Something Wicked This Way Comes
I finished the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It fit the criteria in my reading challenge of “A book set around a holiday other than Christmas.” The story takes place shortly before Halloween, when a sinister carnival sweeps into town in the dark of night. Two young boys have snuck out to watch as the carnival magically sets up, and they see more then they bargained for. Now the ringleader’s secrets are out and he is trying to hunt the boys down to silence them. Will any of the adults in their lives believe their sensational accounts? Or will the evil mastermind get to them first?
I’m a little up and down about how to review this book. There are pieces that had me feeling like it was a great story; while others had me wishing it was a little better. The overarching storyline was really captivating. I was on my seat wondering what would happen to the boys in the end. The thing I struggled with the most was the writing style. I’ve read quite a few of Bradbury’s other books and loved them. This writing seemed choppy (with sentences missing words that made them feel fragmented) and overly poetic. Both of these complaints slowed me down and prevented me from fully submersing myself in the story. Overall, I think it was a good book that had a great fairy tale feel to it.
I would recommend this book to people who like the horror qualities of H.P. Lovecraft. It would also be recommended to those who loved the contemporary fairy tale feel of Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Malia's Pizza Rating
A pizza from Boston – it’s wicked good! (4/5 slices)