Leander Watts’ novel, Beautiful City of the Dead, reminds me of those amazing albums where great bands use their songs to tell a complex, multi-dimensional story. Each classic song stands alone, brilliant and enchanting, but when interwoven with the others on the album, makes something deeper, wider and more powerful as the listener lets him/her-self be enveloped in the band’s vision.
Of course this interpretation isn’t highly original, since on the surface the story is about a teenage “ghost metal” band – four friends who come together through their music and find meaning and power in their awkward teenage years. But the way Watts weaves a supernatural, other-wordly elements into the story hints at more beneath the surface – maybe there is some kind of mystical, elemental power in the world that these 4 teens tap into and can harness to reach another plane of existence.
Short chapters, snarky commentary, matter-of-fact narration, and layers of mystical urban fantasy make this a quick, intriguing book. The first half of the book draws the reader into the story, teasing you with the supernatural mysteries facing Zee as she gets to know her bandmates and her own power; but I felt as though the ending was a little rushed and not as developed as it could have been. In the end I felt like there was just one or two songs missing from this album to make the journey complete.
- Posted by Cori