Half way through Chapter 14 of Ksenia Anske’s Siren Suicides – I Chose to Die, and I just now decided to make some notes. I started it yesterday, and only abandoned it to selfishly write my own short story. Well, that’s not entirely true. The truth is that, after reading her entire blog, the articles about reading, writing, editing, marketing – and loving those – I was a bit afraid that I wouldn’t like her actual novel and that I wouldn’t know how to say that appropriately. I hate being disappointed in someone’s writing, especially after I already like them. Before you assume anything, this was not the case.
I should have started this document with Chapter 1 (but hey, it’s never too late, right?). I‘m doing it now, and while I am a nobody as far as writers are concerned, I do believe that people are more likely to read novels others have read and expressed opinions about. My humble opinion is that Ksenia Anske deserves to be read and taken in. Let her live on the pages in front of you, you can just feel the longing for it, and the passion that goes into every turn of phrase.
So here goes (I number ideas because it’s easier for me to keep track of them, I apologize to those who find this annoying; also, please keep in mind that I don’t have any professional training as far as writing is concerned, and some of the points are purely subjective; while I start most of the points with “I love”, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME – just wanted to make that clear):
1. I love the idea of turning into a siren, and continue some kind of existence when all you want is to die and disappear forever. We all seem to have a fascination with what happens after dying (I personally love movies dealing with that), and many writers have dealt with the topic (myself included). However, the idea of turning into something not dead but not alive either, something so beautiful, enticing, and lethal as sirens, is just different to me. Taking an old myth and turning it into something this new and current takes, I think, a lot of talent and guts. Ksenia Anske has plenty of both, and I don’t doubt that we’ll be seeing that in all her books.
2. I love the new combinations of nouns and adjectives, verbs and adverbs, in ways that I have myself considered before but always dismissed as “incorrect”. I love that she’s not afraid of that, and the end result shows it beautifully. I will not point them out, there’re too many of them:)
3. I love that the story happens really fast, the chapters are all connected, you don’t miss any of the action. This would make a great movie, I can imagine the visual effects involved.
4. I love how Hunter addresses Ailen and her father with the typically adolescent ‘dude’. The dialogue seems so effortless and flowing, as if the writer has multiple personalities and is able to inhabit each one at a time, by pure choice, and switching between them as fast as the lines switch from one character to another.
5. This whole first book somehow reminded me of Perfume by Patrick Suskind, where the main character processes his environment through the sense of smell. The siren here processes everything through hearing: “I can’t hear a single soul.” Also, I love the way souls ‘sound’: “The first cop, his belly jiggling, his soul bitter – a mixture of clanking beer bottles and bowling balls – …” – each description of a soul gives you the perfect amount of insight into fleeting characters that are only there to make what Ailen experiences all the more intense.
6. I LOOOOVE the sarcasm!:)
7. One-word sentences: I’ve always heard/read/learned that one-word sentences are a big no-no, and thus have always avoided them even when, deep down inside, I knew they worked. I’ve been so focused on all these things that others tell me are wrong, that I completely forgot to trust my gut and go with what I feel is right. One-word sentences just work, but I had to see them used by Ksenia Anske to finally accept it completely. Thanks!
8. I love the descriptions of the city. I feel like I could take them as directions, and follow them to all the places where Ailen goes. Beautiful!
9. I love the subtle insights into the psychological makeup of the characters” “It’s devoid of any clutter, with only a few wall shelves on each side holding select tools – my father’s style of keeping everything organized with almost surgical precision.” – Ch. 18, pp. 223. These are all over the book, so just go read it yourself!
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I just finished the first book of the series, and I am posting this now because I know these points will apply to the other books as well. I find myself completely trapped in the story, and need to know how it continues. Ailen’s struggle with the lack of love from her father and the doubts related to her mother is so vivid and you can’t help but wonder if she will ever get the answers she’s looking for. I don’t need to read the other two books to recommend this to others. Please go to www.kseniaanske.com and get the books! You will only understand what I’m talking about after you read them yourself.
PS. I will update this post after I read the other two. Can’t wait, although I will have to because there are people here mowing our lawn, there’s cleaning to be done (uugghh), and someone at school needs my help with a report.