Rebecca McNutt

A very short but involving story about a man haunted by grief. The narrative gradually — yet swiftly, since this is very short — reveals a man unwilling, or unable to deal with his anger or sorrow. Who is the woman following him, this ragged woman who smells like concrete dust? Why does she seem familiar to him, and why does he try to run? The answer is touching, in a quiet way, if not profound.

This actually had the feel of a nice blog piece of short fiction. Because this was very brief, I took advantage of a PDF offer made generally to the Goodreads community and enjoyed my time reading this. I would definitely read something else written by Rebecca McNutt if it fell within my reading comfort zone, genre or story-wise, based on this one. I might even try something not in my wheelhouse at some point down the road. Someone to watch.… (altro)

This book was written in Nova Scotia, and as a Canadian I AM SO HAPPY I AM READING A CANADIAN BOOK. That cannot be understated - I love helping other Canadian authors out. It's so near and dear to my heart.

Rebecca McNutt's novel Bittersweet Symphony was an addicting read for me. Her descriptions and tone in her writing was something that just clicked with me. Her tone was somewhat professional, yet it worked so well within this novel. It almost sounded like the perfection my English teachers in high school wanted us to achieve, but never could. The level of how descriptive her writing is made me feel like I was there with the characters. I could see this being "too much" for some readers, but I love description when it's paired with a good story (and it's not just one hundred pages describing how the characters look).

I like how the story is essentially an allusion for real events, and the little splash of ghosts thrown in as well. It makes it real yet not real, believable yet not believable all wrapped up into one. This book is in it's own little corner, AND I LOVE IT.

I would say this book has some "mature" themes, revolving around language and some things that are referenced (without spoiling). Although, that doesn't mean you have to be 18 to read it. The book isn't to graphic, so I think teenagers could easily read this book and relate to it.

Pros:
1. Unique story telling - Rebecca doesn't follow your stereotypical, simple writing style. It's hard to explain, but it's different. I like the term "gothic" for it, but that's not 100% on point with how she writes. Essentially, I love an author that writes in their own style and doesn't follow a norm so I REALLY liked this book.

2. Short and Sweet - This book isn't 1000 pages long. This book reminded me of the original Star Wars trilogy: the information that needed to be there, was there. There was no fluff, it got to the point and made an effective story.

3. "Black as the ace of spades" - The language is BEAUTIFUL in this book. I'm obsessed with it. Can Rebecca McNutt write my life story while she's at it?

4. Interconnecting Stories - I'm obsessed with Cloud Atlas (one of my all time faves of interconnecting stories) so it seems fitting that I'd enjoy another book that interconnects everything. Bravo!!

5. Relatable - This book was relatable on so many levels. Just reading how the lawyer says that they are snakes until someone needs their help, and then suddenly they are their best friend - yeah, that one hit me where it hurts. It's so honest, and so true.

6. Shocking Twists and Turns - Some of this book you don't see coming, and I can respect an author that can actually make that work in a novel.

Cons:
1. Dialogue - The dialogue can appear "rigid" or "stiff" to some readers. For me, it worked within the story and how Rebecca was telling her story, but that might turn off other readers.

2. Personal con: Madson. I keep wanting to call it "Madison" or anything but Madson. It was driving me insane as I was reading it because my brain didn't want to comprehend the name. Major personal con here (and an amusing con at that).

I'm amazed that people are saying Rebecca McNutt was 19 when she wrote this. That's a lot of talent for that age, so I can only imagine Rebecca getting better the more she writes and the more time she has to practice. This book doesn't seem like it's written by a 19 year old - it's incredibly mature.

Overall, this unique book had me hooked and addicted from it's first page. I'm so glad I read it, because I haven't read a book so unique and actually good for a very long time!

Five out of five stars.

I received a copy of this book from the author Rebecca McNutt in exchange for an honest review. Everything here is my own, honest opinion.

Side notes: If you want to read this book, the author posted her own "review" offering copies out. It's a great opportunity to read and review an awesome book. Not many authors offer opportunities like this, so hop on it if it's still available!!!… (altro)

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
"Who guards the guards?"

This fast-paced novel utilizes plentiful black humor, intriguing characters, and is just plain well-written. The author uses a lot of dialogue to advance the plot and characters. This keeps the level of wit and energy high. The author does this all confidently, obviously possessing a deep understanding of legal proceedings and human nature in general. Mix in social commentary rooted to the plot and Final Destination style deaths and you have a fun cognitive dissonance. Throughout, the book remains a thrilling read, and luckily, the absurdity of some of the scenarios are appreciated or otherwise commented on by characters. They all are participants in the author's wicked game, whether they have sold their soul or are pretending purity. You could call this book a well-grounded, even sophisticated horror drama crossed with a legal drama.

The Madson Tower constitutes a character in itself, and makes for an effective setting. Macabre lawyers. An effective piece of surreal fiction, which says a lot about society today.

All this aside, the novel is also a unique exploration of a nation’s grief, human cruelty, anger, destructive impulses and more. Full of surprises and unexpected character experiences. It handles its political material well, while relishing its grisly and morbid themes.

This novel surprised me. Not only is it a well-balanced, well-paced story, but the characters and writing are polished and lively. There are many topical references and uses of name brands, but they are implemented with a keen eye to subtle character interaction, world-building, and satire.

The hints of comedy are sprinkled throughout and the more shocking surreal elements are well-timed and often seen through the perspectives of characters who each have a stake and a past.

What stands out the most to me are the character descriptions. They are often outlandish, but they are always delightful. You can tell the author is poking fun at a lot of corporate topics and concerns and drawing relevant commentary from our corpocratic culture. When the players arrive on the scene, the appearances are memorable and vivid. Most of the time, their voices are distinct.

The descriptions and interactions of the lawyers seems quite realistic. But I'm a layman. Therein lies my only caveat. There is a large level of detail and care. It is a smart book, and ambitious, but certain parts felt a tad scattered or like jump-cuts in a movie. No big deal, though I had trouble following some of the many characters' relationships on a few occasions. I think is only due to my preference of storytelling through a single perspective. I'm old school, and all perspectives have to be equally compelling to me, or they have to possess the same weight for me to not get distracted.

In any case, I think you will enjoy this book. The author is talented, funny, and as you can see from the other available titles, already prolific. I see myself reading another one of her novels in the future.… (altro)

In *Bittersweet Symphony*, Rebecca McNutt builds a piece of literary fiction around the horrors of 9/11, the likes of which few authors have yet to try. In the process, she molds a daring fusion of King's **The Shining**, John Hughes' **The Breakfast Club**, and a dose of Harper Lee into a bildungsroman of sorts. McNutt also takes a timely and not so subtle swipe at plutocracy as she installs the action over a literary Love Canal.

We have a sky scraper version of the Overlook Hotel in Upstate New York, only it haunts many more people in deeper ways than King's notion of a haunted business establishment does. McNutt tours us through the personalities of a large cast, developing the most important individual towards the end. We come to realize that the person has an air of a film noire version of Atticus Finch - an interesting model of a character indeed. The character's persona traces their roots to 9/11. They bring their ghosts of that day everywhere.

McNutt paints a powerful picture of the experiences of 9/11 in a depth which I have not yet seen in another novel. Now, 17 years later, younger readers can get a poignant glimpse into that darker part of history. They can also get a message about environmental ethics that is needed more than ever as America has largely ceased being a democratic republic in favor of being a plutocracy. While I do not see the author explicitly targetting any adult age group, the book has particular value to young adults.

My only (very minor) beef with the storyline is that the sentence summarizing the underlying message of the work lies too close to the beginning of the final chapter. McNutt makes a powerful statement about moral outlook (I won't elaborate due to a spoiler), but a reader could miss it due to its placement. My advice, then, is to buy the book quickly and take specific care in reading the ending.… (altro)