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There are currently 23 member reviews
for Creatures
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Carmel B. (The Villages, FL)
Another Co-Dependent's Story
While the analogies between whales and humans are interesting, Van Meter fails to fully connect the dots, for me. I struggled through this story as it seems disjointed while also being depressing. The "heroine" seems conflicted long after she actually finds answers, as though she needs an excuse to keep telling us about her drinking, smoking J and having irresponsible sex. It appears she resolves her mother and father issues well before she marries Liam, yet her marriage is a mess for many years. Confusing and mostly sad story of what it's like to be born into a family of addicts. Recovery is heartbreaking and endless.
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Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
Dysfunctional Family Values
The book begins with a dead, decaying, odiferous whale and a fiancé potentially lost at sea and segues into Evie's relationships with her alcoholic drug dealing father and mother that deserted her. Perhaps because I've previously lived with alcoholics and know the associated dysfunction firsthand, I found this story disheartening. I struggled to finish it. I liked Ms. Van Meyer's writing style, but this felt to me like an Al Anon meeting with Evie telling 'her story'. I read to escape real life.
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Susie J. (Fort Wayne, IN)
Dark Creatures
Creatures, though not a lengthy novel, was a difficult read for me. While the final few chapters manage to raise the overall tone and mood somewhat, there is not much happiness to be found here. Early on we learn that Evie is to be married, but even that bit of joy is dampened by the fact that her intended is possibly lost at sea. Set on an island and against the vastness of an entire ocean, action here focuses on the details of Evie's turbulent youth. It is her account of lost or lack of family and love that drives the narrative. Like the ocean itself, her story ebbs and flows - at times incoherently - and for sure with too much focus on drugs, alcohol, and free sex. The result was, for me, a plodding, dismal narrative that I was happy to see come to an end.
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Julie P. (Fort Myers, FL)
Dreary Creatures
Creatures is a well-meaning but unfocused novel of yet another dysfunctional family - daughter raised by alcoholic, druggie father with some help from her mostly absent mother - all taking place on an island off the coast of California. At times the writing shows flashes of beauty, especially when the author describes the main character's island home, her affinity for the sea, and all its creatures. Mostly, though, the story meanders confusingly through timelines and sparsely developed characters. I think the author was trying for poetic, dark, and beautiful but misses the mark on all three. Sorry to say, but I won't be recommending it.
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Susan U. (Brookfield, WI)
Nothing worked
I'm sorry, but nothing about this book worked for me. I was not able to attach to any of the main characters and in fact disliked them. I felt some empathy for Evie given the parents she had - crazy, mostly absent mother and charismatic but drug addicted, drunk for a father but the empathy didn't make me feel anything positive about her. And why did we have descriptions of different kinds of whales? I don't need books to be happy and light but I need characters with some qualities I can appreciate even if I don't like them. I may have missed the deeper meaning in this book and look forward to what others have to say.
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Justina E. (Chula Vista, CA)
Creatures
I was completely disappointed by this book. The synopsis seemed intriguing; however, this book needed some editing. The timeline was not linear and it was confusing to keep up with the constant changing time periods. Some of the writing was beautiful, but quickly changed to curt dialog. I think this book didn't have a clear focus or direction, leaving me to question its' purpose.
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Nancy H. (Lisle, IL)
So many whales
So many whales! The sea fauna references came so fast and furious I lost the point of the book. And yet the human characters were less interesting than the shadowy ocean creatures: the absent mother, the well-meaning but addled dad, the confused scientist-daughter—haven't we met these folks many times before? The difficulties of life on a fishing island… pretty sure I've read enough books along that line for a while. Then there's the random and annoying change of tense throughout the novel, with emphasis on the present tense to describe events of the past. And just way too many whales.
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