Geeklings, you ever pick up a book and just get that feeling? That feeling that what you’re about to read is going to be all types of good? The beginning of any book is like the start of most relationships. There should be passion and something that grabs you (appropriately though. Don’t be getting all grabby without permission). Think of the start of a book as the goodnight kiss on a first date. There’s that whole will it or won’t it happen anticipation and when it does there’s that current that just runs through you. Now just because it doesn’t happen doesn’t mean that you have yourself a bad book or a bad first date for that matter. Somethings you need to work a little harder for. That’s life. Not every book I read takes my breath away. I’m a story junkie and try and get my hands on all types of stories whenever I can through whatever medium I can which means (statistically) not everything is going to knock it out of the park. But those books that do… those are the special ones.

Yesterday I started reading The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison a book that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to buy. It was one of those $4.99 numbers on Amazon and the reviews fluctuated from being dark and overly gory to saying those things but as a positive. I love dark stories. There is just something that draws me into them. I don’t think of myself as a dark person but I prefer stories that are a little more grim than bright. I don’t know how to explain it but there’s an appeal there. Maybe it’s because those types of events lead to more interesting characters or maybe it’s because I don’t like all my stories to be giggles and unicorns (although those serve their purpose too), but whatever it is dark/grim stories have my attention. When the price for The Butterfly Garden dropped to $1.99  I no longer had an excuse not to download it.

I want to preface the fact that I am not very far in the book. As a matter of fact Gandalf the Kindle tells me I’m only 23% of the way. I have really only scratched the surface but I’ve got that feeling Geeklings. That feeling that I stumbled upon something kind of great. That’s the best kind of discovery too, right? The accidental discovery? God I love that! Mostly because I can go to people and be like “you have to read/watch/play/listen to this. Have to!”. When I was in high school I would purposely listen to obscure bands in the hopes that I would stumble upon one that was so good that my friends would have to listen to me. I topped out with Our Lady Peace but they are actually good so it wasn’t much of a secret. What do you want from me I was like fourteen and trying to be cool. Things have been much better since I gave that up. I’m just cool because I’m me and I know who I am. People tend to like that type of confidence.

All that’s besides the point. With The Butterfly Garden I feel like I have stumbled upon something that has the vibes of a Gillian Flynn novel mixed with a little of the first season of True Detective. We don’t talk about the second season…ever. Actually let’s take a second to talk about the second season. Can anyone explain to me just what in the eff happened? I remember hate watching the last five episodes because I needed to validate the loss of my time but I couldn’t explain to you what the over arcing or connecting story was. Ugh, still pisses me off.,

Back to The Butterfly Garden though which happens to be a story that hasn’t pissed me off yet. Quite the contrary, there’s so much promise here. The story, thus far, concerns a group of girls that have been rescued from a kidnapper who has treated them like butterflies. He keeps them in this cave like structure and tattoos wings on them that he feels fits their personality. It’s pretty messed up. I don’t want to give to much away. The narrative slips between first and third person helping to craftily construct the present and the past of the story while doing so with characters who I already feel connected to despite the brief time I’ve known them. It is evident that this book is setting me up for something, some nasty twist that’ll be Seven like, and I like that anticipation. I like knowing that there is going to be something on the horizon that makes me put down the book while muttering “holy shit dude” under my breath. Yes for those wondering that is actually something I do. Although when I’m home and do that I try to explain it away as if I’m talking to Hudson the Cat.

As I’m sitting here finishing this piece and getting ready to call it a day (a day that included a new Mr. Robot column by the way. I love writing this column as it allows me to explore so many different avenues and think and construct pieces outside the box. You can read that column here at Fan Fest News #plug) I’m already thinking about how I can construct my time to get a little more reading in. That’s the mark of a great book. A book that is that goodnight kiss to a first date. When you have to think how you can watch football but still get some reading in… that’s a keeper. I’ll let you guys know if it sticks the landing.