Lemon

“Lemon” by Kwon Yeo-sun; translated from the Korean by Janet Hong 168 pages

During the summer of 2002, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on was murdered. Although the police investigated and had two notable suspects, the cases quickly grew cold.

Cold that is for the police, but for Hae-on’s family and friends, the case burned white hot. Her sister, Da-on has been traumatized by the event and is unable to move past it. Seventeen years later, Da-on and two of Hae-on’s friends, who were also deeply affected, decide to conduct their own investigation.

This short novel moves between Da-on and the two classmate as narrators, but it is almost impossible to determine who is speaking. You can imagine how confusing this was to read! Still I was able to piece it together through the chapter titles. I think.

This is a crime novel which is unlike any other crime novel I have ever read. “But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn.”

Sometime I felt as if I had read this book twice by the time I was finished with it because I had to read most chapters twice to really understand what was happening. I was intrigued with the format.

However, by the end, I’m not sure if the killer was named, and if it was, who it was.  Therefore, “Lemon” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Plot

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz 336 pages

This is one time that I did not pick up a novel based on its cover art; the title was enough to capture my attention. And then I learned that it was a novel-within-a-novel about writers. Just up my alley!

It was fun to journey to a small college and its MFA program, even if said program isn’t that good.  I have an MFA from a great program here in St. Louis.  A quick stroll down memory lane reminded me of the hours and hours I spent with my peers discussing writing and publishing. Or the hours and hours I spent crafting short stories that were just okay. But enough about me,

The protagonist is Jake Bonner; well Jacob Finch Bonner is the name on his first novel that was well accepted with decent reviews. Sales were okay, but not huge. His second novel was a flop. He’s hasn’t published anything in years and cannot seem to find a plot or write anything with any substance. He’s resorted to teaching, consulting with other writers on how to make their work better and editing.

The fall semester is about underway at a small Vermont college. Jake is not looking forward to reading the pages his soon-to-be-students have turned in for his critique. I can see him running his hand through his hair in despair as he begins prepping for the course.

One of the students, Evan Parker, is an obnoxious elitist who believes that his “plot” will take the world by storm. I was never sure why Evan was in the program, as he thought he has “the plot” that would make him rich and successful. Although he is reluctant to divulge his sure-fire hit, he does give Jake a brief synopsis. And Jake is highly impressed.

Jake waits for Evan to finish the novel and dreads the fame that will surely be garnished on him. But as the years go by, Jake never hears anything about Evan Parker, or Parker Evan, as he considers using his inverted names as a pen name. One afternoon, Jake decides to Google Evan. It isn’t too long before he discovers that Evan has died. Jake doesn’t know if the book is finished or if was ever written.

Desperate for a hit, Jake takes Evan’s idea and writes a blockbuster. I feel like author Korelitz tried to pull one over on readers---ideas cannot be copyrighted. In fact there are only four basic plot lines in all of writing. Even is Jake ‘stole’ the idea, he would never be able to write the same story as Evan.

As I read, I kept thinking about Korelitz’s story the same way Jake thought about many of his students’---so what?  This novel is hailed as a thriller, but all I could think was so what?  Oh sure, once Jake hit the big time, he started getting cryptic texts that were supposed to cause fear that someone knew that he had stolen Evan’s “idea.” But Jake’s fear wasn’t worthy of the word.  

I found “The Plot” repetitive and boring. As far as the novel that Jake/Evan wrote, it was also dull. If you like the novel-within-a-novel formats try Margaret Atwood’s “The Blind Assassin.” Unlike “The Plot,” which receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world, it’s a page turner.

 

The Photographer

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter 304 pages

For fans of Tarryn Fisher’s ‘The Wrong Family.”

Delta Dawn is the children’s photographer to New York City’s elite. She specializes in children’s birthday parties. She is magic behind the camera, thanks in part to a boatload of editing software. She can make the most disastrous party look like fun was had by all. For the most part, she is just a fly on the wall, unseen and unnoticed.

Then Delta is hired by Amelia and Fritz Straub to shoot eleven-year-old Natalie’s party. It’s there that she realizes this is the perfect family and longs to be noticed, to play an important role in their lives.

She develops a plan that will integrate her into their lives and becomes indispensable to the Straub’s. The plan begins with Delta taking an interest in the neglected little girl. She begins babysitting on Friday nights when Amelia and Fritz have to go out. The Straub’s are famous architects who have clients around the world. Delta tries to seem like a friend who can help. She runs errands for Amelia; talks with Fritz about a myriad of subjects.

When Delta isn’t at the Straub family home, she is in her apartment, manipulating photos to include herself. The pictures are of her and Fritz…in bed and naked; of her and Amelia…laughing and drinking wine, standing extremely close together…photos of her and Natalie having fun.

Delta learns Amelia deepest desire, and how that desire has been thwarted over the years. But Delta knows how to help make her dream come true.

Carter, a first-time novelist, has created a super-duper creepy thriller that will have readers looking twice at anyone who comes into their homes. I read it in one day! There was only one problem in this pageturner. There is no explanation as to why Delta needs this family so much. What triggered this obsessive need to fit in with the Straub’s. Not that it impedes the creep factor, but as I read the last page, I wondered what was Delta’s motive?

I was going to give “The Photographer” 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. However, due to the lack of motive, “The Photographer” received 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict  288 pages

One of the most highly reported disappearances of the 20^th century is from 1926 and has largely been forgotten. That is where author Marie Benedict excels—exploring the past. In this, Benedict’s fifth novel, up and coming mystery writer Agatha Christie has seemed to vanish from the face of the earth. Her abandoned car is found near Silent Pool---“a small spring-fed lake,” that Agatha found inspiring, but no sign of her. Suicide is quickly ruled out.

She turned up eleven days later in an elegant, nearby hotel. Where she had been, and why, has, still in 2021, not been explained. Even Agatha did not address the event in her autobiography.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie is written in two of my favorite styles---dueling timelines and multiple viewpoints---are fictionalized diary entries. The first is a section called “The Manuscript”---which I didn’t understand why---is from Agatha’s point of view from 1912 to current day, which is 1926. It revolves around her courtship and subsequent marriage and life with Archie Christie, and her budding career.

The second section is from Archie’s viewpoint and takes place in December 1926.  It revolves around his coping with his wife’s disappearance, their child, their marriage, his mistress, and the fact that he is the police’s prime suspect.

A third, overarching section, only has one entry, but it dictates Archie’s every move during those eleven days. Agatha left Archie a letter in which she states that if he doesn’t do exactly as the letter says, he will never see her again. The police only learn of the letter near the end of the eleven days, which heightens their suspicions. However, Archie had burned it, so the police have no idea what Agatha could have written, which only fueled their suspensions.

 I’m a huge fan of Benedict’s work, but I was truly disappointed in this one. There was no real tension, no sense that Agatha was in any real danger. Even Archie didn’t seem to care much about Agatha and was more worried about his reputation. The “supposed” reason Agatha left was lame. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Wrong Family

The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher   336 pages

I will never look at the opening of my home’s crawl space the same way ever again. Not after this book!

At sixty-seven, Juno’s life is not what she thought it would be.  Now a disgraced therapist, she is homeless and has a record, plus she has a debilitating disease that will probably kill her. However, she feels she’s a good judge of character.

Across the park from where Juno lives, is the large home of the Crouch family: Winnie, Nigel and thirteen-year-old Sam.  They seem to have it all. They are even adding onto a house that is much too big for a family of three.

One day, when the construction guys are having lunch in the park, Juno slips in and looks around. She could be very, very comfy there. She takes a few things. How could anyone with this much miss so little?  And she’s right. No one notices.

As the construction goes on, Juno decides to make the Crouch’s home hers.  Awfully creepy!  The family notices little things that are odd, but never even dream of what is really happening. Juno pokes around in their papers and drawers, until she discovers their secret.  A BIG secret that must be brought to the light.

Two reason that the odd little things distract from their taking full notice is that 1) Winne and Nigel’s marriage is falling apart and 2) Winnie’s brother, Dakota, is losing his battle with alcohol and drugs.

The ending of this tautly written thriller blew me away. I can’t wait until somebody else reads it and we can talk about it!

The Wrong Family receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.