Caitlin R. Tiernan

I read a Caitlin R. Tiernan book quite awhile ago called Silk. I actually read it and returned it to the bookstore. I never do that. It was just...not that good in my opinion. I tried another of her books, I think Threshold when I was dating Randall and one of his friends said her books were better than Poppy Z. Brite's books (whom I do adore). I thought I'd give Caitlin a second try. I couldn't even make it through the book.

I saw Alabaster at the library and was intrigued by the illustration on the cover. I read the back and it sounded like a good story. I decided to give Ms. Tiernan one more try. Eh, no luck--I didn't enjoy Alabaster any more than her other books (besides the illustrations by the guy who draws Gloom Cookie).

I've been trying to pinpoint why I don't like her writing. I think it comes down to the fact that she's so poetic and detailed in her descriptions of mood and place AND she's never straightforward about what's going on in the story. Alabaster is a series of short stories she wrote about one character, Dancy. Dancy is interesting, her purpose in life (killing monsters as directed by an angel) is interesting, the sequencing of the various stories was interesting, but I still feel like I have no clue about exactly what happened in the book (besides the killing monsters bit). That frustrates me. I want to know why the angel chose Dancy to speak to. Who is the angel exactly, anyway? What happened to her mother and grandmother? How does she kill the monsters? Maybe that's supposed to be part of the charm of the book--not having specific answers to questions like those. I don't know. It just wasn't a favorite.

But if you're into horror type books, check it out. Lots of people DO like Caitlin R. Tiernan.