designed to be an ephemeral event, something to be played and finished and never really returned to again, and so it doesn't really matter what specific order an audience member actually receives the information that makes up the plotline. But a long-form narrative bound story is designed precisely to be visited again over and over, to still hold its original power even when picked up randomly fifty years later by some slacker in a used bookstore, which means that the information does need to come in a certain order, which obviously even Hutchins agrees with, since he deliberately withholds some of this information within the book to try to add drama.
So to cite an excellent example, it turns out that this accused serial killer actually worked in black-ops for the CIA all the way up to almost the moment the first murder happened; and it turns out that he was involved with some kind of spooky supernatural hush-hush mind-control interrogation project; and it turns out that something went terribly wrong during his very last mission, in the spirit-laden backwoods of eastern Europe, that may or may not have involved him making an evil psychic connection with a malevolent demon or something or other. Now, are you angry at me for what seems like the divulging of a major spoiler? Then brother, you are going to be super f-cking p-ssed to learn that I didn't provide this spoiler at all, but rather that it's printed out in plain ol' black-and-white in one of the fake physical documents right in the front sleeve of the book itself. And this is a real problem for any audience member who chooses to read all this supporting evidence before the actual book, which I imagine is going to be the case with a whole lot of audience members, just out of curiosity's sake if nothing else; because this then completely negates the 50 pages of expository filler within the actual novel leading up to this realization among the characters, 50 pages of this therapist and his Mountain Dew Extreeeeme brother traipsing around Brooklyn and breaking into apartments, and hiding bicycles in dumpsters and getting bailed out of jail by their creepy villainous dad and finding a mysterious box and then losing the mysterious box and then finding the mysterious box yet again. And this is how it should be (although like I said, could've been done a lot better), because this is how we humans like our long-form narrative stories, with a certain deliberate pacing to the information to maximize drama and enjoyment (this is how we get the three-act structure, after all); so to have elements of the project that divulge this information in a bad order fairly ruins the entire project altogether, unlike a simple game where part of the fun literally is in the randomness of the clue order.
And this then gets us into the last big problem with trying to fashion alternative reality stories out of the ARG format; that again, by its very nature, the multimedia elements of an ARG are designed to last for only a short, finite amount of time, with it being highly unlikely for example that a single one of these fake phone numbers or websites will still be around in even twenty years from now. (And if that doesn't seem so bad to you, try extrapolating the situation from your favorite classic of yesteryear; imagine if the only way to truly understand Sense and Sensibility was to also watch a supplemental live play that ran the year the book first came out, the script of which was burned and forever destroyed the day that Jane Austen died. Yeah, starting to see the problem now?) And so that of course means that authors can't relay any of the story's truly important information just through the multimedia elements alone; and so that tends to make the multimedia elements of such stories mere window dressing, shiny little doodads that have been attached to the self-contained book instead of the truly immersive cross-media experience such a project is supposed to be. And again, this isn't a problem with ARGs, because by their very nature they're designed to be played and forgotten, or at least shuttled off into a passive archived format for those who wish to simply study it after the fact; and so that really does let game designers divulge crucial information within the story exclusively through the multimedia elements alone, making the entire thing a unified whole instead of a book-based Christmas tree with pretty ornaments hanging off it**.
Like I said, despite how today's review may sound, I really don't mean to slag on the creators of this project just to be slagging on them, and as always I at least applaud Hutchins for jumping in there feet-first, for really embracing something so experimental in such a whole-hearted way even knowing full-well all the clunky drawbacks that come with it. It's just that this was such a damn letdown, after letting myself get all worked up over how great I thought it was going to be, a bold success that would not only inspire a new category in the CCLaP archives but a whole new avenue in the arts in general. Instead, it was just a reminder of how far we as a creative society still have to go, before we start understanding the true power of cross-media projects in any kind of sophisticated way, how it's going to still be years if not decades before we finally see a truly brilliant ARG, one that satisfies in transient pop-culture terms even while delivering a timeless work of art. Although I hate saying it, today I am recommending Personal Effects just to the most hardcore lovers of the experimental, those who devour cutting-edge projects just for the sake of them being cutting-edge; all of you in particular will like this project, while the rest of you sadly will not.
Out of 10: 5.8
*And since we're on the subject -- I know I've given this plea many times here already, but it looks like I'm going to have to again, so here we go...ahem...Dear Middle-Aged White Male Authors: Please stop including black characters in your novels who speak in ebonics and are always spouting homespun advice learned from their grandmama. It always ends up sounding vaguely racist in this way that's hard to describe but extremely easy to spot, kind of like when you all get drunk at wedding receptions and decide that you know how to rap; and the entire thing at the end just demeans us all. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
**And by the way -- seriously, Griffin people, I understand that for the money you're spending on all this, you want to make certain that the whole thing isn't going over the heads of the hillbillies or whatever, but actually printing one of these phone numbers on a fake sticky right on the front cover is about the most unsubtle way in all of human endeavor to reveal what's supposed to be a "secret clue," other than maybe to pay Borders employees to punch customers in the face after they've bought a copy while screaming at the top of their lungs, "DON'T FORGET TO CALL 212-629-1951 WHEN YOU GET HOME!!! DON'T FORGET TO CALL 212-629-1951 WHEN YOU GET HOME!!!" This is yet another detail that made the "Evan Chan" game so successful (and to a lesser extent the equally-loved "i love bees" ARG that they did to promote the videogame Halo 2) -- that in both these cases, the incredibly intelligent and talented staff of 42 Entertainment were allowed to go wild with their ideas for divulging clues, coming up sometimes with distribution channels so diabolically clever (text buried in webpage meta tags, literally sometimes calling key players' home phones in the middle of the night and leaving creepy-sounding clues on their answering machines), it became half the fun of following the ARG in the first place. Please, mainstream publishers, have the courage to sometimes make these "secret clues" actually secret; or at the very least, please stop broadcasting them in such pandering, obvious terms. Believe me, the slack-jawed yokels aren't playing in the first place, so there's no need to keep them happy.
August 28, 2019
Unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy the interactive aspect of the story since all the websites and phone numbers are down but the story was nice enough.
September 25, 2020
This isn't a terrible book, but the good parts don't make up for the parts that drove me crazy. First of all, whatever "romance" is going on between Rachael and Zach. I have no idea how long they've been dating (they live together, though), but I do know they are ADULTS in an ADULT relationship, not teenagers. They say the most cringe-worthy shit to each other. He calls her "geek goddess" (because she's good with computers, yo) and she calls him "hottie artist" (because he's an art therapist and needs constant validation, yo) and every time they did this, I would choke back the bile rising in my throat. Seriously. "Hottie artist" especially KILLS me and I don't know why. It just sounds like shit to my ears and I hate it. They CONSTANTLY have "flirty" back and forth banter and that is all their "conversations" consist of other than the times they're trying to figure out the history of a possible homicidal maniac and avoid death at the hands of the dark supernatural entity that is trying to kill them all. "All" includes Zac's dumb ass brother Luke. *sigh* I don't even want to get started on this asshole because I hated him so much...he's another "geek" and incessantly crams "gamer talk" down everyone's bleeding ear holes because THAT IS HIS IDENTITY AND HE WILL BE DAMNED IF YOU FORGET IT. Can anyone tell me what the fuck "katabatic" means? He says it over and over and over again amid the dozens of other stupid things he says. He ends almost every conversation with "meep-meep", calls creepy situations "wind chill", and says some stupid phrase about a martini that I also didn't get and also made me want to kill him. KATABATIC! DIE HORRID SCUM! Seriously, though, I hated all three of these characters and I kinda prayed for their deaths but I would get no satisfaction on that end because these a-holes all survive as I struggle to forget how irritated I became. The creepy parts of the story were decent, but as I said, the story took a backseat because I could not stand these characters. If you hate the main characters, the book is a loss. In conclusion, a mighty FUCK YOU to Zac, Rachael, and Luke. May you all perish horribly.
June 10, 2011
First the negatives: This is a typical novel for entertainment purposes, not overly deep or insightful. The main character is an art therapist, but it portrays an extremely unrealistic image of what art therapy is and what an art therapist does. This character makes several poor ethical decisions without note, probably because the author doesn't know enough about the job. He is solving mysteries through patient art -- not likely. There is no mention of training or credentials -- not that there needs to be in a novel, but as a newbie art therapist it seems like that would be a relevant part of his life.
More importantly, this novel takes a stereotypical and harmful view of mental illness. It's not respectfully done in that regard. Patients are "crazy" and murderous locked in the depths of a hellish hospital. Not really cool.
But, I'm ashamed to say I kinda enjoyed reading it. The main character, Zach, is at least spunky and I really like the concept of a multi-media approach to a novel. This book includes props (reports, cards, artwork). You can call the phone numbers mentioned and listen to voice mail, check out websites. This is all pretty cool. An interactive reading experience.
More importantly, this novel takes a stereotypical and harmful view of mental illness. It's not respectfully done in that regard. Patients are "crazy" and murderous locked in the depths of a hellish hospital. Not really cool.
But, I'm ashamed to say I kinda enjoyed reading it. The main character, Zach, is at least spunky and I really like the concept of a multi-media approach to a novel. This book includes props (reports, cards, artwork). You can call the phone numbers mentioned and listen to voice mail, check out websites. This is all pretty cool. An interactive reading experience.
June 16, 2009
Written very well, could hardly put it down at night. The ARG part of the novel was nice, though it didn't lend much to the story besides a visual, and sometimes auditory bonus. Hutchins' descriptions of the items were detailed enough that you didn't need the driver's license and copy of the painting and arrest records. The voice mail was also a nice touch, but will it still be around in 5 years when someone new comes to the book? The PixelVixen707 blog is a nice touch, brings a sort of reality to a fictional story.
Hutchins' does this thing where there are two paragraphs running at once, and where on is a constant run of words with no spaces. I found those sections to be a little hard to understand. While this style works better in an audio version of a story to incite tension and the dramatic, the effect is lost in print form.
The end leaves it open for more from Alex the art therapist and his time at The Brink, I'm sorry, Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital, and I'd welcome them.
Hutchins' does this thing where there are two paragraphs running at once, and where on is a constant run of words with no spaces. I found those sections to be a little hard to understand. While this style works better in an audio version of a story to incite tension and the dramatic, the effect is lost in print form.
The end leaves it open for more from Alex the art therapist and his time at The Brink, I'm sorry, Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital, and I'd welcome them.
June 18, 2010
This book is so amazingly interactive! Letters, websites, ID cards, realistic crime scene photos; it reminds me of when I was a child and played things like Mystery Date or the princess games where you have little physical accoutrements to further engage you in the story. Unfortunately, the story itself was a little lackluster – seemed to be more of a concept book than something that could live up to its accessories. A young psychiatrist is determined to break through to a new patient accused of committing a horrible crime through art, the artist/therapist’s dad just happens to be the lawyer prosecuting the case. The man being interviewed seems to have supernatural powers of deduction, especially when you take into account the fact that he is blind. But is he who the institution claims he is?
It doesn’t surprise me that the author is one of the creators of the videogame MechWarrior- there is something definitively game-ish about the clues and interactive media.
It doesn’t surprise me that the author is one of the creators of the videogame MechWarrior- there is something definitively game-ish about the clues and interactive media.
March 29, 2015
So I mainly got this book because I thought the fact that it came with actual documents and effects from the fictional case file was a cool idea, but in reality, none of that was needed. It's cool to look at, but most of it is explained in the story. I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed that none of the phone numbers worked. Also, the websites are no longer up and I had to use web archive to view them. Put all of that aside though, and you've got a really cool story. This novel is an easy read and a captivating story that works just as well without all of the extra stuff. You quickly get pulled into Zachary's story and feel almost like you're right there with him while he is doing his research and making his discoveries. I definitely recommend this.
November 19, 2018
I may come as a shock but I just could not finish reading this book. The writing wasn't to my liking and kind of turned me off. It seemed more convoluted then it needed to be, and probably could have been a shorter story. Very interesting concept, although the phone numbers and website references no longer work. For me not to be able to finish a book is extremely rare.
December 27, 2018
I’m sure this book would have read better at the time of publication. Unfortunately the format isn’t quite so groundbreaking anymore. I was disappointed that the included ephemera did not tie into the story as any more than props.
The story itself was hardly a thriller. I found myself wishing for either more supernatural influence or more psychological influence - instead it toed the line in very non-committal way to likely not ostracize one side of the readership.
Overall a mediocre read. Also, how many times can a person “suck air” in a story? I mean, pick another action for a sharp intake of breath already.
The story itself was hardly a thriller. I found myself wishing for either more supernatural influence or more psychological influence - instead it toed the line in very non-committal way to likely not ostracize one side of the readership.
Overall a mediocre read. Also, how many times can a person “suck air” in a story? I mean, pick another action for a sharp intake of breath already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2019
Don't bother with this at all. None of the websites are still up and all the phone numbers are disconnected.
If you're going to write a book with supplemental material then it is your job as the writer to keep that supplemental material up to date. You don't paint a painting and then let it collect dust on the floor and sell it covered in dust for full price.
The book itself reads like a YA Mad Libs mystery where the phone numbers and websites are just thrown in with no subtlety whatsoever, almost as if the book was written around the materials and not the other way around. Then to have the materials NOT WORK is the icing on the cake of a poorly executed attempt.
If you're going to write a book with supplemental material then it is your job as the writer to keep that supplemental material up to date. You don't paint a painting and then let it collect dust on the floor and sell it covered in dust for full price.
The book itself reads like a YA Mad Libs mystery where the phone numbers and websites are just thrown in with no subtlety whatsoever, almost as if the book was written around the materials and not the other way around. Then to have the materials NOT WORK is the icing on the cake of a poorly executed attempt.
May 9, 2017
Garbage. This book should not be labeled as a mystery but simply a thriller and a bad one at that. I don't know where to start from the useless "clues" that are included but never needed (which is good considering all the multimedia ones like the phone number don't work ) to the weak and confusing plot... almost every other page has a typo or two, terrible writing....straight to the point coming from someone who is very generous with 5 star ratings, don't waste your time.
January 5, 2024
Bought this book secondhand in 2018 so it didn't come with all of the accessories and props. Either way, I enjoyed all the hauntingly beautiful art and I appreciated the effort that went into making this uniquely interactive book! Now I don't think the story itself was striking, but it was an easy and fun read.
Hope to come across more interactive books like this one!
Hope to come across more interactive books like this one!
April 3, 2024
This was an interesting puzzle book. You have to solve the mystery by calling phone numbers and going to websites and using the papers and photos in the book to solve the mystery, throw in a few love triangles , some spooky bits and wala you have a great read and storyline.
December 18, 2018
Cool book.
February 21, 2019
A fun adventure into madness and the mind
June 15, 2009
Just this morning I finished a book that has paved new ground in literary history. The book is Personal Effects: Dark Arts by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman. I've been a fan of J.C.'s work for some time as he successfully podcast a wonderful action/adventure/thriller trilogy called 7th Son, which he completed in 2007.
Personal Effects is the first "dead-tree edition" of one of J.C.'s works. Based on a concept by Jordan Weisman, it is an excellent novel. If supernatural thrillers are your thing, then this book is for you.
What really sets this apart is the experience away from the page. Yep, there's an experience to be had here separate from the book. The book has a built-in envelope that contains several items, or personal effects. These include authentic looking plastic ID and credit cards, birth certificates, death certificates, photos, and more. (If you want to see the items, J.C. has several "unboxing" videos on his site.) Many of these items are directly referenced in the text, but they can also contain clues that you can use elsewhere.
Elsewhere? Phone numbers are sprinkled throughout the book and personal effects, including the cell phone number for the main character right on the cover. These are real phone numbers, with recordings from the characters. During the course the book pin numbers are referenced, and you can use these to listen to voice mail messages that add more depth to the story between the covers.
Likewise, there are websites for you to explore. Some come from the novel itself, others from the personal effects. For example I took an e-mail address from one of the included personal effects and went to the website for that domain, then used information from the novel to hack in and read hidden documents.
I'm not usually much of a puzzle guy, but I really enjoyed searching the websites and voice mails for clues and information kept secret by characters and organizations from the book. In fact, even though I've finished the book I'm still planning on doing some more digging because I know I haven't found everything. There are a few of the included documents that still have a story to tell. Even though I've finished the novel, I don't want the experience to end.
But when all is said and done, it's a book, right? Even on its own it is a great read. I tend to use the term "critical mass" to describe when a book reaches the point where I can't put it down until I finish it. Not every book achieves this level of interest, but Personal Effects did. In fact the only reason I didn't finish it before bed last night was because I was literally so tired I was unable to keep my eyes open. But the first thing I did this morning was to finish the book.
If you want to check out J.C.'s writing without spending a dime, he is currently podcasting Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, a novella that takes place days before the events in the novel. Same characters, same settings, but a story totally unrelated to the main events in Dark Art.
So as you can tell I heartily recommend Personal Effects: Dark Art, and I encourage you to buy a copy. You'll be helping out a new novelist, and get yourself a great read. In addition to everything I mentioned above, it is a beautiful package, with interesting artwork throughout the book. With all the extras included, the $24.95 list price is quite a deal.
And remember the name J.C. Hutchins. The first book in the 7th Son trilogy will be published in the fall of 2009. You'll want to grab a copy of that, too.
Personal Effects is the first "dead-tree edition" of one of J.C.'s works. Based on a concept by Jordan Weisman, it is an excellent novel. If supernatural thrillers are your thing, then this book is for you.
What really sets this apart is the experience away from the page. Yep, there's an experience to be had here separate from the book. The book has a built-in envelope that contains several items, or personal effects. These include authentic looking plastic ID and credit cards, birth certificates, death certificates, photos, and more. (If you want to see the items, J.C. has several "unboxing" videos on his site.) Many of these items are directly referenced in the text, but they can also contain clues that you can use elsewhere.
Elsewhere? Phone numbers are sprinkled throughout the book and personal effects, including the cell phone number for the main character right on the cover. These are real phone numbers, with recordings from the characters. During the course the book pin numbers are referenced, and you can use these to listen to voice mail messages that add more depth to the story between the covers.
Likewise, there are websites for you to explore. Some come from the novel itself, others from the personal effects. For example I took an e-mail address from one of the included personal effects and went to the website for that domain, then used information from the novel to hack in and read hidden documents.
I'm not usually much of a puzzle guy, but I really enjoyed searching the websites and voice mails for clues and information kept secret by characters and organizations from the book. In fact, even though I've finished the book I'm still planning on doing some more digging because I know I haven't found everything. There are a few of the included documents that still have a story to tell. Even though I've finished the novel, I don't want the experience to end.
But when all is said and done, it's a book, right? Even on its own it is a great read. I tend to use the term "critical mass" to describe when a book reaches the point where I can't put it down until I finish it. Not every book achieves this level of interest, but Personal Effects did. In fact the only reason I didn't finish it before bed last night was because I was literally so tired I was unable to keep my eyes open. But the first thing I did this morning was to finish the book.
If you want to check out J.C.'s writing without spending a dime, he is currently podcasting Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, a novella that takes place days before the events in the novel. Same characters, same settings, but a story totally unrelated to the main events in Dark Art.
So as you can tell I heartily recommend Personal Effects: Dark Art, and I encourage you to buy a copy. You'll be helping out a new novelist, and get yourself a great read. In addition to everything I mentioned above, it is a beautiful package, with interesting artwork throughout the book. With all the extras included, the $24.95 list price is quite a deal.
And remember the name J.C. Hutchins. The first book in the 7th Son trilogy will be published in the fall of 2009. You'll want to grab a copy of that, too.
December 7, 2009
I learned about Dark Art from an Escape Pod podcast that included an ad for the book. Hutchins and Weisman have crafted a multi-modal book that builds on its story with a series of inserts including things like a driver’s license and medical reports, death certificates, etc. They’ve created a number of websites and some phone numbers to call as well.
The story follows Zach Taylor, an art-therapist working at an horrifying psychiatric hospital, “Brinkvale,” investigates a patient charged with murdering a dozen people despite his rock solid alibis. The story evokes some horrifying monster reminiscent of Cthulhu or other Old Ones that haunts the madman, murdering people and tormenting him with visions of their deaths; he’s a modern Cassandra, but not so innocent.
A few thoughts:
* The story’s pretty good, with some genuinely creepy parts and well-crafted characters. I like the relationships and witty banter Taylor has with his girlfriend and brother, but they’re also a bit too pat. I’m not sure what makes me feel that way. The environments really sing in this story: Brinkvale is a masterpiece of creepy gothic horror. The notion of an insane asylum built into the ground and left to rot is haunting and terrifying.
* As for the extra materials, they ended up being too much work for me. I wonder if I’d found this journal in blog form online if it would have worked better for me, but the affordances of reading a novel (portability, silence, no-network needed) got in the way of following up on the phone numbers and websites. Since I usually read at night before I go to sleep, I don’t usually have a phone or a keyboard handy, and I’m not inclined to fetch one. Thus, I only followed up on a few of the websites.
* The insert materials are interesting, and make for a fun game of “match the object” when it’s evoked in the narrative. The problem was that I’m not compelled to push outside the story to find out everything to find. Like extras on a DVD, I don’t see the need to search for these. Perhaps the story will explain itself better, but the narrative didn’t demand that I leave to go to those extra things, and so I didn’t. Perhaps if there’d been something indicating that I needed to look at this or that or solve a puzzle to move forward, I would have.
* I got this book from a library, which makes it doubly interesting as I don’t know whether I received all the insert materials or not. What if one went missing? More creepily, what if someone added something? I’m inclined to do so myself. That makes me ponder another project: what if there were a book like this made of leaves of paper in a three-ring binder. People who check out the story could choose from a vast storehouse of things online to print and add, or they can make their own. Each person who reads the book would add a bit more to it, and each story would take on its own shape. I wonder how that would look… Summer project!
* I need to comment on the title. I wonder if this is meant to be the beginning of a series. The two part title, Personal Effects: Dark Art makes it seem as though there will be other “Personal Effects” books. But the long and short of it is that the title sounds dumb dumb dumb.
An interesting experiment, even if the story left me lukewarm. Some good moments and good characterization, but I think the extra material distracted me from the story, in the end, and limited its impact.
The story follows Zach Taylor, an art-therapist working at an horrifying psychiatric hospital, “Brinkvale,” investigates a patient charged with murdering a dozen people despite his rock solid alibis. The story evokes some horrifying monster reminiscent of Cthulhu or other Old Ones that haunts the madman, murdering people and tormenting him with visions of their deaths; he’s a modern Cassandra, but not so innocent.
A few thoughts:
* The story’s pretty good, with some genuinely creepy parts and well-crafted characters. I like the relationships and witty banter Taylor has with his girlfriend and brother, but they’re also a bit too pat. I’m not sure what makes me feel that way. The environments really sing in this story: Brinkvale is a masterpiece of creepy gothic horror. The notion of an insane asylum built into the ground and left to rot is haunting and terrifying.
* As for the extra materials, they ended up being too much work for me. I wonder if I’d found this journal in blog form online if it would have worked better for me, but the affordances of reading a novel (portability, silence, no-network needed) got in the way of following up on the phone numbers and websites. Since I usually read at night before I go to sleep, I don’t usually have a phone or a keyboard handy, and I’m not inclined to fetch one. Thus, I only followed up on a few of the websites.
* The insert materials are interesting, and make for a fun game of “match the object” when it’s evoked in the narrative. The problem was that I’m not compelled to push outside the story to find out everything to find. Like extras on a DVD, I don’t see the need to search for these. Perhaps the story will explain itself better, but the narrative didn’t demand that I leave to go to those extra things, and so I didn’t. Perhaps if there’d been something indicating that I needed to look at this or that or solve a puzzle to move forward, I would have.
* I got this book from a library, which makes it doubly interesting as I don’t know whether I received all the insert materials or not. What if one went missing? More creepily, what if someone added something? I’m inclined to do so myself. That makes me ponder another project: what if there were a book like this made of leaves of paper in a three-ring binder. People who check out the story could choose from a vast storehouse of things online to print and add, or they can make their own. Each person who reads the book would add a bit more to it, and each story would take on its own shape. I wonder how that would look… Summer project!
* I need to comment on the title. I wonder if this is meant to be the beginning of a series. The two part title, Personal Effects: Dark Art makes it seem as though there will be other “Personal Effects” books. But the long and short of it is that the title sounds dumb dumb dumb.
An interesting experiment, even if the story left me lukewarm. Some good moments and good characterization, but I think the extra material distracted me from the story, in the end, and limited its impact.
June 6, 2016
I mentioned this book for the first time in January 2012 in a post about visual elements in books. A little bit more than a year later, I have finally managed to read the book. Before I share my thoughts on the book, I feel like I should mention how I came to hear about this book and why it held such intrigue.
I don’t often watch book trailers because I think that they’re limiting. I’d much rather read a blurb and make a decision based on that. My boyfriend showed me this, and I must say, even I got excited. How could you not, with taglines such as What happens when a novel is so spooky it freaks out the people who write horror stories?
I feel that as a concept book this could work, but as a novel not so much. The narrative and the characters in this story felt very convenient to me. The language, slang and conversations so forced, unrealistic, silly and trying too hard in places. It is much better suited to a game where it possibly wouldn’t bug you so much.
I did not experience what was promised in the book trailer, and fail to see the connection to the horror stories referenced in the trailer. All the extras that are included in the book (photographs, ID, birth certificate etc.) are all rather pointless as they do not add anything to the story at all. The authors come from a background of gaming and ARGs, so I understand why they tried to incorporate similar experiences here. Ultimately I feel that this kind of incorporation would be better suited to a different platform like an online blog forum, even a newspaper or serialised magazine.
Part of the problem is that many of the online elements are no longer accessible, so that that side of interactivity is immediately unsuccessful. Possibly if the book could be made available online in some format where all the interactive elements are still available it would be amazing. Right now it just seems like an ambitious exercise that was abandoned. If you are unlucky enough to read this a few years after the release, too bad, you’ll run into a dead-end. This really bothers me – I like to read before bed and this felt like too much work for too little in return.
I was not able to follow the clues included in the story. This made it clear that you do not need the evidence provided to help you follow the mystery. There were a few continuity errors and a lot of typographical errors. At some point I thought that the typos were put there on purpose so that a hidden message could be deciphered (you know, like Aunt Josephine from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events). I think I just got carried away with my thoughts though.
Matthew disagrees completely but this book just felt too gimicky for me. Things are referenced before they are revealed to the protagonist, the convenience in plot lines and the lack of spookiness was just all too much for me. If you’re interested in something different, give it a shot, but if you just want something to read before bedtime that won’t constantly drop things on your face, look elsewhere.
Full post with images and videos can be viewed here: http://www.iwantadodo.com/personal-ef...
I don’t often watch book trailers because I think that they’re limiting. I’d much rather read a blurb and make a decision based on that. My boyfriend showed me this, and I must say, even I got excited. How could you not, with taglines such as What happens when a novel is so spooky it freaks out the people who write horror stories?
I feel that as a concept book this could work, but as a novel not so much. The narrative and the characters in this story felt very convenient to me. The language, slang and conversations so forced, unrealistic, silly and trying too hard in places. It is much better suited to a game where it possibly wouldn’t bug you so much.
I did not experience what was promised in the book trailer, and fail to see the connection to the horror stories referenced in the trailer. All the extras that are included in the book (photographs, ID, birth certificate etc.) are all rather pointless as they do not add anything to the story at all. The authors come from a background of gaming and ARGs, so I understand why they tried to incorporate similar experiences here. Ultimately I feel that this kind of incorporation would be better suited to a different platform like an online blog forum, even a newspaper or serialised magazine.
Part of the problem is that many of the online elements are no longer accessible, so that that side of interactivity is immediately unsuccessful. Possibly if the book could be made available online in some format where all the interactive elements are still available it would be amazing. Right now it just seems like an ambitious exercise that was abandoned. If you are unlucky enough to read this a few years after the release, too bad, you’ll run into a dead-end. This really bothers me – I like to read before bed and this felt like too much work for too little in return.
I was not able to follow the clues included in the story. This made it clear that you do not need the evidence provided to help you follow the mystery. There were a few continuity errors and a lot of typographical errors. At some point I thought that the typos were put there on purpose so that a hidden message could be deciphered (you know, like Aunt Josephine from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events). I think I just got carried away with my thoughts though.
Matthew disagrees completely but this book just felt too gimicky for me. Things are referenced before they are revealed to the protagonist, the convenience in plot lines and the lack of spookiness was just all too much for me. If you’re interested in something different, give it a shot, but if you just want something to read before bedtime that won’t constantly drop things on your face, look elsewhere.
Full post with images and videos can be viewed here: http://www.iwantadodo.com/personal-ef...
September 29, 2016
Personal Effects: Dark Art
J.C. Hutchins tries a new form of storytelling in this Supernatural thriller.
“Personal Effects: Dark Art” is by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman. This is Hutchins second novel, the first being the “7th Son.” Weisman is known for creating marketing campaigns for such famous franchises like “The Dark Knight” and “Halo.”
The story follows an art therapist, Zackary Taylor, and his new patient, Martin Grace. Grace is a blind psychic serial killer convicted of twelve murders. Grace claims he has not killed but takes responsibility for the victim’s deaths. Acting difficult, Taylor has to learn to match wits with Grace. Taylor discovers not only Grace’s secret path but also his own families filled with conspiracies, love triangles, and ghost.
The novel comes with items used and described throughout the book called “Personal Effects.” License, photographs, birth and death certificates were included. The reader can call the phone numbers and search the websites.
The story and writing was engaging. Hutchins does not waste time introducing characters. The narrative is fast paced and action is always present. Character interaction troubled me like with Zack and his brother. The author took to much time explaining the brother’s way of speech and I found myself wishing he would just start speaking normal.
The reason I bought the books was for The “Personal Effects.” I ended up being very disappointed, distracted, and found the items useless. Hutchins does an excellent job of describing objects, events, and characters so there was no need for the interactive substance. Besides, the need to use the material dropped off in the middle of the novel. Calling the phone number threw off my imagination. The character’s tone didn’t match the character’s voice in the book. Zack Taylor’s father did not sound as tough over the phone as he did on the page. The website’s wasted time on useless topics which had no importance with the book.
The novel is a good read. It was appealing and kept my interest. The mystery, murder, and secrets keep the reader wondering to the end. The extra elements didn’t enhance the read like I anticipated. It took me out of the story instead of dragging me in.
J.C. Hutchins tries a new form of storytelling in this Supernatural thriller.
“Personal Effects: Dark Art” is by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman. This is Hutchins second novel, the first being the “7th Son.” Weisman is known for creating marketing campaigns for such famous franchises like “The Dark Knight” and “Halo.”
The story follows an art therapist, Zackary Taylor, and his new patient, Martin Grace. Grace is a blind psychic serial killer convicted of twelve murders. Grace claims he has not killed but takes responsibility for the victim’s deaths. Acting difficult, Taylor has to learn to match wits with Grace. Taylor discovers not only Grace’s secret path but also his own families filled with conspiracies, love triangles, and ghost.
The novel comes with items used and described throughout the book called “Personal Effects.” License, photographs, birth and death certificates were included. The reader can call the phone numbers and search the websites.
The story and writing was engaging. Hutchins does not waste time introducing characters. The narrative is fast paced and action is always present. Character interaction troubled me like with Zack and his brother. The author took to much time explaining the brother’s way of speech and I found myself wishing he would just start speaking normal.
The reason I bought the books was for The “Personal Effects.” I ended up being very disappointed, distracted, and found the items useless. Hutchins does an excellent job of describing objects, events, and characters so there was no need for the interactive substance. Besides, the need to use the material dropped off in the middle of the novel. Calling the phone number threw off my imagination. The character’s tone didn’t match the character’s voice in the book. Zack Taylor’s father did not sound as tough over the phone as he did on the page. The website’s wasted time on useless topics which had no importance with the book.
The novel is a good read. It was appealing and kept my interest. The mystery, murder, and secrets keep the reader wondering to the end. The extra elements didn’t enhance the read like I anticipated. It took me out of the story instead of dragging me in.
July 4, 2009
Zach Taylor is an art therapist recently employed at Brinkvale Psychiatric. He can be reached at (212) 629-1951. With a dark history of his own, he uses his gift for art to help the most troubled of patients. Which is why his boss gives him the case of Martin Grace, an alleged multiple-murderer.
The book itself opens with a very official and convincing psychiatric report for the patient, Martin Grace. Even before you get to the "strict security measures are necessary" part, it is apparent that the case is going to be tough.
The case brings Zach to many dead ends. Martin says he is blind though his eyes are physically sound. He is being accused of murders for times when he has a rock-solid alibi. In his sessions with Martin, Zach is frightened by how this apparently blind man can understand him so well. And how little he can get through to him. Seeing an old version of himself in Martin, Zach does everything he can (and some things he shouldn't) to help Martin.
J.C. Hutchins (author of 7th Son) and Jordan Weisman (co-author of Cathy's Book) are both authors who create immersible and believable world. Personal Effects: Dark Arts is a murder mystery with a touch of supernatural phenomena to it. Though I love a good mystery, I was most attracted to the idea of being able to see and touch the evidence. With the book comes a set of documents, photos, ID cards that relate to the story.The story works very well without them, but with them, it becomes more engaging and the reader is able to go beyond what is on the page, to discover a new system of storytelling.
The number listed above actually takes you to the main character's voicemail. In the book, Zach tells his girlfriend to listen to a voicemail that his father left him, and gives her the code. By doing this, he gives you the code so you're able to hear the message as well. This story felt so alive to me! The main character feels like a friend by the end, with the reader serving as a Sam to his Frodo.
Please visit http://brinkvalepsychiatric.com/ for more information about Zach's place of employment. I hear they're accepting art for the patient gallery.
The book itself opens with a very official and convincing psychiatric report for the patient, Martin Grace. Even before you get to the "strict security measures are necessary" part, it is apparent that the case is going to be tough.
The case brings Zach to many dead ends. Martin says he is blind though his eyes are physically sound. He is being accused of murders for times when he has a rock-solid alibi. In his sessions with Martin, Zach is frightened by how this apparently blind man can understand him so well. And how little he can get through to him. Seeing an old version of himself in Martin, Zach does everything he can (and some things he shouldn't) to help Martin.
J.C. Hutchins (author of 7th Son) and Jordan Weisman (co-author of Cathy's Book) are both authors who create immersible and believable world. Personal Effects: Dark Arts is a murder mystery with a touch of supernatural phenomena to it. Though I love a good mystery, I was most attracted to the idea of being able to see and touch the evidence. With the book comes a set of documents, photos, ID cards that relate to the story.The story works very well without them, but with them, it becomes more engaging and the reader is able to go beyond what is on the page, to discover a new system of storytelling.
The number listed above actually takes you to the main character's voicemail. In the book, Zach tells his girlfriend to listen to a voicemail that his father left him, and gives her the code. By doing this, he gives you the code so you're able to hear the message as well. This story felt so alive to me! The main character feels like a friend by the end, with the reader serving as a Sam to his Frodo.
Please visit http://brinkvalepsychiatric.com/ for more information about Zach's place of employment. I hear they're accepting art for the patient gallery.
June 23, 2009
One of the first books I've actually "read" in quite some time. Ahh, the technological wonder of Audiobooks and podiobooks. Thanks to Audible, J.C. Hutchins, Scott Sigler, and my 45 minute drive to and from work, I listen to a lot of books. This one, while capable of being put in audio form, will lose some of it's magic if it is ever podcasted because of the "Personal Effects" the book comes along with. For those of you that haven't heard of this book then you need to know that it is kinda like an alternate reality game where you are the voyuer.
The book comes with a pack of semi-real buisness cards, photographs, and documents, while also throwing in some easter eggs in the book that allow you to take the book offline and on-line. You can call telephone numbers and explorer the world created by JC and Jordon on the internet. It really makes the book feel more real. Plus you get the try to hack into their Voicemail and web accounts (Still haven't pulled it off yet)
As for the actual story line I wasn't disappointed, other than feeling like I jumped the gun a little reading it so soon before JC has finished podcasting the prequel about another patient in the Brink. JC did a wonderful job getting my heart racing in the suspense scenes to the point where I think I actually read faster because of the rhythm he created. This book was definitely a good read, pun intended. If you enjoy the fantasy/horror genre then you definitely need to run to the nearest bookstore to pick this one up.
The book comes with a pack of semi-real buisness cards, photographs, and documents, while also throwing in some easter eggs in the book that allow you to take the book offline and on-line. You can call telephone numbers and explorer the world created by JC and Jordon on the internet. It really makes the book feel more real. Plus you get the try to hack into their Voicemail and web accounts (Still haven't pulled it off yet)
As for the actual story line I wasn't disappointed, other than feeling like I jumped the gun a little reading it so soon before JC has finished podcasting the prequel about another patient in the Brink. JC did a wonderful job getting my heart racing in the suspense scenes to the point where I think I actually read faster because of the rhythm he created. This book was definitely a good read, pun intended. If you enjoy the fantasy/horror genre then you definitely need to run to the nearest bookstore to pick this one up.
July 16, 2009
This book is truly a step in a new and exciting direction.
If you haven't already seen it - here's the DL: it comes with a collection of "artifacts" such as notes, birth certificates, insurance cards, etc, etc - hence the "Personal Effects" piece of the title. These serve to connect the reader with the story on a personal, interactive level. Rather than just reading the descriptions of these items, you can study them and try to identify the clues that feed the narrative of the story.
In addition, real websites and phone numbers populate the interactive landscape as well.
All in all, it's a new form of story-telling that - having now seen it - I'm quite surprised has taken this long to emerge.
Kudos to Mr. Hutchins for being the first to pull the trigger. I'm guessing this won't be the last venture down this path that we see. It's all quite engaging and really pulls the reader into the story.
Ultimately, though, it all boils down to the story and the writing. At first I wasn't so sure, but as I continued - and was pulled in deeper via all the "transmedia" props - I found that I couldn't put the book down. It is different that the standard formulaic approach to this general genre, and that's a good thing.
Bottom line - great read. Engaging, witty, creepy, entertaining, and leaves you just enough off-balance that you aren't quite sure how you feel about the resolution. Highly recommend. Get it now.
If you haven't already seen it - here's the DL: it comes with a collection of "artifacts" such as notes, birth certificates, insurance cards, etc, etc - hence the "Personal Effects" piece of the title. These serve to connect the reader with the story on a personal, interactive level. Rather than just reading the descriptions of these items, you can study them and try to identify the clues that feed the narrative of the story.
In addition, real websites and phone numbers populate the interactive landscape as well.
All in all, it's a new form of story-telling that - having now seen it - I'm quite surprised has taken this long to emerge.
Kudos to Mr. Hutchins for being the first to pull the trigger. I'm guessing this won't be the last venture down this path that we see. It's all quite engaging and really pulls the reader into the story.
Ultimately, though, it all boils down to the story and the writing. At first I wasn't so sure, but as I continued - and was pulled in deeper via all the "transmedia" props - I found that I couldn't put the book down. It is different that the standard formulaic approach to this general genre, and that's a good thing.
Bottom line - great read. Engaging, witty, creepy, entertaining, and leaves you just enough off-balance that you aren't quite sure how you feel about the resolution. Highly recommend. Get it now.
June 3, 2010
I was intrigued because of the mystery/interactive aspect of the book, which in the end was not worth it at all. There really was no need to "follow the clues", read the extra paperwork given, visit the websites, and call the cell phone. None of what I thought was going to be interactive turned out productive. Maybe it was fun to hold the "driver's license" and "artwork" of one of the main characters, but it certainly wasn't needed. I thought I was going to be part of solving the mystery, part of using the "clues" to figure out and put the puzzle pieces together. Nope, not really.
As for the story, I felt the author was trying too hard to come across as cool and hip, and it ended up seeming amateurish and cliche. Cool artist boy with wrecked past has cool indie film school brother who also dables in parkour. Artist boy dates geeky attractive girl who helps solve "mystery" through hacking skills. The only thing that kept me reading (even as I skipped paragraphs sometimes because of the writing and wasn't interested) was the pull of the antagonist's fate. What is this thing, what's going to happen, what's really happening? In the end, the reader is given one straight answer and one left to the imagination. Which is fine...I don't mind using my imagination and I don't have to have an ending exlplained to the fullest. But, why do I feel duped by this whole experience?
As for the story, I felt the author was trying too hard to come across as cool and hip, and it ended up seeming amateurish and cliche. Cool artist boy with wrecked past has cool indie film school brother who also dables in parkour. Artist boy dates geeky attractive girl who helps solve "mystery" through hacking skills. The only thing that kept me reading (even as I skipped paragraphs sometimes because of the writing and wasn't interested) was the pull of the antagonist's fate. What is this thing, what's going to happen, what's really happening? In the end, the reader is given one straight answer and one left to the imagination. Which is fine...I don't mind using my imagination and I don't have to have an ending exlplained to the fullest. But, why do I feel duped by this whole experience?
December 10, 2010
This book contains some really interesting and new ideas plot wise, but totally fails in delivering them. The author has genuine creative talent, just not as a writer.
The book is in no way scary, frightening, or even tense.
I often felt as if it was being written with film rights in mind. It showed.
The protagonist, Zachary, is unconvincing: he cries, he's scared of the dark, and even fights with a kitchen skillet.
Did the C.I.A. really need to be brought into yet another novel where it doesn't belong?
The characters are walking pop-culture clichés.
Dialogue and character interaction is mundane, forgettable, and often cringe-worthy.
Scene descriptions are sparse, and dry. A shame, since some of the excellent locations and sets just begged for more.
Most of the analogies are stale, if they even worked at all (and thus aren't really analogies).
The ending, which should be the best part of a novel, or at least on par with the beginning, was the worst part here.
The writing deserves 1/2 star, but I gave the book 2 because of its overall package. It comes with a pack of really authentic looking documents and other props in the sleeve, including a hard plastic New York State ID that would fool most cashiers and doormen (I certainly intend to try it out).
The book is in no way scary, frightening, or even tense.
I often felt as if it was being written with film rights in mind. It showed.
The protagonist, Zachary, is unconvincing: he cries, he's scared of the dark, and even fights with a kitchen skillet.
Did the C.I.A. really need to be brought into yet another novel where it doesn't belong?
The characters are walking pop-culture clichés.
Dialogue and character interaction is mundane, forgettable, and often cringe-worthy.
Scene descriptions are sparse, and dry. A shame, since some of the excellent locations and sets just begged for more.
Most of the analogies are stale, if they even worked at all (and thus aren't really analogies).
The ending, which should be the best part of a novel, or at least on par with the beginning, was the worst part here.
The writing deserves 1/2 star, but I gave the book 2 because of its overall package. It comes with a pack of really authentic looking documents and other props in the sleeve, including a hard plastic New York State ID that would fool most cashiers and doormen (I certainly intend to try it out).
October 6, 2010
I really enjoyed Personal Effects: Dark Art. J.D. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman are talented writers who use their imagination and creativity to the fullest when coming up with a story that is a mystery with humor and reality mixed in. I really like the interaction between the main character and his brother and girlfriend. The way they are written gave me a perfect picture in my mind of what these two would look like. The tension between father and son is palpable as well, that's how good this book is.
It is meant to be categorized as fiction. I think some people forget that when they are reading books like this. The paranormal had some who left reviews scratching their heads like, "that totally couldn't happen". Well of course it couldn't, because it's a work of fiction.
My only complaint, if I had to have one would be the front inside pocket that contains all of the documents and such from the case. It's a great idea, but I would put that at the back of the book or just include copies of the documents in the pages of the book as the pocket made it hard to prop the book open on a table or hold it up for reading.
It is meant to be categorized as fiction. I think some people forget that when they are reading books like this. The paranormal had some who left reviews scratching their heads like, "that totally couldn't happen". Well of course it couldn't, because it's a work of fiction.
My only complaint, if I had to have one would be the front inside pocket that contains all of the documents and such from the case. It's a great idea, but I would put that at the back of the book or just include copies of the documents in the pages of the book as the pocket made it hard to prop the book open on a table or hold it up for reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews