Review: Hello LAlaland
Hello LAlaland by Madi Merek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Because reviews are opinions, here’s mine: “Hello LAlaland” is a cleanly executed book, and I liked Tony a lot. I didn’t quite connect with Wini or her motives, but that’s my own personal hang-ups and not a reflection on the storytelling or characterizations at all. I had a solid sense of who each character was and their motives. Wini’s motives didn’t make sense to ME, that’s all, which probably stems from having teenage daughters at home.
Stylistically, I found this to be an odd read with large spreads of flashbacks that had little transition to let me know if things were happening as the narrator told them or if they were past events. Of course I figured it out, but I found it jarring the first time I came across it. That’s my only complaint about the book–style is subjective.
Madi has solid writing chops. I look forward to her full-length, historical fiction and other works.
