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Side by Side : Tav & John's Reviews of A VOICE SO SOFT by Patrick Lacey

Tav's Review:
A VOICE SO SOFT intrigued me right from the start because we've got mainstream Pop music being the devil's music instead of the traditional Metal or Rock. Not only is Pop music the devil, but the possessed evil-doer is none other than a beautiful teenager girl named Angie.
Angie's won an American singing competition and her hit single "Forever With You" is taking over radios across the country and causing more than just an earworm. Her fans (called Glitter Critters) are driven wild by the music and seem to be working up to some big event...
Patrick Lacey weaves a compelling take that seems probable-- especially around Halloweentime in Salem, Massachusetts! I loved the altering viewpoints from Angie's twin sister (who predictably isn't an Angie fan), a police officer who connects some bizarre murders to "Forever With You", his friend a record producer and a psychology professor as they try to piece together the madness and try to stop Angie from ending the world. 
However, there was a character I didn't care for whose storyline soured everything for me. A magic shop owner named Esmeralda who is consistently described as an overweight panting woman who is always eating fast food. Esmeralda deserved better than diabetes jokes and I didn't need to read about the struggles of a fat woman as fodder, it didn't add anything to the story and just made me angry that so much attention was placed on her weight. Why was it necessary?! The constant mentions of how all adult men wanted to fuck Angie was annoying, but I figured it was part of the lull of the power of her music. Esmeralda's high cholesterol levels didn't need mentioning and just was weird.
Other than that A VOICE SO SOFT was thoroughly entertaining popcorn Horror and has made me want to seek out more work from Patrick Lacey.
3.5 stars
You can follow Tav on Instagram @readswithdogs

As it happens from time to time, I’ll see a book that I have to get my hands on, and regardless of what I’ve got on my TBR, it jumps to the top of the pile. A Voice So Soft by Patrick Lacey is one such book, and I’m happy to report that my own hype for this book turned out to be well deserved. Newly minted pop queen Angie Everstein is taking the world by storm. She’s won a nationally televised singing competition, released her debut album, and has a hit song ‘Forever with you’ that is loved and known by seemingly everyone. Something isn’t quite right with Angie however. Murders across the country have started popping up, and detective Mike Mallory believes Angie may be involved. Angie’s sister Shawna suspects there is something seriously wrong with her twin, but nothing will prepare her for what’s in store.

As I sit here typing up this review, I can’t help but smile at how much of a blast this was to read. The story just absorbs you. It seems simple enough, but surprisingly I can’t think of anything I’ve read quite like this. Lacey has written some excellent characters in this book. Every single character you meet feels like a real person, except for two characters you meet towards the end, but considering they don’t have a lot of page time, that’s understandable. Shawna is a teenager upset with the disability life has handed her, in addition to having to live in her sister’s shadow. Josh owns a record store but has a life in shambles. Esmerelda, another business owner is struggling with taking care of herself physically. All of these characters and more mean that you’re always invested in the people Lacey is writing about. While we’re on the subject of characters, I do think it’s worth mentioning that certain problems with them are brought up a lot. Every time we’re following Esmerelda, we are being told about her obesity and the problems arising from it. With Josh, much of the time he’s on the page there’s talk of his relationship issues and an erection situation he’s got going on. Neither of these bothered me, but it is worth noting as it does get a bit repetitive. It wasn’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book in any way whatsoever though. I love the idea of a music idol being supernatural. It’s extremely interesting and Lacey does an excellent job here. Angie is everywhere, her music is infectious, and she seems to have much more influence than she should be able to. Her entourage is creepy as hell, and her fans remind you of the fandoms you encounter with celebrities in reality. Another thing I’d like to note is I thought the ending was great. It worked perfectly and it left me thinking about the world I had just left.

A Voice So Soft is a book that sticks with you. Whenever I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be reading it. When I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again. This is a perfect book to pick up on a lazy day and just cruise through. Read this and you won’t be disappointed.

5/5

John is a native of Cranston, Rhode Island. He served 4 years in the United States Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s a lover of all things horror, pizza and cheeseburgers.  When he’s not reading or watching boxing he spends his time with his amazing wife and two beautiful sons.

 


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