Austin F. Cross

Fun mystery, great performance

Revisado: 07-07-24

The Postcard is a book that reminds me of why I love reading and writing. Listening to the audio while reading The Postcard for the third time gave me a newfound love for it. I loved it before, but I especially love it now.

Lincoln Hoppe portrays Jason (the main character) with a sense of early teenage aloofness. There are times when he speaks with a bit of a smirk like Jason is tickled by what he's saying/experiencing. Then it's counteracted with Jason's more serious moments. Hoppe's narration for Twin Palms (the story within the story) has a very noir/pulp fiction turn and provides a nice nuanced balance for the novel.

The other characters are memorable too. Jason's dad is very reserved but tragically frustrated by his isolated upbringing. Dia is quirky but very accepting and driven to help Jason solve the mystery of the novel. The Secret Order of Oobarab is equal parts terrifying and goofy. All the minor characters stick with you as well.

The mystery, while not complex, is fun and nuanced. The embedded narrative is a great plot device for the novel that moves the plot forward and gives the reader/listener something to look forward to in the coming chapters. Well-paced, some parts were slow-moving while others were breakneck.

While it is a young adult novel, a lot of the themes are very grounded and real. Divorce, estrangement, isolation, love, coming of age, friendship, family, mystery, intrigue, subterfuge, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil. Tony Abbott doesn't hold back in this novel, but it's textually subtle, beautifully written, and endearingly relatable.

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