MINOR SPOILERS
This review is for solely Wise Blood, but I'll steadily be reading the rest of O'Connor's work as I make my way through a super cool literature class I'm enrolled in. But Wise Blood... it's certainly something. I've thought about all the different directions I could take this review in terms of what to analyze, but I think I might go for a slightly different approach and talk about my general impression of the main character since I very well might go insane if I try to cover the entire cast of characters and extent of symbolism used in this novel. As a fellow female novelist, I was greatly impressed with the fact that this is O'Connor's debut novel. Knowing she was a woman who thought deeply and intellectually about her personal faith and the state of religion in America adds a layer of extra depth to what she does with the characters in this story. We follow a young man who's just left the army post-WWII named Hazel Motes. He never ceased to unsettle me. He's hypercritical of others, oblivious to his own shortcomings, and literally kills a man. We follow this man as he steps into the role of preacher for a church that doesn't exist -- The Church of Christ Without Christ. Hazel's blatant resistance of Jesus' redemptive symbolism directly relates to his conviction that penitence and self-punishment for his sins is the way. All this is a result of childhood trauma traced way back to his grandfather (also a preacher) and the deaths of his father, mother, and brother. These undertones contribute to this book's cold, unsettling tone I've been using to describe it to my peers. Hazel just has such a negative view of Jesus that I find so fascinating and different from my own associations with Jesus. O'Connor's repeated use of characters looking into Hazel's eyes as if there's something otherworldly and ominous hiding in them was one of my favorite motifs. It's a well-sustained motif as well: the novel begins with a woman on the train peering into his eyes and concludes with Hazel's landlady doing the exact same thing, only Hazel is physically and spiritually gone, disappeared down the tunnel in his own head. Sooooo surreal and cool even though I have the distinct sense that a lot of the deeper meaning has gone over my head. I think I'll leave this review at that, though the host of other characters (specifically Enoch Emery and his weird gorilla-centered B plot) linger on the fringes of my mind. This is a book I could easily write several different papers on, though will I only be writing the one required for my class? Yes.


One of my favorite quotes from Wise Blood:

"Later he saw Jesus move from tree to tree in the back of his mind, a wild ragged figure motioning him to turn around and come off into the dark where he was not sure of his footing, where he might be walking on the water and not know it and then suddenly know it and drown."

A positive part of reading Divine Rivals months after it was first released is having to wait less time to read its counterpart. I gave this book 4 stars because my biggest gripe with it was its pacing. This might be an unavoidable characteristic of duologies, of which I haven't read too many, but the story dragged on at times with lulls I had some difficulty powering through. In contrast, the end felt a little rushed, though quite epic. Trying to fit a story's entire plot into two books definitely has its pros and cons, but I felt like the description on the dust jacket hyped up a book that would have little to no lulls. I think there may have also been too little time between Roman forgetting Iris and remembering her again. A little more "will he, won't he?" might have done the tension more justice. The memory loss was something I expected to be more of a crux, considering how the roles of the first book got reversed: Iris becomes the one who knows who she's sending letters to. Of course, I was rooting for their reunion and did not remain dry-eyed once I read said reunion. I was also hoping for more clarity on Enva and felt like that clarity wasn't really provided. I thought the reveal of what she had done to the other gods explained well enough why she was choosing not to engage with Dacre in the war (in addition to the curse placed on her), but some of this lore concerning the higher powers, their actual powers, and the ancient rulers that once communed with them seemed glossed over when it could've been explored deeper and kept my interest. That being said, there was a lot of content with Dacre and Roman -- is it realistic for Dacre to have put such trust in Roman, his human letter-writer, the way he did? This unsettled me a bit. For all this griping I'm doing, I really did enjoy this novel. Precisely because it has such a strong concept that doesn't have to depend on the advertising of certain tropes or unnecessary spice is why I feel the need to be a little nitpicky. It's next level YA writing. I also just discovered that Rebecca Ross has another duology I will definitely be adding to my Goodreads list since I adore her writing style and admire how she describes characters and settings. I'll end on this: my favorite aspect of this book (Divine Rivals too) is the letters. I read every one twice over because geez, Roman and Iris are both so romantic! I was listening to the gals on the "I'll Read What She's Reading" podcast and second their observation that even though mutual  I love yous don't seem to be exchanged, the ways they express their affection through the written word and selfless acts during the war shine enough to make this fictional couple one of my favorites.


Some of my favorite quotes from Ruthless Vows:

"I would love to see your words catch fire with mine."

"'Sometimes,” Iris began, 'I don’t think we know what we’re made of until the worst moment possible happens. Then we must decide who we truly are and what is most important to us. I think we’re often surprised by what we become.'"

"She was broken by what could have been. By what now would never be." 

This piece of literature has been compared to both Indiana Jones and The Mummy. If the cover wasn't enough to make me at least pick it up, this description was enough. This is the kind of historical fiction I'm hoping to see and find more of because it was brilliantly researched and had elements of my beloved fantasy genre weaved into the plot. So it's basically the archaeological period piece I didn't realize I needed. One of the smallest details about this book that isn't even an aspect of the actual book itself are the featured portraits of the two main characters, Inez and Whit. They're fashioned in a sepia kind of hue to match the 19th century setting, and allowed me the massive privilege of being able to picture them in detail while reading the book. I lost track of how many times I flipped back and forth to remind myself of their features, and it made my reading experience that much more enjoyable. This publishing decision is one I will not compromise on when my own book eventually finds its way to shelves. But anyways---onto the actual book. The first of four parts is, honestly, a little slow. The prologue wastes no time in making it clear that the inciting incident is the news of the main character's parents' untimely deaths, and the first chapter sees Inez, grieving and desperate to find answers concerning how her parents came to pass, on a boat from Buenos Aires to Egypt. I'm a sucker for banter, and this novel certainly doesn't curb Inez's and Whit's interactions. Mr. Whitford Hayes is a fantastic love interest and troubled rogue, British and brawny and, of course, handsome. I appreciated the romance that blossomed in a slow burn fashion across these pages because plenty of moments of clear attraction and tension sustained the relationship Inez and Whit form while excavating with Inez's elusive uncle, Ricardo. I won't include any detailed spoilers, but I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. Granted, it was fairly more complicated beneath the surface than I could've expected. I'm not sure if my foresight came from my reading of many many books or the author's reliance on a certain kind of relationship Inez has with another character, but I was thoroughly suspicious for quite some time. The dramatic reveal and events that follow still managed to be dramatic, and I was wrapped up enough in the stakes of the story to not even entertain the thought of DNFing. A significant amount of my interest in this book is grounded in that fusion of historical fiction and fantasy I mentioned. The magic system is unique and described beautifully in the first few pages of the entire thing, setting readers up for what the rest of the novel offers. And the cliffhanger? I was left thoroughly dangling with my jaw on the floor. Iron Flame had a pretty solid ending as well, but this one beats it by just a tad. I appreciate the author's Internet presence because, thanks to her posts, I know I can have the sequel, Where the Library Hides, in my hands on November 12th, and that it takes place almost immediately after the events that ended the first book. This was a lovely book to end 2023 with, putting me at 47 books for the year according to my Goodreads!


Some of my favorite quotes from What the River Knows:

"'Has anyone ever told you that it's abominably rude to sneak up on someone?'
He eyed me quizzically. 'The military encouraged it.'
'Are we at war? I had no idea.'
'Britain is at war with everyone.'"

"'I thought you had scruples.'
Without skipping a beat, he said dryly, 'I only know how to spell the word.'"