Review: A Horrible Reality as Seen by a Preteen
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 24, 2012
(this review contains no spoilers)I bought Victor LaValle's latest eBook because it was cheap and the premise intrigued me.  I'm so glad I did.LUCRETIA AND THE KROONS reminded me a bit of some of Neil Gaiman's work, specificallyTHE GRAVEYARD BOOKandCORALINE.  Both Gaiman's work and LaValle's deal with children, over their heads in fantastic worlds, but I think the emphasis is here is that this is a book about kids for adults.  With LUCRETIA AND THE KROONS, LaValle seems to be interested in appealing to readers' imagination through the lens of childhood innocence.The novella centers around titular character Lucretia (referred to as "Loochie") and her adventure in a dark, macabre world that lies within her very own apartment complex.  With many of the fantastical elements that madePan's Labyrinthso compelling, readers are invited to follow Loochie in search of her missing best friend.  While LaValle has proven to be a terrific writer, he especially excels at voice.  With a perfect balance of detail and volition, this novella is extraordinarily readable and will fly by until its beautiful (and very necessary) ending.  LaValle's attention to detail shines, with certain things in the novella described in different ways throughout the novella -- each way drawing notice to a new aspect.Victor LaValle's LUCRETIA AND THE KROONS is an absolute steal.  At around 104 pages, the $0.99 price point, is a no-brainer.  I would recommend this eBook to anyone who finds the premise interesting and to readers who enjoy authors that are in love with the process of narrative (Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Neil Gaiman, etc...)  This novella serves as a precursor to LaValle's upcomingTHE DEVIL IN SILVER, and an excerpt of the novel is included at the end of the narrative.  Even though LUCRETIA AND THE KROONS is a prequel, it stands exceptionally well on its own as a great novella.