Review by Ljessup -- My Author Is Dead by Michel Bruneau

Ljessup · Post by **Ljessup** » 08 Sep 2017, 22:57

[Following is a volunteer review of "My Author Is Dead" by Michel Bruneau.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever been in a place where you feel you do not belong and no one understands your perspective, or even takes the time to listen to it? That is the life of Adam Chad Kilroy. Adam hates everything about his life and the people that surround him in his community, and is battling the idea of being erased from his own story.

He lives in a place where children are made to follow the rules as they are taught, or face the consequences of treason for breaking them. A major lesson is to never socialize with Kafkaists. They are seen as “cockroaches” to Perfectionists and Authorians, who just so happen to rule the place Adam calls home. It is by no surprise that the Author, who Adam does not believe in, introduces such a sight for sore eyes and has Adam engage with her at a young age of seven just to later learn she is a cockroach. Or was it Adam’s choice to do so? To makes matters worse, Cassandra, the village troublemaker, is a witness to a particular encounter between Adam and this beautiful breath of fresh air and his life spirals from that point on. He faces situations that are cringe-worthy and are not for the disquieted to journey through.

My favorite character in the story had to be Adam’s grandpa. He was declared a senile old man, and could get away with saying absurd things. He was the comical relief to an otherwise heavy tale of misfortune. I feel as though he and Adam were the two sanest people within their community. I also enjoyed Adam and his diction throughout the entire story. He memorized the dictionary and his use of words that others have trouble following delivers wonderful snippets of definitions that have adapted to define his personal journeys.

My least favorite characters of the book surprisingly were the Kritikillar and the Small Visionary, and not the trouble maker, Cassandra. Each had their own characteristics that made them each unfavorable, but the thing that bothered me were the moments of interruption. They rarely let anyone finish anything they were saying and as a person who has much to say most of the time I felt as though I was the one being cut off while trying to talk. All Adam is trying to do is right his wrongs, and in addition to him being poor at making plans, or executing them, the fact that he cannot even get a full sentence out becomes terribly frustrating to read. In saying that, the book was so captivating that I felt as though I became a part of it.

There were some points in the book where torture scenes were described with strong detail and the imagery it provided was extreme. That moment alone keeps me from recommended this book for a younger audience or the faint-hearted. I skimmed past a few reading errors, but nothing that detracted from the story. It was easy to follow and though I felt Adam’s punishment was prolonged a tad too much, by the end it felt necessary to the story.

Michael Bruneau does a fantastic job exploring the idea of characters knowing they are characters and showing what might happen if one decided there was no Author that came up with them in the first place. His characters are well-written and give the feeling that I was meeting them all in person with his descriptive writing. It is a story that becomes thought provoking as more layers are peeled back and caused me to stop and think about my stance on events happening, had I been part of the book. For all these reasons, I must give My Author is Dead 4 out of 4 stars. This was a captivating read and will change storytelling for all other books.

I also think it is important to share that Author is capitalized throughout the book’s entirety and that is why it is shown capitalized throughout my review. I hope other readers enjoy this book as much as I did. It was truly an exciting read full of ideas that will make you think.

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My Author Is Dead
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TrishaAnn92 · Post by **TrishaAnn92** » 09 Sep 2017, 16:04

I was debating on reviewing this review before deciding on an another one! I will definitely have to check this one out though!

Kalin Adi · Post by **Kalin Adi** » 09 Sep 2017, 21:16

So I get the idea the Author was another character in this story. Perhaps not an active character, but still a character. Am I right? Anyways, your review made me interested in this book when you explained you felt you became part of it. It is not an easy task for an author to accomplish this magic. Thanks a lot for this detailed review!

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 09 Sep 2017, 22:31

The book strikes me as philosophical, with a lot of symbolisms used. One thing I know for sure, though. I wouldn't want to play Scrabble with Adam LOL!

Intriguing review, Ljessup!

Elle Howard · Post by **Elle Howard** » 10 Sep 2017, 17:24

I have debated about reading and reviewing this book. But after reading your review, I think I may give this book a try. It sounds like the writer has done an exceptional job making her characters real.

Ljessup · Post by **Ljessup** » 14 Sep 2017, 09:19

Kalin Adi wrote:So I get the idea the Author was another character in this story. Perhaps not an active character, but still a character. Am I right? Anyways, your review made me interested in this book when you explained you felt you became part of it. It is not an easy task for an author to accomplish this magic. Thanks a lot for this detailed review!

Yes, the Author was another character! You are welcome! (:

-- 14 Sep 2017, 09:20 --

Miriam Molina wrote:The book strikes me as philosophical, with a lot of symbolisms used. One thing I know for sure, though. I wouldn't want to play Scrabble with Adam LOL!

Intriguing review, Ljessup!

Lol, thank you!! I am right there with you. Adam would be impossible to beat for sure. Love the humor! (:

-- 14 Sep 2017, 09:21 --

The Dizzy Diva wrote:I have debated about reading and reviewing this book. But after reading your review, I think I may give this book a try. It sounds like the writer has done an exceptional job making her characters real.

You should give it a try. I'd love to hear about your opinion if you do. (:

-- 14 Sep 2017, 09:21 --