<p><b>Geoff</b>: Is that book any good?</p>

<p><b>Me</b>: I'll bet you a million dollars she has an MFA.</p>

<p><b>Geoff</b>: How can you tell that?</p>

<p><b>Me</b> (looks in the <i>About the author</i> section): Yep! MFA!</p>

<p><b>Geoff</b>: That doesn't answer my question.</p>

<p><b>Me</b>: What question?</p>

<p><b>Geoff</b>: Is it any good?</p>

<p>So is it? Parts sure -- the chapter set in the city with the rebels was so tautly written and great to read. But that whole thing reads exactly like my idea of a stereotypical <i>I have an MFA and this is my first novel</i> novel (I have no idea if my opinion is justified, since, perhaps, I read tonnes of novels with those two qualifications and don't even realize it). What do I mean?</p>

<ol>
<li>Every chapter is about/from the perspective of a different character.</li>
<li>Chapters change the point of view constantly (i.e. some chapters are second person singular (<i>you</i>), some chapters are third person singular (<i>she</i>), etc.</li>
<li>While each chapter is interlinked, they all have a stand-alone feel to them.</li>
<li>Catharsis is somewhat muted.</li>
</ol>

<p>And so, it ends up being more like a bunch of short stories about a fictionalized account of the filming of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibal_Holocaust">Cannibal Holocaust</a>. I'm not saying that this is bad, but it isn't the most wonderful book I've ever read either. I think it was marketed as horror. I'm jaded, so I wasn't that horrified. But, maybe I was supposed to be horrified. I don't know. I need a new POV chapter/character to tell me what I'm supposed to feel.</p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/17306089/book/158885942">We At Our Own</a> by Kea Wilson went on sale September 6, 2016.</p>

<p><small>I received a copy free from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> in exchange for an honest review.</small></p>

A must for those who like the gore and sleaze of Cannibal Holocaust but also appreciate writing that's intricate and smart. It's a narrow audience, I suspect, but this book nails it.

I'm kinda borderline on this. I can't decide if it's brilliant or pretentious. Or both. Either way, if you read the plot outline and find it interesting, try it. The mix of unique storytelling and f-ed up mind games make this for an entertaining read at the very least. One thing though, this is labeled as "horror". I think that's misleading. It's far more a character study. So if you go into it hoping for a novel version of Cannibal Holocaust, you will be disappointed.

I give this 4 stars, but really it's more a 3.5. I did think the pacing as a *bit* lacking sometimes, but not long enough to truly take away from the rest of the story. Also, there was one character I couldn't stand, which really got to be at the end (Italian actress, whose name I can't be bothered to look up, she annoyed me that much). I think she was suppose to be a dirty Tinkerbell, but I just found her to be more like a psychotic manic pixie. I understood why she was there, I just wish she wasn't. Also, this isn't really spoilery, but I'll hide it just in case (<spoiler>if you know the story behind the aftermath of Cannibal Holocaust, you will predict the ending very early on</spoiler>). Because I knew that story going in, I wish it had a different ending.

But those are kinda nitpicky. The pros out-way the negatives here. The interesting writing style and intersecting stories pretty much make up for any issues. You might not love this book, but you'll be glad you read it.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.

This is one of those books that you either love or hate, but I am honestly not sure how I feel about it... and it's been months since I read it. The story and especially the town will linger in my mind for a while. I have to admit it whet my appetite to learn more about the film that inspired this book.