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The Shamshine Blind
A beguiling blend of noir detective story and science fiction perfect for fans of Michael Chabon and Emily St. John Mandel, this unputdownable debut imagines a world where emotions have been weaponized, and a small-town law enforcement agent uncovers a conspiracy to take down what’s left of American democracy.
In an alternate 2009, the United States has been a second-rate power for a quarter of a century, ever since Argentina’s victory in the Falkland’s War thanks to their development of “psychopigments.� Created as weapons, these colorful chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs. Black market traders illegally sell everything from Blackberry Purple (which causes terror) to Sunshine Yellow (which delivers happiness).
Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida works a beat in Daly City, just outside the ruins of San Francisco, chasing down smalltime crooks. But when an old friend shows up with a tantalizing lead on a career-making case, Curtida’s humdrum existence suddenly gets a boost. Little does she know that this case will send her down a tangled path of conspiracy and lead to an overdue reckoning with her family and with the truth of her own emotions.
Told in the voice of a funny, brooding, Latinx Sam Spade, The Shamshine Blind is “a rip-roaring beautifully crafted mash-up of cop noir, sci-fi, and alt-history that left me dazzled by its prescience and literary zing� (Leah Hampton, author of F*ckface ).
In an alternate 2009, the United States has been a second-rate power for a quarter of a century, ever since Argentina’s victory in the Falkland’s War thanks to their development of “psychopigments.� Created as weapons, these colorful chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs. Black market traders illegally sell everything from Blackberry Purple (which causes terror) to Sunshine Yellow (which delivers happiness).
Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida works a beat in Daly City, just outside the ruins of San Francisco, chasing down smalltime crooks. But when an old friend shows up with a tantalizing lead on a career-making case, Curtida’s humdrum existence suddenly gets a boost. Little does she know that this case will send her down a tangled path of conspiracy and lead to an overdue reckoning with her family and with the truth of her own emotions.
Told in the voice of a funny, brooding, Latinx Sam Spade, The Shamshine Blind is “a rip-roaring beautifully crafted mash-up of cop noir, sci-fi, and alt-history that left me dazzled by its prescience and literary zing� (Leah Hampton, author of F*ckface ).
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2023
158 people are currently reading
13.5k people want to read
About the author
Paz Pardo
1Ìýbook96ÌýfollowersI’m a playwright and a novelist. My debut novel, THE SHAMSHINE BLIND, is due out from Atria Books in February 2023. My plays have been performed in New York, LA, the SF Bay Area, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, and Austin TX (among other cities).
I got my MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin in 2018, had a Fulbright in Buenos Aires in 2012, and received my BA from Stanford in 2009.
My writing has appeared in The Brooklyn Review, Encountering Ensemble, The I Scream Social Anthology: Volume 1, and Howlround Theater Commons.
I live in the mountains in Argentina right now with my husband and toddler. I thought I’d be great at gardening but it turns out I’m not! I like to cook, look for weird mushrooms in the woods, and hide in my room and read. Weirdly, I once thought I was an extrovert.
I got my MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin in 2018, had a Fulbright in Buenos Aires in 2012, and received my BA from Stanford in 2009.
My writing has appeared in The Brooklyn Review, Encountering Ensemble, The I Scream Social Anthology: Volume 1, and Howlround Theater Commons.
I live in the mountains in Argentina right now with my husband and toddler. I thought I’d be great at gardening but it turns out I’m not! I like to cook, look for weird mushrooms in the woods, and hide in my room and read. Weirdly, I once thought I was an extrovert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
February 6, 2023
*3.5 stars rounded up.
Imagine an alternate world where Argentina defeated the US in the Falklands War in the 80s by using psychopigment weaponry based on human emotions. Most large cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles were decimated and so badly polluted with negative emotions that no one can enter them almost thirty years later.
Now in 2009, these emotion-based drugs have become recreational cures-alls, but someone has been selling dangerous fakes. In Daly City, outside the ruins of SF, it's up to the agents of Psychopigment Enforcement, like Kay Curtida, to track the perps down. Or is this new 'shamshine' only a blind to cover up a deeper conspiracy?
This dark and witty debut novel is part noir mystery and part scifi, with a bit of romance thrown in as Curtida deals with her feelings for her long-time friend and fellow agent, Doug Nambi. Curtida is an interesting new character, tenacious when on the job (or is she just plain stubborn?), clueless about her own feelings, and dealing with a critical mother who knows how to push her buttons.
The plot is very original but I wouldn't say this thriller is a page-turner because the world-building that is needed slows down the pace considerably in the first 40%. The action then revs up but a part later in the story seemed downright silly. As you can imagine, emotions are always high in this story, but which ones are real and which are psychopigment induced?
I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. I hope the author intends to create a series with these characters and the intriguing world they inhabit. Neat cover design!
Imagine an alternate world where Argentina defeated the US in the Falklands War in the 80s by using psychopigment weaponry based on human emotions. Most large cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles were decimated and so badly polluted with negative emotions that no one can enter them almost thirty years later.
Now in 2009, these emotion-based drugs have become recreational cures-alls, but someone has been selling dangerous fakes. In Daly City, outside the ruins of SF, it's up to the agents of Psychopigment Enforcement, like Kay Curtida, to track the perps down. Or is this new 'shamshine' only a blind to cover up a deeper conspiracy?
This dark and witty debut novel is part noir mystery and part scifi, with a bit of romance thrown in as Curtida deals with her feelings for her long-time friend and fellow agent, Doug Nambi. Curtida is an interesting new character, tenacious when on the job (or is she just plain stubborn?), clueless about her own feelings, and dealing with a critical mother who knows how to push her buttons.
The plot is very original but I wouldn't say this thriller is a page-turner because the world-building that is needed slows down the pace considerably in the first 40%. The action then revs up but a part later in the story seemed downright silly. As you can imagine, emotions are always high in this story, but which ones are real and which are psychopigment induced?
I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. I hope the author intends to create a series with these characters and the intriguing world they inhabit. Neat cover design!
March 18, 2023
Rec. by: BookRiot; Scalzi
Rec. for: Color commentators (heh)
Now and then, seemingly out of the blue (heh), a work of speculative fiction gets published that's truly unique, with an outrageous concept (what I like to call a "neat conceit") executed so well that it inexorably draws you in to the profoundly loopy, ridiculously implausible world the author has created. 's comes to mind, at least for me. , by , for another. 's .
All of these examples, while very different in detail, have not just one but two significant factors in common: not just that "neat conceit," which is different in every case, but also a hard-boiled, world-weary protagonist—a common viewpoint often called "noir" (it's even the name of Jeter's novel!)—who allows each author to show off that conceit to its best advantage.
's debut novel is a well-nigh perfect example of this tradition-breaking tradition. From its intriguing title onward—a title which does make sense, although I found myself almost incapable of pronouncing it correctly (I kept saying "Bland")—the book turned out to be just about as good as I'd hoped it would be. This one comes on smooth, like a hit of Sunshine Yellow after a day filled with Slate Grey Ennui, but it really packs a punch.
In , you see, the one big counterfactual we get is this: back in the 1980s, when the nation of Argentina went up against the U.K. and NATO for , Argentina actually managed to conquer the world... because of a secret weapon: "psychopigments," brightly-colored neurochemicals with a kaleidoscope of devastating effects on anyone who encounters them without protection. Argentina's wholesale bombing of large population centers in the Northern Hemisphere with "Deepest Blue," which causes amnesia and confusion, completely changed the course of history. Argentina annexed the U.K., and the leaderless, helpless U.S. surrendered to the invading Gauchos, who established a new capital in... Boise, Idaho?!?
It all makes sense, in context. 's an Argentine-American, but her portrayal of the conquering forces from Buenos Aires is nuanced and not at all worshipful. In fact, Pardo handles her complicated worldbuilding quite smoothly in general—once you accept the premise, everything else follows, down to the smallest details. Her attention to detail extends to colors even when they're not pigments: see for example her mention of "greige" tiles (p.40). I got a real chuckle out of the first appearance of the term "hazpig suit," too, on p.12—of course; that's exactly what protective gear would be called, in a world where Psychopigment Enforcement agents wear those suits while busting bootleg pigment dealers.
Agents like Kay Curtida, our hard-boiled and world-weary narrator, who lives and works and drives her beat-up Renault 4 in Daly City, California—a Bay Area backwater just south of the abandoned city of San Francisco (which did not get devastated by the Argentines, by the way... SF was depopulated later on, by the domestic Magenta Attack of 1989).
Kay is the key to the heart of , I think... she's an extraordinarly relatable character, and Pardo delves deeply into her introverted personality as Agent Curtida gets ever more deeply embroiled in her investigation of Daly City's trade in fake Sunshine Yellow—Shamshine—and how it's connected to the Icarus Corporation and the so-called Pinkos' rise to political power...
Other bits I liked, from later in the novel (so I'm going to hide 'em for you, just a little bit):
I thought this was a touching and appropriate epigram, too:
Rec. for: Color commentators (heh)
Now and then, seemingly out of the blue (heh), a work of speculative fiction gets published that's truly unique, with an outrageous concept (what I like to call a "neat conceit") executed so well that it inexorably draws you in to the profoundly loopy, ridiculously implausible world the author has created. 's comes to mind, at least for me. , by , for another. 's .
All of these examples, while very different in detail, have not just one but two significant factors in common: not just that "neat conceit," which is different in every case, but also a hard-boiled, world-weary protagonist—a common viewpoint often called "noir" (it's even the name of Jeter's novel!)—who allows each author to show off that conceit to its best advantage.
's debut novel is a well-nigh perfect example of this tradition-breaking tradition. From its intriguing title onward—a title which does make sense, although I found myself almost incapable of pronouncing it correctly (I kept saying "Bland")—the book turned out to be just about as good as I'd hoped it would be. This one comes on smooth, like a hit of Sunshine Yellow after a day filled with Slate Grey Ennui, but it really packs a punch.
In , you see, the one big counterfactual we get is this: back in the 1980s, when the nation of Argentina went up against the U.K. and NATO for , Argentina actually managed to conquer the world... because of a secret weapon: "psychopigments," brightly-colored neurochemicals with a kaleidoscope of devastating effects on anyone who encounters them without protection. Argentina's wholesale bombing of large population centers in the Northern Hemisphere with "Deepest Blue," which causes amnesia and confusion, completely changed the course of history. Argentina annexed the U.K., and the leaderless, helpless U.S. surrendered to the invading Gauchos, who established a new capital in... Boise, Idaho?!?
It all makes sense, in context. 's an Argentine-American, but her portrayal of the conquering forces from Buenos Aires is nuanced and not at all worshipful. In fact, Pardo handles her complicated worldbuilding quite smoothly in general—once you accept the premise, everything else follows, down to the smallest details. Her attention to detail extends to colors even when they're not pigments: see for example her mention of "greige" tiles (p.40). I got a real chuckle out of the first appearance of the term "hazpig suit," too, on p.12—of course; that's exactly what protective gear would be called, in a world where Psychopigment Enforcement agents wear those suits while busting bootleg pigment dealers.
Agents like Kay Curtida, our hard-boiled and world-weary narrator, who lives and works and drives her beat-up Renault 4 in Daly City, California—a Bay Area backwater just south of the abandoned city of San Francisco (which did not get devastated by the Argentines, by the way... SF was depopulated later on, by the domestic Magenta Attack of 1989).
Kay is the key to the heart of , I think... she's an extraordinarly relatable character, and Pardo delves deeply into her introverted personality as Agent Curtida gets ever more deeply embroiled in her investigation of Daly City's trade in fake Sunshine Yellow—Shamshine—and how it's connected to the Icarus Corporation and the so-called Pinkos' rise to political power...
I could remember when we'd thought that the solution to the regular drops in the Hope Count would be synthesizing Lavender Hope, like we had with Sunshine Yellow. Unfortunately, the process for coming up with a recipe always began with capturing wild emotion. Scientists would get together enough folks feeling the sentiment they were trying to make and siphon the neurosteroids out of the charged atmosphere. Analyze their unique structures, find some other similar molecule in yams or mushrooms or cicadas. Run it through a bunch of processes involving Bunsen burners and the suffix -ation and voilà : the birth of a pigment. But the whole exercise required a group of humans who felt hopeful. Hard to find any of those anymore. Expecially in weeks like this one, with the Hope Count dropping daily.
—p.41
Other bits I liked, from later in the novel (so I'm going to hide 'em for you, just a little bit):
I thought this was a touching and appropriate epigram, too:
Our words our bricks to build our home: here are a few more.So mote it be.
—Acknowledgements, p.314
February 14, 2023
Now Available
Gracious thanks to Atria and #NetGalley for an early copy of this rollicking mystery thriller. This is my favorite kind of satire-based novel. one that is well-written, with serious underpinnings, but that never takes itself too seriously, so it always feels open and balanced. As a bonus, the author is a playwright, who deftly directs the action.
Author Paz Pardo presents an alternate history, in which early 21st century America is a has-been country, where disaffected residents look to scientifically-created emotional manipulation for relief, in the form of modern colorful transdermal military grade applications. This form of escapism is so popular that a drug task force has been created just to deal with rising illegal non-prescription abuse. That military breakthrough has been pivotal in creating a new world order. It gave a smaller foe a way to dominate, simply by catching so many civilians in other countries right in the feels. The whole concept of people being emotionally bombed by an adversary is intriguing.
At first, it is difficult to be certain how metaphorically we should interpret the author's use of symbolism. At the beginning, the tone and atmosphere run closer to whimsical. The feel is similar to a Jonathan Lethem gumshoe style novel (something I've been looking for, for a long time). That being said, the descriptions of casual racism and the dangers of the industrial-military complex are crystal clear throughout the narrative, though not in a heavy handed way. The author creatively names various societal and political forces, but that doesn't make them any less important, just easier to hear about. The themes in the novel which address being careful who you give your power to, and delivered like this in a light-handed fashion, are reminiscent of ZED, by Joanna Kavenna as well as QualityLand, by Marc-Uwe Kling.
Of particular note is the diversity reflected in Pardo's characters. Not only is it refreshing to see non-white characters in leading roles, but also the MC is a woman, with a male sidekick. Even more laudable, the author frames disabilty in a frank, but sympathetic light, and presents the different perspectives of the neurodivergent vs. the neurotypical. The author expresses tender-heartedness towards her most vulnerable characters: the revictimized. Pardo reminds us that crime is never a single event. Malice tends to reverberate through the soul, and through the heart of a community. As an antidote, the author posits that hope is essential for life, even more important than happiness. But, that hope needs to be one's own. The only thing worse than having no hope is to be given false hope. This story is not about the pitfalls of an overmedicated society, but rather about a society which is often manipulated into how to feel.
As much as the author toys with this alternate history of the United States, she also reminds us of the divisions which define this country, that internal schism which always threatens the whole, and holds back progress. That's the thing about both overt and covert racism, ableism, sexism, and classism: they have toxic consequences which threaten the health of a community, a region, a nation. Additionally, it's just plain wasteful to reject or underutilize the talents of certain people based on color, gender, ability, wealth, education, ethnicity, faith, even age, yet this happens consistently. I especially appreciated that the characters were treated as individuals who resisted generalization. Each person has a different set of susceptibilities to various emotions. Neurodivergent processing depressives receive the same respect as neurotypicals. The author recognizes that people need the time and space to process events in ways which work best for them. As a psychologist once said "You are never wrong for how you feel." The author invites us to understand some things we would rather not admit, chiefly that emotions are complex, not always under our control, and at times incapacitating.
In no way does the author suggest that pharmaceutical medicines are bad. They have an absolutely vital therapeutic role, and the issue of recreational use is one left for the reader to decide. What is apparent is the potential for abuse and misuse, and not just by the individual. The distilled emotional inducing properties of the "psychopigments" in Pardo's story can be viewed both literally and metaphorically, as forms of psychological manipulation, with varying effects along a benefit to harm continuum.
Pardo has outlined a familiar historical pattern in this novel: a humiliated nation has lost power after defeat in a large-scale war, resulting in increasing hostility towards certain groups based on patriotic populist principles, and giving rise to a cult which promises to restore the hope and the greatness they've lost. It's a classic story and a familiar one, told in an incredibly imaginative way, packed with action and adventure.
Gracious thanks to Atria and #NetGalley for an early copy of this rollicking mystery thriller. This is my favorite kind of satire-based novel. one that is well-written, with serious underpinnings, but that never takes itself too seriously, so it always feels open and balanced. As a bonus, the author is a playwright, who deftly directs the action.
Author Paz Pardo presents an alternate history, in which early 21st century America is a has-been country, where disaffected residents look to scientifically-created emotional manipulation for relief, in the form of modern colorful transdermal military grade applications. This form of escapism is so popular that a drug task force has been created just to deal with rising illegal non-prescription abuse. That military breakthrough has been pivotal in creating a new world order. It gave a smaller foe a way to dominate, simply by catching so many civilians in other countries right in the feels. The whole concept of people being emotionally bombed by an adversary is intriguing.
At first, it is difficult to be certain how metaphorically we should interpret the author's use of symbolism. At the beginning, the tone and atmosphere run closer to whimsical. The feel is similar to a Jonathan Lethem gumshoe style novel (something I've been looking for, for a long time). That being said, the descriptions of casual racism and the dangers of the industrial-military complex are crystal clear throughout the narrative, though not in a heavy handed way. The author creatively names various societal and political forces, but that doesn't make them any less important, just easier to hear about. The themes in the novel which address being careful who you give your power to, and delivered like this in a light-handed fashion, are reminiscent of ZED, by Joanna Kavenna as well as QualityLand, by Marc-Uwe Kling.
Of particular note is the diversity reflected in Pardo's characters. Not only is it refreshing to see non-white characters in leading roles, but also the MC is a woman, with a male sidekick. Even more laudable, the author frames disabilty in a frank, but sympathetic light, and presents the different perspectives of the neurodivergent vs. the neurotypical. The author expresses tender-heartedness towards her most vulnerable characters: the revictimized. Pardo reminds us that crime is never a single event. Malice tends to reverberate through the soul, and through the heart of a community. As an antidote, the author posits that hope is essential for life, even more important than happiness. But, that hope needs to be one's own. The only thing worse than having no hope is to be given false hope. This story is not about the pitfalls of an overmedicated society, but rather about a society which is often manipulated into how to feel.
As much as the author toys with this alternate history of the United States, she also reminds us of the divisions which define this country, that internal schism which always threatens the whole, and holds back progress. That's the thing about both overt and covert racism, ableism, sexism, and classism: they have toxic consequences which threaten the health of a community, a region, a nation. Additionally, it's just plain wasteful to reject or underutilize the talents of certain people based on color, gender, ability, wealth, education, ethnicity, faith, even age, yet this happens consistently. I especially appreciated that the characters were treated as individuals who resisted generalization. Each person has a different set of susceptibilities to various emotions. Neurodivergent processing depressives receive the same respect as neurotypicals. The author recognizes that people need the time and space to process events in ways which work best for them. As a psychologist once said "You are never wrong for how you feel." The author invites us to understand some things we would rather not admit, chiefly that emotions are complex, not always under our control, and at times incapacitating.
In no way does the author suggest that pharmaceutical medicines are bad. They have an absolutely vital therapeutic role, and the issue of recreational use is one left for the reader to decide. What is apparent is the potential for abuse and misuse, and not just by the individual. The distilled emotional inducing properties of the "psychopigments" in Pardo's story can be viewed both literally and metaphorically, as forms of psychological manipulation, with varying effects along a benefit to harm continuum.
Pardo has outlined a familiar historical pattern in this novel: a humiliated nation has lost power after defeat in a large-scale war, resulting in increasing hostility towards certain groups based on patriotic populist principles, and giving rise to a cult which promises to restore the hope and the greatness they've lost. It's a classic story and a familiar one, told in an incredibly imaginative way, packed with action and adventure.
October 24, 2022
Not many books capture me with the first few paragraphs, but this one did. Once I read the description of bicycles “held together with duct tape and resignation,� I was hooked. Jasper fforde’s more recent novels (Early Riser and The Constant Rabbit), come to mind as comparatives, but Pardo’s alternate time-line is both more believable and outlandish. The psychological use of synesthesia is an ingenious and refreshing plot device, and the cast of characters is just quirky enough to enjoy but not so quirky as to irritate. Indeed, I liked this so much that I am not even angry with Pardo for getting “Little Boxes� stuck in my head.
January 26, 2023
When Atria reached out with an ARC for The Shamshine Blind, the premise was intriguing. The email and blurb state it is for fans of Emily St. John Mandel, and as I’m still living on the high of Sea of Tranquility, I readily agreed to read this.
However, this book isn’t for me, and I feel the comparison to Mandel is a reach. While the premise of an alternate US, in which pigments have changed people drastically, is incredibly appealing, the execution doesn’t work for me. So much time is spent describing everything, including the insignificant, that it was a chore parsing out relative information. It also made the book incredibly slow to get through. There is a lot of groundwork to lay, and the constant influx of new information can make keeping track of this unique world challenging. We alternated with shaky pacing between each info dump.
I had high hopes for the detective/mystery element of the book, but it fell flat. I don’t understand some of the directions this book went. While this book isn’t wholly for me, there are many working elements with this book that will appeal to many readers.
However, this book isn’t for me, and I feel the comparison to Mandel is a reach. While the premise of an alternate US, in which pigments have changed people drastically, is incredibly appealing, the execution doesn’t work for me. So much time is spent describing everything, including the insignificant, that it was a chore parsing out relative information. It also made the book incredibly slow to get through. There is a lot of groundwork to lay, and the constant influx of new information can make keeping track of this unique world challenging. We alternated with shaky pacing between each info dump.
I had high hopes for the detective/mystery element of the book, but it fell flat. I don’t understand some of the directions this book went. While this book isn’t wholly for me, there are many working elements with this book that will appeal to many readers.
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October 27, 2022Paz Pardo you are a great author. I couldn't put this book down. During the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982, Argentina developed a new weapon that became known as psychopigments. Now the big cities in America are cities like Boise and Iowa City; New York, Los Angeles, and DC are bombed-out wastelands still wreathed with the remnant colored fogs of the pigments. Kay Curtido is a psychopigment enforcement agent in the backwaters of 2009 Daly City, CA. She thinks she may be onto a big case that might be her way out of the small, underfunded branch in Daly City. This is a fast pace story that will keep you turning the pages. I really enjoyed and highly recommend.
July 31, 2024
Thanks to both Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Shamshine Blind.
In this alternate history, Argentina brought the United States to its knees during the 1980’s Malvinas war, and periodic Global Hope Depletion Events cast a pall over the daily grind. In the shadows of a ruined San Francisco, Agent Kay Curtida must get to the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the American Dream itself.
The Shamshine Blind was definitely different! This alternate 2009 is one I wouldn't want to live in. Created as weapons, colorful “psychopigments� chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs.
I liked Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida and her friends a lot. I have to admit I had trouble keeping everything and everyone straight, however. (I'm totally impressed the author was able to do so as she was writing the book!) There were times I just didn't understand what was going on, although readers who love the dystopian and sci-fi genres may appreciate The Shamshine Blind more than I did.
In this alternate history, Argentina brought the United States to its knees during the 1980’s Malvinas war, and periodic Global Hope Depletion Events cast a pall over the daily grind. In the shadows of a ruined San Francisco, Agent Kay Curtida must get to the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the American Dream itself.
The Shamshine Blind was definitely different! This alternate 2009 is one I wouldn't want to live in. Created as weapons, colorful “psychopigments� chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs.
I liked Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida and her friends a lot. I have to admit I had trouble keeping everything and everyone straight, however. (I'm totally impressed the author was able to do so as she was writing the book!) There were times I just didn't understand what was going on, although readers who love the dystopian and sci-fi genres may appreciate The Shamshine Blind more than I did.
March 23, 2023
An extremely disappointing novel. While purporting to be of a and lineage, the author I was most reminded of was . Taking a noir story into a slightly-off-kilter-America and using this premise to examine human nature and how these skewed versions of history would affect how the world developed. Unfortunately, I do not think that the same lofty heights are achieved in this book as I believe they were by Winters. A proper balance between show-not-tell was never achieved and the main character was there more as a means to drive the plot than anything else.
I hate to leave a poor review but overall, despite an interesting premise, I rarely understood how the pigments worked and was typically baffled by the fluctuating flow of time.
I hate to leave a poor review but overall, despite an interesting premise, I rarely understood how the pigments worked and was typically baffled by the fluctuating flow of time.
March 6, 2024
An unexpectedly entertaining (and emotion-provoking) debut novel. What a fun mix of noir and sci-fi-ishness, with a rollicking cast of characters.
I’m all in for whatever Pardo writes next.
I’m all in for whatever Pardo writes next.
December 3, 2023
Quirky story that blends elements of dystopia, detective noir, and alternate history. Argentina has become a world power by developing psychopigments, chemicals that act upon humans by saturating them with a particular emotion (terror, memory loss, depression, etc.) Living in northern California, Protagonist Kay Curtida works in Psychopigment Enforcement, an agency dedicated to ensuring the proper use of these drugs and tracking down black-market traders. She works a case that initially seems ordinary but leads to a sequence of events that changes everything in her life. I found it extremely creative and entertaining. It is easy to root for Kay to succeed. It perhaps is not as science based as I usually prefer but is an over-the-top escapade that kept my interest. I cannot be sure, but the ending seems to set it up as the first book in a series. If you enjoy books with an unusual premise, set in alternative version of our world, give it a try.
February 19, 2024
This debut novel is a pleasant-enough mashup of alternative history (what if Argentina won the Falklands War?) and police procedural, only the “detective� is a psycho-pigment enforcement agent, and if you’re at all intrigued by the idea of psycho-pigments, I recommend you read the book. It came to me as part of the 2024 Tournament of Books.
August 7, 2023
CAUTION: Your emotions may not be your own.
Imagine an alternate universe where you couldn't trust your own feelings. Because that's essentially what happens in "The Shamshine Blind". Argentina's military scientists discover a bioweapon-cum- cure-all remedy named psychopigments. Subsequently the US is knocked off the world stage and these pigments are ruining life for everyone else. And that's where Psychopigment Enforcement comes in. And scene.
I also really enjoyed the characters in this one. They all felt lived-in, bouncing around the walls before committing to print. The narrator, Kay Curtida especially felt so realized from the start, revving up her Renault 4 and challenging her underpaid glorified cop position. Most of the supporting characters felt the same way while I was reading, I swore I'd met someone exactly like Tommy or Meekins.
It was an absolutely ridiculous and genius move to set this in an alternate 2009 as well because you can definitely feel the energy of 2009 flowing through the spiritual and humorous core of this novel. Not only is it a post-financial crisis but it is also a post-military takeover. Apparently, the U.S Capital is now located in Boise, ID. It also manages to pull off social satire remarkably well for what seems like such an outlandish plot at times.
Bottom Line:
I liked this and enjoyed every second while reading, but now, trying to recall the specific details gets blurry. It was a thoroughly intriguing concept, but I can't help feeling like it lost me a tad.
Imagine an alternate universe where you couldn't trust your own feelings. Because that's essentially what happens in "The Shamshine Blind". Argentina's military scientists discover a bioweapon-cum- cure-all remedy named psychopigments. Subsequently the US is knocked off the world stage and these pigments are ruining life for everyone else. And that's where Psychopigment Enforcement comes in. And scene.
I also really enjoyed the characters in this one. They all felt lived-in, bouncing around the walls before committing to print. The narrator, Kay Curtida especially felt so realized from the start, revving up her Renault 4 and challenging her underpaid glorified cop position. Most of the supporting characters felt the same way while I was reading, I swore I'd met someone exactly like Tommy or Meekins.
It was an absolutely ridiculous and genius move to set this in an alternate 2009 as well because you can definitely feel the energy of 2009 flowing through the spiritual and humorous core of this novel. Not only is it a post-financial crisis but it is also a post-military takeover. Apparently, the U.S Capital is now located in Boise, ID. It also manages to pull off social satire remarkably well for what seems like such an outlandish plot at times.
Bottom Line:
I liked this and enjoyed every second while reading, but now, trying to recall the specific details gets blurry. It was a thoroughly intriguing concept, but I can't help feeling like it lost me a tad.
February 26, 2023
The premise is really good, and that lead to me being really excited for this. There may be an okay plot in here but its really hard to find because the author spends a ridiculous amount of time describing every single thing, which makes the story go slowly. Theres something to be said for being concise. Frankly, I just got bored.
November 7, 2022
A Future noir detective story in an alternate history of the US.
It's 2009 and the US is in a weakened state due to their loss to Argentina in the Fauland war. A feature of this history is that there are pscyhopigments - colored chemicals that produce a human emotion on contact. They are part of the black market in the US and as an Agent Kay Curida works to bust underground sellers. When Kay gets a tip from an old friend, she jumps into a case hoping it will bring excitement to her life and potentially a change in her job. Little does she know, this choice leads her into a blackmarket tidal pool of conspiracies, espionage and family secrets that will rock her world.
If you like alternative histories, are curious about synthesia and emotional warfare, The Shamshine Blind is for you!
It's 2009 and the US is in a weakened state due to their loss to Argentina in the Fauland war. A feature of this history is that there are pscyhopigments - colored chemicals that produce a human emotion on contact. They are part of the black market in the US and as an Agent Kay Curida works to bust underground sellers. When Kay gets a tip from an old friend, she jumps into a case hoping it will bring excitement to her life and potentially a change in her job. Little does she know, this choice leads her into a blackmarket tidal pool of conspiracies, espionage and family secrets that will rock her world.
If you like alternative histories, are curious about synthesia and emotional warfare, The Shamshine Blind is for you!
February 1, 2023
3.5
This book was quite the chore to get through for the first half. It was equal parts ambitious but unbelievable, interesting and boring. There was a lot of info dumping, but at the same time you get left in the dark about a lot of things involving the war, psychopigments, and what happened to make cities like Boise and Iowa City the big cities in the country. You're left to assume a lot of things and you have to suspend your disbelief a bit on psychopigments in general and Argentina winning a war that a lot of people may not really know about. I had only the most basic knowledge of the Falkland War, and I think that will be the case for many others. There is no information about the war, just that it happened and Argentina won due to the development of psychopigments.
After about the halfway point, things start picking up and getting more interesting, though there are still points where it drags a bit. It was hard for me to believe that no one anywhere and at any point had tried to develop Lavender Hope before. It seemed like more of a convenience for the plot's sake that Curtida and her group were the first ones to think of it and try to harvest it. The idea they come up with for getting the Hope is a little farfetched as well. There had to have been other options, but again it just seemed very convenient. There was a good cast of characters, though I did find the main character a bit on the bland side. I don't know if this was because of her neurodivergent status, but even neurodivergent people have personalities, likes, hobbies, etc.
I do have to say that Curtida's description of feeling like a "beige-carpeted waiting room" after being hit with ennui is one of my favorite descriptions ever. There was a lot of good writing, and the plot involving psychopigments is very unique, which I liked. However, I feel like it could benefit from a little more backstory on certain events and better pacing. Those looking for a good detective story with unique factors and a bit of science fiction will probably enjoy this, though it may be hard for some to get through.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was quite the chore to get through for the first half. It was equal parts ambitious but unbelievable, interesting and boring. There was a lot of info dumping, but at the same time you get left in the dark about a lot of things involving the war, psychopigments, and what happened to make cities like Boise and Iowa City the big cities in the country. You're left to assume a lot of things and you have to suspend your disbelief a bit on psychopigments in general and Argentina winning a war that a lot of people may not really know about. I had only the most basic knowledge of the Falkland War, and I think that will be the case for many others. There is no information about the war, just that it happened and Argentina won due to the development of psychopigments.
After about the halfway point, things start picking up and getting more interesting, though there are still points where it drags a bit. It was hard for me to believe that no one anywhere and at any point had tried to develop Lavender Hope before. It seemed like more of a convenience for the plot's sake that Curtida and her group were the first ones to think of it and try to harvest it. The idea they come up with for getting the Hope is a little farfetched as well. There had to have been other options, but again it just seemed very convenient. There was a good cast of characters, though I did find the main character a bit on the bland side. I don't know if this was because of her neurodivergent status, but even neurodivergent people have personalities, likes, hobbies, etc.
I do have to say that Curtida's description of feeling like a "beige-carpeted waiting room" after being hit with ennui is one of my favorite descriptions ever. There was a lot of good writing, and the plot involving psychopigments is very unique, which I liked. However, I feel like it could benefit from a little more backstory on certain events and better pacing. Those looking for a good detective story with unique factors and a bit of science fiction will probably enjoy this, though it may be hard for some to get through.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2022
I received a copy of this book for free in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
This is a sort-of detective story set in an alternate reality 2009, where Argentina won the Falklands War with the development of psychopigments, which each have a different color and create a different emotion in people. The premise was interesting, but it felt too ambitious in building this alternate reality, to the point where I often felt overwhelmed. There's a lot of colors and emotions thrown around, and there's multiple government agencies with various acronyms that I had a hard time keeping track of. There's definitely a lot of detail, and I appreciated all of the references to Daly City and other cities in the Bay Area, but it often felt like details were thrown in without much explanation or exploration of the implications of the altered history. It's mentioned that cities like Boise and Iowa City are really big, unlike in our current reality, but I never got a sense of how that happened, if it's related to the rampant inflation, etc. The detective story itself was just kind of ok, with interesting characters and twists and turns, but when the book approaches the end, there's a strange scheme hatched that seemed like it was out of a romantic comedy or something, and it was unclear to me why out of all of the possible things they could do, that was the plan they chose. I did think the world described in this book was interesting, but I wish there had been more exploration of it at a slower pace.
This is a sort-of detective story set in an alternate reality 2009, where Argentina won the Falklands War with the development of psychopigments, which each have a different color and create a different emotion in people. The premise was interesting, but it felt too ambitious in building this alternate reality, to the point where I often felt overwhelmed. There's a lot of colors and emotions thrown around, and there's multiple government agencies with various acronyms that I had a hard time keeping track of. There's definitely a lot of detail, and I appreciated all of the references to Daly City and other cities in the Bay Area, but it often felt like details were thrown in without much explanation or exploration of the implications of the altered history. It's mentioned that cities like Boise and Iowa City are really big, unlike in our current reality, but I never got a sense of how that happened, if it's related to the rampant inflation, etc. The detective story itself was just kind of ok, with interesting characters and twists and turns, but when the book approaches the end, there's a strange scheme hatched that seemed like it was out of a romantic comedy or something, and it was unclear to me why out of all of the possible things they could do, that was the plan they chose. I did think the world described in this book was interesting, but I wish there had been more exploration of it at a slower pace.
January 19, 2024
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a detective novel. From the very beginning, it felt grimy and raw, like I was watching a 1930s mob movie where the detective is trying to catch the mobsters.
Except this book is set in an alternate reality of the United States, in which major cities have been devastated by color bombs that force emotions onto people. So in that sense, it is not at all like a 1930s mob movie.
This book was literary with its language and writing, but it was action-packed like a genre novel. Kind of a conundrum of a book! Is it sci-fi or mystery? Is it literary or genre fiction? Both and all of the above.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters. There were some out of the box moments that felt a bit *too* convenient, but overall, I devoured this book.
This is a detective novel. From the very beginning, it felt grimy and raw, like I was watching a 1930s mob movie where the detective is trying to catch the mobsters.
Except this book is set in an alternate reality of the United States, in which major cities have been devastated by color bombs that force emotions onto people. So in that sense, it is not at all like a 1930s mob movie.
This book was literary with its language and writing, but it was action-packed like a genre novel. Kind of a conundrum of a book! Is it sci-fi or mystery? Is it literary or genre fiction? Both and all of the above.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters. There were some out of the box moments that felt a bit *too* convenient, but overall, I devoured this book.
March 2, 2023
thank you to @atria for the #gifted galley for my honest review
Before we get to this stunning book can we just say cover of the year to beat. I lovedddd this book. It somehow felt both like a Black Mirror episode, a little Veronica Mars, some of the Last of Us, and a classic noir story. This book takes place in a world where emotions have been weaponized in an apt history where weaponizing emotions helped win the Falklands War. Now the US is polluted but with negative emotions and the way to survive is emotion based drugs. What I loved about this book is because emotions are not regulated you truly never know where a character is at or even if those are their real emotions and that’s just insanely cool. There is romance but how can Curdita (our lead) sift through her own emotions. Also as someone who has always dreamed of having synesthesia I love how that plays a huge part in how people see emotions and just how it beautifully ties into the cover. Like most noir this is a slow burn but the slow burn is to just build this fascinating world which I would not want to live in but need to read more stories in it.
Before we get to this stunning book can we just say cover of the year to beat. I lovedddd this book. It somehow felt both like a Black Mirror episode, a little Veronica Mars, some of the Last of Us, and a classic noir story. This book takes place in a world where emotions have been weaponized in an apt history where weaponizing emotions helped win the Falklands War. Now the US is polluted but with negative emotions and the way to survive is emotion based drugs. What I loved about this book is because emotions are not regulated you truly never know where a character is at or even if those are their real emotions and that’s just insanely cool. There is romance but how can Curdita (our lead) sift through her own emotions. Also as someone who has always dreamed of having synesthesia I love how that plays a huge part in how people see emotions and just how it beautifully ties into the cover. Like most noir this is a slow burn but the slow burn is to just build this fascinating world which I would not want to live in but need to read more stories in it.
February 27, 2024
I’m an occasional reader of sci fi, dabbling only when I find the premise particularly compelling and this certainly had a premise which felt original and captured my attention. The alternate history undertones and noir storytelling vibes also attracted my attention. While this is ultimately an interesting story that unpacks some complex ideas about history, nations, and the ways that we exert social control over people, I felt like the intersection of three styles of storytelling and construction impacted the pacing and kept me a bit at arms length which was a shame.
Want to read
February 20, 2023Here's the writer, at Scalzi's:
"What if emotions were weaponized—literally. What if someone could shoot you full of envy, or ennui, or joy? What if you could feel giddy, teenage obsession just by taking a tab at a party? Would you ever trust your own feelings?
The Shamshine Blind happened because I ran out of books in an internet-less house in the Argentine Andes. I was a Playwright, who Wrote Theater. I’d just been accepted into playwriting grad school! But I’d discovered that I wrote best with a constant input of fun books with smart protagonists, weird worlds, and intricate plots. And here I was, working on a grim play about my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and the Argentine dictatorship (great fodder for grant applications! Very hard to write!) and I’d run out of everything to read."
Sounds like fun. Library already has it on order. I'm in.
"What if emotions were weaponized—literally. What if someone could shoot you full of envy, or ennui, or joy? What if you could feel giddy, teenage obsession just by taking a tab at a party? Would you ever trust your own feelings?
The Shamshine Blind happened because I ran out of books in an internet-less house in the Argentine Andes. I was a Playwright, who Wrote Theater. I’d just been accepted into playwriting grad school! But I’d discovered that I wrote best with a constant input of fun books with smart protagonists, weird worlds, and intricate plots. And here I was, working on a grim play about my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and the Argentine dictatorship (great fodder for grant applications! Very hard to write!) and I’d run out of everything to read."
Sounds like fun. Library already has it on order. I'm in.
January 17, 2024
Cartoonish.
There are really strong moments of narrative propulsion where you really start to get into it, and without fail, every time, it gets totally and completely undercut by tedium.
There are really strong moments of narrative propulsion where you really start to get into it, and without fail, every time, it gets totally and completely undercut by tedium.
November 22, 2022
I greatly enjoyed this ARC from Atria Books. Paz Pardo elegantly creates an alternate dystopian 2009 in which the US is no longer a superpower but falls several steps behind the powerful and pigment-wielding Argentina. Pigment, lab-generated reproductions of human feelings, is a dominant force in the culture. Agent Curtida is a pigment enforcement agent who finds herself in the midst of a pigment scheme larger than her small-town credentials seem to be prepared for.
I found the writing here powerful and intricately planned. The world-building was sweeping and ensconcing. Pardo has created a book I’ll think about for some time, and I highly recommend it.
I found the writing here powerful and intricately planned. The world-building was sweeping and ensconcing. Pardo has created a book I’ll think about for some time, and I highly recommend it.
February 13, 2023
This is a story about the weaponization of emotion.Ìý It is 2009 in an alternate timeline.Ìý In this timeline, the United States is a minor player in the world stage.Ìý Over two decades before, Argentina defeated the UK in the Falklands War after they developed “psychopigments." ÌýThese chemicals, known by their color, can produce a wide range of human emotions on contact from Sunshine Yellow, which causes happiness, to Slate Gray, which causes ennui.Ìý Argentina subsequently used Deepest Blue, a psychopigment that causes symptoms from amnesia to suffocation, to assert its dominance over other countries, including the U.S.Ìý After a campaign that left major cities, including New York, as ghost towns, the power center of the United States is now in the midwest.Ìý In 2009, psychopigments are now used as both pharmaceutical and recreational drugs and there is a robust black market selling both real and knockoff psychopigments, such as Shamshine which is a fake version of Sunshine Yellow.
Just outside San Francisco, now largely uninhabited, Kay Curtida works as an agent for the Psychopigment Enforcement Agency.Ìý She mostly handles small-time cases, typical for an agent in a minor city, and is nearing forced retirement. But when Kay responds to what seems like a routine crime, she begins to suspect there is something more afoot -- and this may be a blockbuster case that makes her career.Ìý As Kay dives deeper into the case, joined by her partner and her former classmate and old friend Doug who has been working in the major city of Boise, she comes to believe there may be a much greater conspiracy at play -- one that may put her, and those in her orbit, at great risk.
I really enjoyed this book, combining alternative history, a detective story, and an often profound examination of the role of emotions in people’s lives.Ìý The author did a terrific job of creating a bold and original alternative history.Ìý Like several alternative histories, the springboard is a war going in a different direction -- but the conflict and the reason for the different outcome were surprising and highly creative.Ìý Centering the book around the development of an unexpected weapon that changes people's emotions created a rich world which was highly engaging on its own, providing a lens to explore interesting questions about emotions, the role they play in our lives, and the degree to which we control them or they control us.Ìý I also enjoyed the regular surprises that came as the book revealed the ways that the United States of the book diverges from the one of the real world.Ìý The mystery at the heart of the story heightened my enjoyment of the book -- like many noir stories, it kept me guessing about whether Kay was on the right track and whether many of the other characters were "good guys," as they presented themselves, or whether they were up to no good (or, as is often the case, were a mix of the two).Ìý This is one of the most inventive books I've read in a long time. Ìý
Strongly recommended!
Just outside San Francisco, now largely uninhabited, Kay Curtida works as an agent for the Psychopigment Enforcement Agency.Ìý She mostly handles small-time cases, typical for an agent in a minor city, and is nearing forced retirement. But when Kay responds to what seems like a routine crime, she begins to suspect there is something more afoot -- and this may be a blockbuster case that makes her career.Ìý As Kay dives deeper into the case, joined by her partner and her former classmate and old friend Doug who has been working in the major city of Boise, she comes to believe there may be a much greater conspiracy at play -- one that may put her, and those in her orbit, at great risk.
I really enjoyed this book, combining alternative history, a detective story, and an often profound examination of the role of emotions in people’s lives.Ìý The author did a terrific job of creating a bold and original alternative history.Ìý Like several alternative histories, the springboard is a war going in a different direction -- but the conflict and the reason for the different outcome were surprising and highly creative.Ìý Centering the book around the development of an unexpected weapon that changes people's emotions created a rich world which was highly engaging on its own, providing a lens to explore interesting questions about emotions, the role they play in our lives, and the degree to which we control them or they control us.Ìý I also enjoyed the regular surprises that came as the book revealed the ways that the United States of the book diverges from the one of the real world.Ìý The mystery at the heart of the story heightened my enjoyment of the book -- like many noir stories, it kept me guessing about whether Kay was on the right track and whether many of the other characters were "good guys," as they presented themselves, or whether they were up to no good (or, as is often the case, were a mix of the two).Ìý This is one of the most inventive books I've read in a long time. Ìý
Strongly recommended!
October 14, 2022
i won this book in a goodreads giveaway!
in an alternate 2009, substances called "psychopigments," developed by the argentinian military, have the ability to create any human emotion. they led to argentina's victory against the us in falkland's war, and today they are used for both medicinal purposes as well as recreational drugs. agent kay curtida works in psychopigment enforcement, and she's growing weary of the boring cases in her town of daly city, outside the ruins of what was once san francisco. her old friend from school shows up with an intriguing case, and as curtida investigates, it quickly spirals into something much larger.
i will be honest, this is not particularly my typical genre, and it felt like it took me forever to read because i read it during midterms and had lots of homework to do at the same time, but i enjoyed it anyway! i really liked the concept of psychopigments, and i enjoyed the alt-history elements. the writing as good as well, and i think the style fit the genre perfectly. the second half picked up for me a bit more than the first half did (because i had finished the paper i had to write and felt less guilty about reading), and i really liked the ending!
the one thing was that i sometimes had trouble picking up on what exactly was going on in terms of the case. this was most certainly my problem, not the fault of the book -- mysteries outside of middle grade and thrillers that lean more towards action movies rather than horror are not typically my genre -- but i often did not really know what was happening, or at least didn't understand it deeply enough to start speculating on what the bottom of things could be. this could also have been because i was distracted by my assignments while reading. who knows! i kind of would have liked a big infodump as like an appendix or an infographic at the beginning or something that explained more of the pigments, but that's just because i love that sort of worldbuilding stuff.
anyway the concept was very cool and if you like action movies, alt-history, thrillers, or a more down-to-earth sci-fi, you should check this out!
pre-reading review:
this is the first goodreads giveaway i've ever won!! i'm so excited to get this, i will try to write a good (as in long, with a synopsis) review when it arrives
in an alternate 2009, substances called "psychopigments," developed by the argentinian military, have the ability to create any human emotion. they led to argentina's victory against the us in falkland's war, and today they are used for both medicinal purposes as well as recreational drugs. agent kay curtida works in psychopigment enforcement, and she's growing weary of the boring cases in her town of daly city, outside the ruins of what was once san francisco. her old friend from school shows up with an intriguing case, and as curtida investigates, it quickly spirals into something much larger.
i will be honest, this is not particularly my typical genre, and it felt like it took me forever to read because i read it during midterms and had lots of homework to do at the same time, but i enjoyed it anyway! i really liked the concept of psychopigments, and i enjoyed the alt-history elements. the writing as good as well, and i think the style fit the genre perfectly. the second half picked up for me a bit more than the first half did (because i had finished the paper i had to write and felt less guilty about reading), and i really liked the ending!
the one thing was that i sometimes had trouble picking up on what exactly was going on in terms of the case. this was most certainly my problem, not the fault of the book -- mysteries outside of middle grade and thrillers that lean more towards action movies rather than horror are not typically my genre -- but i often did not really know what was happening, or at least didn't understand it deeply enough to start speculating on what the bottom of things could be. this could also have been because i was distracted by my assignments while reading. who knows! i kind of would have liked a big infodump as like an appendix or an infographic at the beginning or something that explained more of the pigments, but that's just because i love that sort of worldbuilding stuff.
anyway the concept was very cool and if you like action movies, alt-history, thrillers, or a more down-to-earth sci-fi, you should check this out!
pre-reading review:
this is the first goodreads giveaway i've ever won!! i'm so excited to get this, i will try to write a good (as in long, with a synopsis) review when it arrives
Want to read
February 1, 2023The Shamshine Blind is a science fiction/mystery written in a noir style. The story takes place in an alternate 2009 where Argentina has won the psychopigments war. Every emotion has a color and these pigments are being used in nefarious ways. At the same time they are being used as pharmaceutical and recreational drugs. There are also counterfeit pigments which can be deadly. Psychopigment Endorcement Agent Kay Curtida takes on the case of her career when magenta goes wrong.
This is a very ambitious novel. The use of psychopigments is creative and interesting. I found a lot of the story hard to understand though. The noir style didn't work for me. I don't know if it was the best combination with a Sci fi plot. It takes a long time to get a grasp on things. Paragraphs are also long which don't help with easing in to the story.
The Shamshine Blind has a great premise. The style didn't work for me but I can see other readers enjoying this.
This is a very ambitious novel. The use of psychopigments is creative and interesting. I found a lot of the story hard to understand though. The noir style didn't work for me. I don't know if it was the best combination with a Sci fi plot. It takes a long time to get a grasp on things. Paragraphs are also long which don't help with easing in to the story.
The Shamshine Blind has a great premise. The style didn't work for me but I can see other readers enjoying this.
March 13, 2024
This hard-boiled noir alterna-reality tale wasn't totally my bag, but the excellent world-building and compelling protagonist made it a pretty fun read once I surrendered to the premise of a much-diminished America beset by psycho-pigment chemical warfare. I wouldn't have picked this up if not for the Tournament of Books, and I'm always grateful to be pushed out of my lane a little.
February 19, 2024
"Wildly imaginative" and "police procedural" are not often descriptive of the same book, but this one fits the bill. This combination alternate history / sci-fi mash-up is a breath of fresh air. Pardo is an author to watch.
Read
December 13, 2023TOB season has begun!
Read
February 13, 2024DNF - not my cup of Oolong and there are too many other things I want to read. This year’s Tournament of Books selections have often left me wistful for What Might Have Been �.
January 11, 2025
finished yesterday and WOAH.
I am proud of myself for reading the whole thing this was sooo not my typical read but i’m kinda into it. i don’t often read books with world building or like anything unrealistic so this was cool. I was hella confused most of the time though because there were so so so many characters and new concepts to keep track of. Especially because it was half very similar to the United States today, and half very different, but I couldn’t predict what would be different. I found that when I forgot a person or company/business or item’s name it was very difficult to retrace and hard to intuitively figure out what it was. Also the fact that there were nicknames pissed me off because it made it even more confusing! My strategy was to keep plowing through and hopefully it would make sense in the end - it kind of did?
I felt like there were some loose ends at the end� even though there was a lot of plot movement and wrapping up. The book felt unsure if it was character driven or plot driven and I felt as though the plot was wrapped up, but the characters were not. I also think this book would have been better for me if it was more character driven because that is more similar to my typical genre. I want to read another dystopianish book soon because there were parts of this I really enjoyed, but I am going to search for one with strong character development. I did enjoy the moments when this felt like a murder mystery although the ending was not very shocking to me - I wish there would have been more “detective work�. It reminded me that I enjoy a crime novel and so yesterday I picked up a murder mystery from the library.
I really had to work to read this but because there was so much to keep track of I knew I needed to read it fast. I read it in just a few sittings blocking out hours long chunks. I almost wish there was another book written in this same universe, but with an entirely different plot and character set, because I found the setting and the government and pigments to be super interesting and thought provoking. but unfortunately, the writing wasn’t for me.
I am proud of myself for reading the whole thing this was sooo not my typical read but i’m kinda into it. i don’t often read books with world building or like anything unrealistic so this was cool. I was hella confused most of the time though because there were so so so many characters and new concepts to keep track of. Especially because it was half very similar to the United States today, and half very different, but I couldn’t predict what would be different. I found that when I forgot a person or company/business or item’s name it was very difficult to retrace and hard to intuitively figure out what it was. Also the fact that there were nicknames pissed me off because it made it even more confusing! My strategy was to keep plowing through and hopefully it would make sense in the end - it kind of did?
I felt like there were some loose ends at the end� even though there was a lot of plot movement and wrapping up. The book felt unsure if it was character driven or plot driven and I felt as though the plot was wrapped up, but the characters were not. I also think this book would have been better for me if it was more character driven because that is more similar to my typical genre. I want to read another dystopianish book soon because there were parts of this I really enjoyed, but I am going to search for one with strong character development. I did enjoy the moments when this felt like a murder mystery although the ending was not very shocking to me - I wish there would have been more “detective work�. It reminded me that I enjoy a crime novel and so yesterday I picked up a murder mystery from the library.
I really had to work to read this but because there was so much to keep track of I knew I needed to read it fast. I read it in just a few sittings blocking out hours long chunks. I almost wish there was another book written in this same universe, but with an entirely different plot and character set, because I found the setting and the government and pigments to be super interesting and thought provoking. but unfortunately, the writing wasn’t for me.
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