Sarah Rees Brennan and The Demon's Lexicon

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

I remembered Roz saying something about generally not liking female heroines, and it made me think of an essay Sarah Rees Brennan wrote - here - about why women get the shaft in fiction. It's a good rant and she has a funny, engaging style, and after reading that and every other scrap she's put on the internet (I'm a fan girl and possibly a little obsessive) I was very much looking forward to her book.

It's YA, not too long (I read it in a few hours), very streamlined and tightly edited without much filler and lots of action. Maybe a little scary/naughty for tweens but older teens and of course adults should have no problem. It's not a romance, no epic love story - it's more about friendships and brotherhood/sisterhood type relationships, though there is attraction and hormones do fly (as they are wont to do in this age group). She managed to pack a lot of world into a little book and I'm still going over some of the implications of various things she slid into the storyline effortlessly.

So the characters, which are really what drive a book like this for me. The story is told from the point of view of Nick, which to me was a somewhat unusual choice. Unlike his brother - kind, bookish, vulnerable Alan - Nick is much more the tall, dark and brooding type. Without the brooding - he's a man of few words, even in internal dialogue, but has little filter when it comes to making digs and generally being a jackass. He's not particularly observant when it comes to people, I wouldn't call him the group leader, and he's not the damsel in distress (That's Jamie - but I'll get to him later). He's kind of a pig when it comes to girls and pretty much a jerk when it comes to 'other people'. He is, however, compelling, and by the end of the book the choice to make him the point of view character makes sense.

Back to Alan, Nick's older brother, who as it happens has secrets and burdens of his own. He's the heartbreaker of the book in ten different ways. I think of all the characters, it's Alan who has the most longing - for a normal life, for family and friends, crushes, exams, college. He's doing the best he can to act as a parent, brother, and guardian to Nick, and makes for a very bittersweet character.

So those two brothers are leading a life on the run from magicians (no spoilers, this is pretty much first chapter stuff) when they encounter another sibling duo - Mae and Jamie - who have stumbled into the world of magicians and demons and need help. Jamie is both the reality check and the comic relief, being the only one of the bunch willing to come out and say he's scared shitless by things like, say, the walking dead, or Nick being Nick. He does it with a great deal of both charm and snark, and at times an almost unbelievable presence of mind. I think if I saw an animated corpse, just as an example, my response would be more along the lines of 'hurr run omg' than some witty one liner, but I guess that wouldn't make for interesting fiction.

And then there's Mae (after Mae West). She takes her insecurities out on her wardrobe (making Jamie's eyebrow ring look demure) but underneath the pink hair and 'tourist' attitude to the world of demons and magicians is a genuine love for her brother and a nurturing instinct. In a lot of ways she's the hero of the story (in the traditional sense). She's brave, pragmatic, and a natural leader. She and Alan make a nice team, both taking care of their baby brothers, but where Alan is burdened by his responsibilities and desires (however well he shoulders them), Mae is alive with them. Being able to act, to take care of her brother, to give up anything or take any risk to help him, empowers her. She's the most earthy and sensual of all the characters, as though she's figured out mysteries the boys can only guess at, but in some ways she's also the most innocent.

So, yeah, it's a nice read, probably won't go down in history or anything but I could see this book getting a good following. She's got a sequel in the works and I think a three book deal altogether. The next book will be from Mae's point of view (yay). It's fun, it's a pleasure read, it's good for summer.