Wicked or What? | ||||||||
Sean Wright | ||||||||
Crowswing Books, 192 pages | ||||||||
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A review by David Hebblethwaite
Our protagonist is Jamey O'Rooke, the fat kid at school, who was forever being bullied until a couple of strangers mistakenly
handed him a mysterious object (whose nature is never revealed) that was intended for one of his tormentors. Jamey's best
friend is Layla, who seems to be on his side but may have her own agenda. And, somewhere else entirely, an individual
known as the Third travels across a strange landscape to join them, before it's too late...
There is plenty that's intriguing about Wicked or What? The setting, Jaarfindor, appears to be a nexus of different
realities: Jamey's and Layla's school is a futuristic space venue intertwined with elements of present-day Earth; and the
fantasy world which the Third stumbles through is yet another region of Jaarfindor. This structure is not explored as much
as it could (or perhaps should) be, but it's an interesting set-up. There are also twists and turns in the plot... yet
the tale never truly catches fire. Perhaps it's the location: the school may be in an exotic place, but in many respects,
it's an ordinary school. Perhaps it's because, despite Wright's efforts, there isn't really "uncertainty in every
chapter": the whys, hows and whats of the tale aren't always clear, but one doesn't experience the disorientation that
the best fantasy produces.
Perhaps it all needs fleshing out more. Wright says in his afterword, "I know there are many loose ends in the
story... To me, my story is complete in its incompleteness." Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with making the
reader do some of the work, but... but there's a feeling that Wicked or What? comprises the bare bones of a
story, a story that needs more exploration for it to stand on its own.
Then there's the style. To quote again from the author's afterword: "I delight at an original metaphor (but they don't
come that often for me)." Whilst it would be nice to prove him wrong, all too often, Wright tries for startling imagery
that just ends up seeming awkward; for instance: "Chill wind blew Jamey's floppy fringe back and forth across his pallid
forehead like a shredded windscreen wiper..." To be fair, this is one of the more extreme examples, but Wright does
get by more on enthusiasm than technical skill.
Yet that enthusiasm should not be underestimated. Even though he does not achieve as much in Wicked or What?
as he sets out to, Sean Wright is clearly keen to map his own way through the genre (if only more writers would!). If
his skill as a writer develops enough to match his ambition, the results will be essential reading.
David lives out in the wilds of Yorkshire, where he attempts to make a dent in his collection of unread books. You can read more of David's reviews at his review blog. |
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