I have heard so much good about this book — it’s won a ton of awards — so I was initially surprised by its 3.2 stars on Goodreads. Then I read it. Now I’m less surprised. Don’t get me wrong — Karen Russell can write. It’s a beautifully written story. But it still fell really short of what I wanted and expected.
“THE ALLIGATOR IS AN ANACHRONISM THAT CAN EAT YOU!”
Ava Bigtree has lived her whole (short) life in Swamplandia!, a small theme park in Florida where she and her family wrestle alligators and put on shows for tourists. She’s always wanted to be just like her mom, who does the main show. But when her mother dies of cancer at 36 years old, and her father can’t keep things going without her, Ava’s beloved Swamplandia! begins to fall apart. Her brother Kiwi takes off to work for a rival theme park (World of Darkness), hoping to make enough money to save Swamplandia, while her father disappears on a “business trip”. The final piece of Ava’s rather troubled life is her sister, who has become obsessed with a ghost and ran off to marry him. Ava befriends the island’s Bird Man, and together they set off through the swamps to find her sister in the Underworld.
I get what Russell was going for — the metaphors of the Underworld, the Bird Man as Ava’s spirit guide — and the descriptions of the Florida swamps are incredible. But — it’s dull. Kiwi’s adventures in World of Darkness seem like they’re supposed to be darkly funny, but they don’t quite gel with the rest of the story. And poor little Ava and her naivety get really old after a while. And THEN, something really horrible happens, which felt out of sudden and out of character for the book, and I almost didn’t even bother finishing it. Swamplandia! failed me — mostly because it could have been so much better.
I despised this book. I felt like she was trying so hard to use quirkiness to make it a fun way to portray some really horrible situations. I honestly was infuriated every time I read a glowing review of it.
You nailed it. When Ava was attacked — I kept thinking, surely this is not happening in the way I’m thinking, because it was handled so lightly and then blown over. It was kind of disturbing. Not to mention all the shit poor Kiwi goes through.
Thank goodness! I broke up with this book after about 60 pages. I was so excited – it’s about Florida! I live in Florida! – but I just couldn’t. You’re right. It was dull.
I just went and re-read my original review back in cbr3. The only part I liked about the book was the historical bits about Florida.
I distinctly remember reading this in a crowded Doctor’s waiting room and saying something loud and profane when Ava was attacked. Got many a side-eye for that one.
I think it was your review that kept me away from this one. Having grown up in Florida this sounded interesting… and then I was all Nopetopus about it.
🙂