Mockingbird (Miriam Black Book 2)

It's impossible to stop reading this book. It sinks its talons in and won't let go. Really. I stole every minute I could find to get back to it and finish it.

But better than just being thrilling, the book builds upon and deepens the themes of its predecessor, Blackbirds. There's a resonance to this book that's both haunting and beautiful, and at times Miriam Black's thinking slips into lines whose profane beauty could easily fit into a poem by Bukowski or, more appropriately, Crow by Ted Hughes.

But Wendig is such a disciplined writer that such moments of wordy goodness never slow the narrative or even pull you out of the book; they simply deepen Miriam's character and make her even more compelling.

This is a unique mix of Urban Fantasy meets Pulp Noir built with a superbly crafted plot. Read it. It's a blast.

Love his writing advice. The novel is fun. Writing is efficient, frantic. Dialogue is a little weak (especially some of the "I'm a bad girl" repetition), but the pace and description make up for it.

Note: AVOID the Angry robot version. I've never seen so many typos and flat out mistakes in a book before. That publisher should be embarrassed. (Although the cover art is perfect.)

I do love Chuck Wendig's creation, Miriam Black! She's profane, dark, tormented, jaded, and just a bit sweet. Of course, if I were a very intelligent young woman whose background included neglect and abuse *and* who had no choice but to experience the final moments of someone's life every time I touched his or her skin, I could only hope to keep that touch of sweetness Miriam has retained.

Wendig really puts Miriam and everyone in her world through hell in this novel, in full sensoround detail. It's not for the faint of heart.

No spoilers here, just a word of caution: Miriam's world just got even blacker, which is no small feat. Enjoy! I did.

Damn! Just, well, Damn! Wendig did it to me again. I was reading along, fat, dumb and happy as I turned the page to the next chapter in Mz. Blacks f-bombing, lost waif, supernatural gizmo filled life and . . . BOOM! . . . the freakin' E bomb hits me right between the eyes like a 28 oz. framing hammer wielded by our not-so-good-good-girl-hero-villian-innocent-world-weary-only-something-teen-aged, protagonist ( protagonist? yeah,see, I know fancy words too) Miriam Black and there it was -- The E bomb.

Two words: The End. Wadda ya mean The End? Can't be. Won't be. BUT. It. Is. The. End. Dammit! And just when things were coming together so well. Just when we started to get a handle on what Miriam is all about. Just when the imaginary friends she's collected along the way are turning out not be not so imaginary. Just when we're thinking Odin? Ravens? WTF? Just when we're about to assign a title like Saint Miriam Of The Birds to the girl. She kicks it all down, sets it on fire and runs away into the rain cackling like a hen on pure dee, down home, psudo-freaudian smack. And where does all that leave us? Right back to Damn! The E bomb. Like the title says I hate The E Bomb. I'd hate it more, but right now I gotta go and pester the folks at Mysterious Galaxy about when I can expect to get my copy of the next Miriam and Louis adventure. It had better be quick.

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 EPIC Controllers/Crown Rating
Review Source:Publisher for Honest Review
Reviewer: Me

Mockingbird = FREAKING Genius!

Miriam Black is a dark soul. She's loud, highly opinionated, and clearly doesn't give a (insert dirty word here) what anyone thinks. She's probably one of the most unique protagonists you will ever read. Author Chuck Wendig does an extraordinary job of keeping readers on the edge of their seat just long enough so he can push them over an enormous cliff of absolute madness. Mockingbird is a rare gem of dirty, dangerous, insane fun!

When I first started reading Mockingbird my original thought was, "what the heck am I reading?" But the more time I invested in this strange woman known as Miriam Black, the more hypnotized I became by her quick-witted one liners and ability to turn a dire situation into something exhilarating. And boy can she get herself into some sticky situations. Who is Miriam exactly (besides someone with a strange ability)? Well, I can tell you one thing she's not, and that's like every other character you've ever read!

Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to read the beginning of her story in Blackbirds (*tear*). With that being said, I was still able to fully enjoy Mockingbird as a standalone title. However, I will without a doubt be picking up the first book - and the next - in the series. In book two we are taking on a hell-raising adventure as Miriam tries to thwart a serial killer who preys on young women. During her journey of madness and mayhem, she makes new friends, gets beaten, chased, and crazy visions all while chain smoking her favorite pack of cigarettes. Its one heck of a pleasurable - though pretty bizarre - adventure everyone should fall in love with.

Overall, if you are looking for a paranormalesque noir, with colorful language, uniquely flawed characters and dazzling writing then I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY and in case you didn't get that, HIGHLY recommend Mockingbird. This is by far one of my favorite books to spring up this year and I am waiting with bated breath for the sequel, Cormorant (Miriam Black, #3).

Favorite quote
"You intrude. Here I should be drifting through the darkness before my death, all peaceful and shit, and then you come along. Trespassing on my mental property."

We all have that fascination with the darker side of things and Chuck Wendig is just the author to satisfy that wicked itch. Wendig's writing is like the car wreck you can't help slowing down for and staring at. I know that sounds bad but it is anything but.

Mockingbird picks up one year later where the first book Blackbirds left off. Miriam is trying out the normal gig, for the sake of Louis, but she isn't quite hacking it. I say it's because she is a glutton for punishment, self indulgence and really doesn't want to settle in one place to have a quiet uneventful existence. There just isn't enough drama in that for our Miriam- and that's one thing she is, is Drama. Haha.

One day gets fed up with the mediocrity of her "new life" and decides to let the death visions flood back in. Louis knows he can't make her be someone she isn't no matter how he likely wishes he could. So he puts her in touch with a school teacher Katey, who swears she is dying and will pay Miriam to tell her how she dies. Miriam takes the job and Louis drops her off at the boarding school for troubled girls where Katey works. Soon after Miriam has visions of one of the young girls dying horrifically by the hands of a crazy masked man years from now and is determined to prevent it from happening.

From here the action hardly stops and I could barely put the book down. In fact some of these scenes were crap your pants freaky! Miriam's character is more heavily delved into - what makes her tick? What would going home be like? Is she crazy and hallucinating? Ultimately, is what she does right or wrong? Oh, yes and Louis gets a little spotlight time as well which I definitely liked because I'm a sucker for him just a bit.

So beg, cheat, borrow, or hell steal it from a friend - but you absolutely can't miss reading this book! Of course read Blackbirds first!

"You capture a tempest in your teacup, you better expect a little blood on your carpet and some crazy-ass moonbat conversations at five o'clock in the morning." - Mockingbird

Yep - that pretty much sums up why I love Wendig's Miriam Black series. Miriam is still as crass, crude & rude as ever, and she wears her crazy as a shield, but there is truth to her ways. I read a lot of books with tough as nails female leads. A LOT. Miriam is near the top of my badass list and she does it without any superpower other than her ability to touch a person and know how they die. That and she knows how to fight dirty. The last third of this book is just nonstop action-packed don't-interrupt-me-now-I-mean-it awesome.

If you are new to the freakishly wonderful world of Miriam Black, you might find some small SPOILERS for Blackbirds, so read this review at your own risk.

Book 2's are important. They need to build on the main storyline, show some character progression, and most of all make you want to grab book 3. Mockingbird does all of that so well.

We start with Miriam working at the checkout of a grocery store. She has been trying a "normal" life with Louis, and even wears gloves so she can't touch anyone. The high of finally being able to change fate is wearing thin and "normal" isn't the stuff of dreams. Luckily, we don't spend much time here (Miriam in customer service? cue maniacal laughter), and soon the gloves are off and Miriam is itching to be back on the road. Not necessarily with Louis.

I really like what Wendig has done with Louis and Miriam's relationship. I felt I got Louis a bit better in this book, and he also raises the very important question of what happens to a person when Miriam changes their death, their fate. This is something I hope we get to delve into more in the future.

I also really love Miriam's quasi-friendship with Katey, the terminally ill teacher at the reform school where the bulk of the action takes place. It feels like one of the most honest relationships Miriam has allowed herself to have. True, she knows there isn't a future in it, but I thought it was a big step.

It is at the school that Miriam sees the future horrific murder of a student. The anti-Fate is back in Miriam's life, taunting her, and although she would probably rather go back to the easier life of not trying to care, Miriam has changed. This means she's on a mission to change fate once again. Of course, Miriam has her own way of doing things and some things are larger than they appear.

Stopping there. I enjoyed this book too much to want to take any of that discovery away from another reader.

If you liked Blackbirds, you should love Mockingbird. A must for those who love troubled, twisted, kickass characters.

[Received an ARC to review.]

I read this book before Blackbirds which was unfortunate. However, the story is so well written that I was able to completely immerse myself in the sequel without having read the first book. That in itself should explain the 5 star rating. If that's not enough just let me tell you that the dialogue between characters is inexplicably good. Funny, well-written, fast-paced, fully developed, and completely entertaining. This book is all that and more.
I will be immediately reading the first book and anything else this author writes (hopefully a 3rd in the series).
Disclaimer: I received the Kindle book in exchange for my honest review.

Once you jump onto this coaster you better not have any plans for the night because you're going to need to have your secretary cancel your meetings and hold your calls until it is finished. From the first page the story starts out in third gear and sucks you into its draft. It is one wild, crazy and vicious romp through the Pennsylvania countryside. The main character Miriam Black is as funny and honest as you could ever hope for in a hopelessly lost twenty-something runaway.

Chuck Wendig uses simile like a sledgehammer to a rabid dogs gonads, and it will have you howling in gleeful delight at the poetry of his absolute brutality to anyone unfortunate enough to live in this story - absolutely no one gets out unscathed.

If Raymond Chandler and Henry Rollins had a hate child, that child would have a nasty step brother named Chuck Wendig. His writing is honest, in your face, and ruthless. You have never rooted for a more brutal protagonist than Miriam Black.

In true to form Wendig style, Blackbirds takes you on a disturbing ride that explores weird, unique characters with a hint of magic realism in the form of psychic energy that lets Miriam (the main character) view the situation of a person's death. With plenty of swearing, boozing, sex, and violence along the way.

I was really impressed. Blackbirds is a finely crafted story that didn't disappoint me for even a page. The story is visceral and gripping and kept me reading straight through. I hate to call up the connotations of a "page turner," as I have some distinctly non-stellar examples in my own head, but I honestly hated to put this one down. So sure, you could call it beach reading -- if you're prepared to be a little uncomfortable bearing witness to Miriam's experience of countless deaths and other (often brutal) emotional scars that get her through each day on the road.

In conclusion, thumbs way up for this one. I'm very pleased to hear that it may have series options in the future. I'll definitely been keeping my eyes out for more.

I enjoyed Blackbirds, and was expecting a similar read. Not the case with Mockingbird. Chuck kicked it up a notch and I rode the word-coaster through twists, turns and sudden stops. I'm looking forward to reading The Cormorant, and hope its execution is as awesome as Mockingbird.

Chuck Wendig can seriously write a great metaphor - his language is stunning and original and I'm always re-reading lines to try and fathom the layers. This is definitely horror with a suitably violent and nasty serial killer hunting young girls, mutilating and murdering them. Miriam Black, with her visions of how people die tries to change the fates of the girls she meets by hunting down the killers. But is her gift, or curse, beginning to twist her mind into madness? It's hard to tell as Miriam is one crazy chick, but a brilliant character. There's kick-ass action scenes as well as psychological weirdness. Highly recommended, but don't read last thing at night ...

When I read Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig (book one of this series), it felt a little like watching Jerry Springer. The main character, Miriam Black, wasn't anyone I knew or could imagine myself becoming. She was foul-mouthed road trash, and her story was more like a train wreck from which I could not look away. I liked it, but the story never reached out to grip my throat.

Not so, Mockingbird. I get Miriam, now. I understand her, can see how she got to be like she is, and like some of the characters in Mockingbird I just want to take care of her. I only put down this book today in order to make dinner. And if I could have continued reading at the dinner table without being impolite to my husband, I would have. Through all the gory twists and turns of this story, I was rooting for Miriam, not just watching the wreckage.

Mockingbird is a gripping thriller, but it's the evolution of Miriam's character that makes this a five-star review. I read a lot of books in a variety of genres, but I rarely write reviews. If you like thrillers, read it. If you like supernatural spookiness or urban fantasy or horror, read it. If you like to see a strong female character who gets dealt a bad hand by life rise up and reclaim her power, definitely read it.

I really got into this story quickly and Miriam Black is a fascinating character to follow. Finding her own way, not comfortable with routine, simultaneously hating and wanting to preserve life, this story of her attempt to track a serial killer at an Academy for troubled girls moves with greasy speed.

Sharply written characters, elegantly profane dialogue, and stakes as high as Miriam's very soul makes this one a must read.

What a unique and crazy read! The language is exceptionally colorful. It is sexually explicit. That said, it is a lierary marvel that will keep you guessing all the way through. Some novels are actually unique in and of themselves -- this is such. I have rarely read a novel of such quality.

Enjoyed Mockingbird nearly as much as Blackbird. Miriam Black keeps on trucking. This is the kind of read for me that needs to be broken up because it's all pretty dark. But Chuck Wendig is a superb writer and keeps you reading. No way can you not finish a book. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Keep 'em coming Chuck!

What a unique and crazy read! The language is exceptionally colorful. It is sexually explicit. That said, it is a lierary marvel that will keep you guessing all the way through. Some novels are actually unique in and of themselves -- this is such. I have rarely read a novel of such quality.

Enjoyed Mockingbird nearly as much as Blackbird. Miriam Black keeps on trucking. This is the kind of read for me that needs to be broken up because it's all pretty dark. But Chuck Wendig is a superb writer and keeps you reading. No way can you not finish a book. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Keep 'em coming Chuck!

I have enjoyed both Miriam Black books thus far but Miriam Black is a hard character to like. She is full of self pity and self loathing which I find annoying and unproductive. Also, in this book she does some really, really stupid things that are clearly there just to move the story along.

The author has a nasty habit of using tons and tons of smilies to describe things. I'm talking a whole paragraph of smilies just to describe how grey something is. I get it Chuck, it's grey.

Finally, and this may just apply to the Kindle edition which is what I read, but there were several editions errors ranging from misspellings to a repeated sentence, to several instances of words crammed together.

Still, despite all that, I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to Miriam's next adventure.

It's usually fun to read female characters written by men, and this story's heroine was one of the most vividly depicted wild-women I've encountered. Miriam takes a beating on nearly every page but is back on her feet and scamming again in no time.

This book is a follow-up to Wendig's "Blackbirds" but stands alone easily.

Much like the book before it, Mockingbird has some of the best character/audience relationships I've ever read before. The grip Miriam Black holds on you is taut, and she carries you throughout the whole book. Every bit of it was either thrilling, funny, or just plain visceral. Oh, and there's a lot of cursing. And cursing is always fun.