REVIEW: The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

Premièred: November 13th, 2003

This is probably the darkest thing I've ever read. Believe it or not, I came upon this play through a BuzzFeed post, "32 Plays You Need to Read Before You Die," and I thoroughly agree. 

My first exposure to McDonagh was when my university performed his play The Cripple of Inishmaan last fall. The dark humor and realism the seeped from every single word drew me to his work, so there was plenty of arm twisting to get me to read The Pillowman. 

The overall premise is intriguing: aspiring author writes gruesome stories; children begin dying in ways similar to what author has written. What are the chances of it being a coincidence? 

With a small cast of colourful characters (all with some of the most interesting motives I have ever seen in a written work), McDonagh touches on tough topics such as child abuse, murder, police brutality, egotism, and mental illness. Parts of me feel awful because I want to laugh at the humorous areas of the play, since the lightness is riding on a gory wave of cruel intentions; however, this is The Pillowman's triumph.

Blending the elements of light and dark is one of McDonagh's skills, as is his gift for realistic and revealing dialogue. There is always new things to learn from each read through. The end is something I won't soon forget.

This is one I need to see preformed live. 

Do keep in mind, it's not for the faint of heart. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

RE-READABLE: Tomodachi no Hanashi by Kawahara Kazune and Yamakawa Aiji

Published: 2010 

No. of Volumes: 1

Every so often there comes a series so compelling that I feel the need to just keep reading it (over and over and over).

Tomodachi no Hanashi is one of those. I was drawn in by Yamakawa's unique take on the shoujo style - a bit of a stylized realism that you don't find often among the wide-eyed, pretty faced heroines of the genre. It is a nice blend.

The story itself focuses on two best friends, Eiko, often considered a "plain jane" by their classmates, and Moe, who is super popular with boys. It chronicles the type of friendship that comes around once in a lifetime, the kind that creates a type of love that transcends the line of best friend. For Moe, it even trumps the possibility of having a a shot at a real relationship (by her own choice of course). 

Eiko and Moe.

Being so popular, Moe's one rule for dating her is that her boyfriend must pay the same attention, if not more, to Eiko. The only one to do so is the sweet Tsuchida. When things do not go according to plan in Moe and Tsuchida's relationship, the reader is then treated to the point of view of Tsuchida's best friend, Narugami. 

 Tsuchida and Narugami.

The relationships in this series are touching as they intertwine and breathe a life of their own. Different types of love, both romantic and friendly, are represented in a way I feel is often misconstrued in the shoujo genre. It feels genuine instead of contrived. 

Tomodachi no Hanashi also touches on other subjects such as first loves, bullying in all its forms, revenge on behalf of a loved one, and how everything that happens in someone's life will build the person they will become. Kawahara's story brings these tropes together in a unique way that really touched me.

It's a short and sweet series that will please fans of shoujo, slice of life, and realistic romance. 

★★★★★

REVIEW : The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Published: January 10, 2012

I was a bit behind TFiOS bandwagon. It took the release of the movie and urging from my sister to finally jump on this one. So, I took it with me on my recent trip out to California and blasted through it on my six hour flight. 

I regret nothing.

The premise is simple enough, two young teens fall helplessly in love with one another - except for the fact that Hazel has cancer and Augustus is a cancer survivor. That in itself raises the stakes for their love affair. 

At first, I was put off by Hazel. She's a passive-aggressive misanthrope who's only real friend (besides her supportive parents) is a book about a girl with cancer. I didn't expect her to be anything less, but her narrative voice is one that takes getting used to. Once comfortably settled into her pacing, I was pretty impressed with Green's handy work. 

The events of the book and the characters reactions to them are raw and believable. It's a different voice speaking to the same old topics - cancer battles; navigating young adulthood; falling in love; dying. Hazel, Augustus, and their blind friend Isaac all present unique perspectives to the things many people hold for granted. Green has given up a piece of work representing bleak hope; a small infinity called the present moment. 

I still can't say I enjoyed the inflections used in the main narration, but they do reflect the way a young person would typically speak. The thing that did impress me most was Green's avoidance of taking the obvious route (based on other people's reactions, I'm sure you've assumed someone dies). Even this choice felt honest, not just a plot device making the book about kids with cancer even more upsetting. I felt that this pivotal event mirrored Hazel's sentiments about the weeding out of kids in the cancer support group early on in the novel, as well as speaking to the harsh realities of cancer. 

Overall, I was really please with the book. It was worth crying in an airplane next to total strangers. 

★★★★✩

Want more John Green? Check out his YouTube 

channel.