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Heliopolis (2010)

by James Scudamore(Favorite Author)

3.55 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0099523841 (ISBN13: 9780099523840)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Vintage

review 1: Feels a bit like a modern version of "Great Expectations" set in Brazil. The book held my interest just enough to not give up on it, but that's about it. I considered quitting and moving on from it multiple times, but Scudamore does have a knack for creating cliffhangers at the end of most chapters and he's good at using language to create some very evocative imagery. He also does do a good job creating an ambiguous narrator who I found my self at times (well most of the time) loathing and at other times rooting for. Nevertheless, the tone of the book felt over dramatic and the characters didn't feel real. The twist at the end also didn't feel as earth shattering as I think the author intended. Overall, it wasn't a great read, but it wasn't terrible ei... morether.
review 2: This is an incredibly fast read. It opens pretty darkly but manages to balance dark situations and a light tone without feeling glib. explores the separate worlds of the ultra-rich and favela-poor in Brazil and an unexpected bridging with a story that reads like a mystery with a bit of magic realism thrown in for good measure. About halfway through I started to feel addicted enough to ride past my BART stop to keep reading. less

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